2020-12231. Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Request for Extension of Time

Take notice that on May 22, 2020, Equitrans, L.P. (Equitrans) requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) grant an extension of time, until March 31, 2021, to construct and place into service its TP-4555 Bare Pipe Replacement Project (Project) located in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. authorized on July 3, 2019. The Project will enable abandonment of approximately 3.85 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline on the TP-4555 pipeline, replacing it with a newly constructed approximately 3.92 miles of 20-inch-diameter pipeline.

Equitrans was initially required to construct the facilities and place them into service by July 3, 2020. Equitrans now requests a nine-month extension of this deadline through March 31, 2021. Equitrans states that due to delays in receiving the required Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection permits, Equitrans was unable to begin construction until May 12, 2020. Accordingly, Equitrans proposes a new construction schedule, deferring the projected in-service date for the facilities to no later than March 31, 2021.

This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on Equitrans request 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).^[1]

As a matter of practice, the Commission itself generally acts on requests for extensions of time to complete construction for Natural Gas Act facilities when such requests are contested before order issuance. For those extension requests that are contested,^[2] the Commission will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45 days.^[3] The Commission will address all arguments relating to whether the applicant has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the extension.^[4] 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 and necessity and whether the Commission's environmental analysis for the certificate complied with the National Environmental Policy Act.^[5] 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.^[6] The OEP Director, or his or her designee, will act on all of those extension requests that are uncontested.

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://www.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 Commission's Public Reference Room, due to the proclamation declaring a National Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact FERC at [e-mail] or call toll-free, [phone] or TYY, [phone].

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments, protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the eFiling link at http://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically should submit an original and three copies of the protest or intervention to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.

Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 16, 2020.

Dated: June 1, 2020.

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,

Deputy Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  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).

2.  Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2019).

3.  Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 61,144, at P 40 (2020).

4.  Id. at P 40.

5.  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.

6.  Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 61,144, at P 40 (2020).