[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73031-73032]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33715]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP99-21-002]
Northern Border Pipeline Company; Notice of Amendment
December 22, 1999.
Take notice that on December 17, 1999, Northern Border Pipeline
Company (Northern Border), 1111 South 103rd Street, Omaha, Nebraska
68124-1000, filed is Docket No. CP99-21-002, an amendment to its
application in Docket No. CP99-21, for a certificate of public
convenience and necessity, pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas
Act and part 157 of the Commission's regulations, to construct and
operate pipeline and compression facilities all as more fully set forth
in the amendment which is on file with the Commission and open to
public inspection. This filing may be viewed on the Internet at http://
www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call 202-208-2222 for assistance).
On March 25, 1999, Northern Border filed with the Commission an
amendment to its application in Docket No. CP99-21-001, wherein
Northern Border modified the design of the pipeline and compression
facilities it proposes. By this amendment, Northern Border now proposes
to install approximately 34.4 miles of 30-inch pipeline (rather than
36-inch pipeline, as previously proposed), commencing from Northern
Border's 36-inch pipeline near Manhattan, Illinois to a point near
North Hayden, Indiana. The proposed pipeline extension will
interconnect with Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) at
the terminus of the pipeline at which point Northern Border proposes to
install a meter station. The pipeline extension between Manhattan and
Northern Hayden will have a design capacity of 544,000 Mcf/
d and a maximum operating pressure of 1,050 psig. Due to the potential
development of a new airport along the route of the proposed pipeline,
Northern Border has been requested and proposes to install a tee and
side valve on the pipeline extension near the site. Further, the
planned cooling modifications at proposed Compressor Station No. 18
have been eliminated. The change in pipeline diameter from a 36-inch to
30-inch, and the elimination of cooling at Compressor Station No. 18
are the only facility changes from those proposed in the March 25,
1999, amendment.
As now amended, the estimated project cost is $94.4 million, in
fourth quarter 1999 dollars. Northern Border says that it does not
intend to use its cost projection in the instant application as the
basis for an incentive rate proposal. Northern Border filed additional
exhibits which compare the transportation cost for the year 2002
without the proposed facilities to the projected year 2002 cost with
the proposed facilities in order to show the impact of rolling-in the
proposed facilities on the first calendar year of operations' cost of
service. Northern Border's year 2002 projected unit cost of service
rate, including fuel, the proposed facility costs, and the related
volumes in 4.30 center per 100 Dekatherm-Miles, which is the same as
the unit cost without the proposed facilities and related volumes.
Northern Border says that this demonstrates that Project 2000 is
financially viable
[[Page 73032]]
without ``subsidy'' from existing customers.
On September 15, 1999, the Commission issued a Statement of Policy
in Docket No. PL99-3-000, ``Certification of New Interstate Natural Gas
Pipeline Facilities''. The Policy Statement announced changes to the
pricing and rate criteria applicable to new construction projects and,
specified that applicants proposing to add new pipeline capacity must
satisfy a threshold requirement of ``no financial subsidies''. The
Policy Statement also announced that a project will also be evaluated
based upon consideration of (i) the interests of the applicant's
existing customers; (ii) the interests of competing existing pipelines
and their captive customers, and (iii) the interests of landowners and
surrounding communities. Where a project results in adverse impacts to
any of members of these three stakeholder groups, the project sponsor
must show how the specific public benefits resulting from its project
outweigh the adverse effects the members of the three stakeholder
groups.
Northern Border states that Project 2000, as now amended, meets the
Commission's threshold ``no financial subsidies'' requirement of for
certification. Further, its says that the public benefits of Project
2000 outweigh any adverse impacts to any members of the three
stakeholder groups identified in the Policy Statement, because in its
amendment, Northern Border describes in detail how Project 2000 does
not have any adverse impact on the three stakeholder groups listed in
the Policy Statement, Northern Border therefore requests that the
Commission promptly certificate Project 2000, as hereby amended, and
that such approvals issue no later than March 15, 2000.
Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with
reference to said application should on or before January 14, 2000,
file with the Federal Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E.,
Washington, D.C. 20426, a motion to intervene or a protest in
accordance with the requirements of the Commission's Rules of Practice
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and 385.214) and the regulations under
the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.10). All protests filed with the
Commission will be considered by it in determining the appropriate
action to be taken but will not serve to make the protestants parties
to the proceeding. The Commission's rules require that protestors
provide copies of their protests to the party or parties directly
involved. Any person wishing to become a party in any proceeding herein
must file a motion to intervene in accordance with the Commission's
rules.
A person obtaining intervenor status will be placed on the service
list maintained by the Secretary of the Commission and will receive
copies of all documents filed by the applicant and by every one of the
intervenors. An intervenor can file for rehearing of any Commission
order and can petition for court review of any such order. However, an
intervenor must submit copies of comments or any other filing it makes
with the Commission to every other intervenor in the proceeding, as
well as 14 copies with the Commission.
A person does not have to intervene, however, in order to have
comments considered. A person, instead, may submit two copies of
comments to the Secretary of the Commission. Commenters will be placed
on the Commission's environmental mailing list, will receive copies of
environmental documents and will be able to participate in meetings
associated with the Commission's environmental review process.
Commenters will not be required to serve copies of filed documents on
all other parties. However, commenters will not receive copies of all
documents filed by other parties or issued by the Commission and will
not have the right to seek rehearing or appeal the Commission's final
order to a federal court. The Commission will consider all comments and
concerns equally, whether filed by commenters or those requesting
intervenor status.
Take further notice that, pursuant to the authority contained in
and subject to the jurisdiction conferred upon the Commission by
Sections 7 and 15 of the Natural Gas Act and the Commission's Rules of
Practice and Procedure, a hearing will be held without further notice
before the Commission or its designee on this application if no motion
to intervene is filed within the time required herein, if the
Commission on its own review of the matter finds that permission and
approval for the proposed abandonments and a grant of the certificate
are required by the public convenience and necessity. If a motion for
leave to intervene is timely filed, or if the Commission on its own
motion believes that formal hearing is required, further notice of such
hearing will be duly given.
Under the procedure herein provided for, unless otherwise advised,
it will be unnecessary for Northern Border to appear or to be
represented at the hearing.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-33715 Filed 12-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M