[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 28 (Friday, February 12, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9331-9332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-02898]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP20-28-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Request for Extension 
of Time

    Take notice that on February 3, 2021, Columbia Gas Transmission, 
LLC (Columbia) requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
(Commission) grant an extension of time, until October 31, 2021, to 
complete construction of the Line SM-116 Forced Relocation Project 
(Project) and make the Project available for service, as the Prior 
Notice authorized on February 25, 2020.\1\ The Commission's regulations 
establish that the Project be completed within one year of the date the 
Project was authorized.
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    \1\ 85 FR 88 (Jan. 2, 2020).
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    The Project consists of the relocation and/or abandonment of 
segments of Columbia's existing Line SM-116 due to highwall and area 
surface mining to be performed by Central Appalachian Mining on their 
Millseat Surface Mine. The relocation and/or abandonment activities 
will take place in Mingo County, West Virginia. Columbia stated in the 
Prior Notice application that the new Project infrastructure will have 
an equivalent designed delivery capacity as the facilities being 
abandoned and will not result in a reduction or abandonment of service.
    In its Extension of Time request, Columbia stated that the 
contractor will not be able to meet the original in-service date 
because the Project has experienced significant delays due to rainfall 
on the site which delayed construction and created safety concerns for 
the personnel in traversing the construction work area safely. 
Additionally, the construction schedule was negatively impacted by the 
COVID-19 pandemic.
    This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment 
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on the extension motion 
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 NGA 
facilities when such requests are contested before order issuance. For 
those extension requests that are contested,\3\ the Commission acting 
as a whole 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/or necessity are final and the 
Commission will not re-litigate their issuance. 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) (2020).
    \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.
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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

[[Page 9332]]

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: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, February 23rd, 
2021.

    Dated: February 8, 2021.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-02898 Filed 2-11-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P