[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 68 (Thursday, April 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17399-17400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9299]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP98-309-000]
Great Lakes Gas Transmission Limited Partnership; Notice of
Application
April 3, 1998.
Take notice that on March 27, 1998, Great Lakes Gas Transmission
Limited Partnership (Great Lakes), One Woodward Avenue, Suite 1600,
Detroit, Michigan 48226, filed an application pursuant to Section 7(c)
of the Natural Gas Act for a certificate of public convenience and
necessity authorizing Great Lakes to construct and operate 258.5 miles
of 36-inch pipeline loop in 11 segments (including a crossing of the
Straits of Mackinac, a navigable waterbody located at the northern tip
of Michigan's lower peninsula), seven compressor units totaling 180,000
horsepower (hp) and miscellaneous ancillary facilities, at an estimated
cost of $620,250,000, all as more fully set forth in the application
which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection.
Great Lakes states that the proposed facilities (the Great Lakes
300 Expansion), in conjunction with Great Lakes existing system, will
enable Great Lakes to increase its system-wide deliverability at its
downstream St. Clair, Michigan interconnect by 304,000 dekatherms per
day (dtd). It is stated that this additional system capacity has been
subscribed by firm transportation service between a point on the U.S.--
Canada international boundary near St. Vincent, Minnesota and a point
on the U.S.--Canada international boundary near St. Clair, Michigan
under a precedent agreement executed by TransCanada PipeLines Limited.
Great Lakes requests approval to charge a stand alone initial,
levelized transportation rate, which is derived from the estimated
additional costs to the system, over a fifteen-year (15) period,
resulting from the construction and operation of the proposed
facilities. Great Lakes avers that the additional transportation
service is to commence and the proposed facilities are to be placed
into service on November 1, 2000. Great Lakes states that meeting this
date necessitates 1999-2000 winter construction of approximately 39.5
miles of pipeline looping in two segments. Accordingly, Great Lakes
requests that an order making a preliminary determination that the
proposed facilities are required by the public convenience and
necessity be issued in September 1998, and that an order granting a
certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing
construction and operation of the project be issued no later than
September 1999.
Great Lakes further states that its proposed looping will be
constructed in Marshall, Pennington, Red Lake, Itasca, Aitkin and St.
Louis Counties, Minnesota; Douglas and Bayfield Counties, Wisconsin;
and Gogebic, Delta, Schoolcraft, Clare, Isabella, Midland, Mackinac,
Emmet, Genessee and Lapeer Counties, Michigan.
Great Lakes also proposes to install and operate a 31,000 hp
compressor unit at its Thief River Falls Compressor Station in Marshall
County, Minnesota and a similarly sized unit at each of its following
compressor stations: Deer River in Itasca County, Minnesota; Wakefield
in Gogebic County, Michigan; Rapid River in Delta County, Michigan; and
Farwell in Clare County, Michigan. A 10,000 hp unit addition is
proposed for installation at Great Lakes' St. Vincent Compressor
Station in Kittson County, Minnesota and a 15,000 hp unit addition is
proposed for installation at Great Lakes' Boyne Falls Compressor
Station in Charlevoix County, Michigan.
Specifically, Great Lakes proposes to:
(i) Construct and operate ten (10) 36-inch outside diameter (O.D.)
mainline loop segments totaling 253.7 miles;
(ii) Construct and operate a 36-inch O.D. looping of Great Lakes
existing crossing of the Straits of Mackinac, totaling 4.8 miles;
(iii) Install and operate one (1) 10,000 hp, one (1) 15,000 hp, and
five (5) 31,000 hp (ISO) class compressor units, to be located
individually at seven (7) existing Great Lakes' compressor stations;
(iv) Change out seventeen (17) aerodynamic assemblies including
modifying/replacing four (4) existing compressor cases, install gas
aftercoolers at five (5) existing compressor stations, and modify yard
and station piping at seven (7) compressor stations; and
(v) Construct and operate various above ground, ancillary
facilities.
Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with
reference to said amendment should on or before April 24, 1998, file
with the Federal Energy 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 385.214 or 385.211) 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 to a proceeding or to participate as a
party in any hearing therein 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 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 jurisdiction conferred upon the Federal Energy
Regulatory 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
[[Page 17400]]
with further notice before the Commission or its designee on this
application if no motion to intervene is filed within the time required
herein, or if the Commission on its own review of the matter finds that
permission and approval for the proposed 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 a 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 Great Lakes to appear or be represented at
the hearing.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-9299 Filed 4-8-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
