[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 213 (Tuesday, November 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69609-69610]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24274]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP19-505-000]


Spire Storage West LLC; Notice of Request for Extension of Time

    Take notice that on October 26, 2020, Spire Storage West LLC (Spire 
or Applicant) requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission) grant an extension of time, until May 6, 2021, to complete 
construction of the Belle Butte Project (Project) at its Belle Butte 
Storage

[[Page 69610]]

facility in Uinta County, Wyoming, and make the Project available for 
service, as authorized on November 6, 2020. Spire is authorized to 
complete the construction activities of the project under the 
Commission's blanket certificate prior notice procedure.
    On August 30, 2019, Spire filed with the Commission in Docket No. 
CP19-505-000 a Prior Notice of Blanket Certificate Activity describing 
its plan to complete the Project.\1\ The Project consists of converting 
two existing observation wells to vertical injection/withdrawal wells 
(Wells #15 and #34), and to construct related connecting flowlines and 
appurtenances that are necessary to improve the Belle Butte Storage 
Field's performance in Uinta County, Wyoming. Spire was required to 
complete construction of the Project facilities and make them available 
for service by November 6, 2020. Due to delays related primarily to the 
Covid-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Kemmerer Field 
Office in Kemmerer, Wyoming, was unable to provide Spire with the 
requisite land agreements to being construction on BLM-administered 
lands until October 9, 2020. Applicants now request an additional six-
month extension of time, until May 6, 2021, to complete construction of 
the Project and place it into service.
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    \1\ Prior Notice of Blanket Certificate Activity, Docket No. 
CP19-505-000 (filed Aug. 30, 2019).
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    This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment 
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on the Applicant's 
request for an extension of time may do so. No reply comments or 
answers will be considered. If you wish to obtain legal status by 
becoming a party to the proceedings for this request, you should, on or 
before the comment date stated below, file a motion to intervene in 
accordance with the requirements of the Commission's Rules of Practice 
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211) and the Regulations under the 
Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.10).\2\
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    \2\ Only motions to intervene from entities that were party to 
the underlying proceeding will be accepted. Algonquin Gas 
Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 39 (2020).
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    As a matter of practice, the Commission itself generally acts on 
requests for extensions of time to complete construction for Natura Gas 
Act facilities when such requests are contested before order issuance. 
For those extension requests that are contested,\3\ the Commission will 
aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45 days.\4\ The 
Commission will address all arguments relating to whether the applicant 
has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the extension.\5\ The 
Commission will not consider arguments that re-litigate the issuance of 
the Certificate Order, including whether the Commission properly found 
the project to be in the public convenience or necessity and whether 
the Commission's environmental analysis for the certificate complied 
with the National Environmental Policy Act.\6\ At the time a pipeline 
requests an extension of time, orders on certificates of public 
convenience and necessity are final and the Commission will not re-
litigate their issuance.\7\ The OEP Director, or his or her designee, 
will act on all those extension requests that are uncontested.
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    \3\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes 
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2019).
    \4\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
    \5\ Id. P 40.
    \6\ Similarly, the Commission will not re-litigate the issuance 
of an NGA section 3 authorization, including whether a proposed 
project is not inconsistent with the public interest and whether the 
Commission's environmental analysis for the permit order complied 
with NEPA.
    \7\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
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    In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the 
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an 
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this document via the 
internet through the Commission's Home Page (http://ferc.gov) using the 
``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three 
digits in the docket number field to access the document. At this time, 
the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, due to the proclamation declaring a National Emergency 
concerning COVID-19, issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For 
assistance, contact FERC at [email protected] or call toll-
free, (886) 208-3676 or TYY, (202) 502-8659.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments, 
protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the ``eFile'' link at 
http://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically may mail 
similar pleadings to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. Hand delivered submissions in 
docketed proceedings should be delivered to Health and Human Services, 
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
    Comment Date: 5 p.m. Eastern Time on November 12, 2020.

    Dated: October 27, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-24274 Filed 11-2-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P