2020-15043. Tuscarora Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Application

Take notice that on June 24, 2020, Tuscarora Gas Transmission Company (Tuscarora), 700 Louisiana Street, Suite 700, Houston, TX 77002-2700, filed an application in the above referenced docket pursuant to sections 7(c) and 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and part 157 of the Commission's regulations requesting authorization to (1) increase its certificated capacity on the pipeline by 15,000 dekatherms per day of firm capacity from Malin, Oregon to the Wadsworth Compressor Station (CS) in Washoe County, Nevada, effectuated through modifications to the original design assumption within Tuscarora's engineering models, and (2) replace 600 horsepower (HP) reciprocating compressor unit with a new 1,380 HP reciprocating compressor unit along with related piping and appurtenant facilities at its existing Wadsworth CS (Tuscarora XPress Project). Tuscarora estimates the total cost of the project to be $13.4 million and proposes a new incremental recourse rate to apply to the project capacity, all as more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection.

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 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].

Any questions concerning this application may be directed to John Ryan, Legal Counsel, Tuscarora Gas Transmission Company, 700 Louisiana Street, Suite 700, Houston, Texas 77002, by phone [phone], or email [e-mail].

Pursuant to § 157.9 of the Commission's rules (18 CFR 157.9), within 90 days of this Notice, the Commission staff will either: Complete its environmental assessment (EA) and place it into the Commission's public record (eLibrary) for this proceeding or issue a Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review. If a Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review is issued, it will indicate, among other milestones, the anticipated date for the Commission staff's issuance of the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) or EA for this proposal. The filing of the EA in the Commission's public record for this proceeding or the issuance of a Notice of Schedule will serve to notify federal and state agencies of the timing for the completion of all necessary reviews, and the subsequent need to complete all federal authorizations within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's FEIS or EA.

There are two ways to become involved in the Commission's review of this project. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by becoming a party to the proceedings for this project should, on or before the comment date stated below, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, 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 NGA (18 CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party 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 all other parties. A party must submit five copies of filings made with the Commission and must mail a copy to the applicant and to every other party in the proceeding. Only parties to the proceeding can ask for court review of Commission orders in the proceeding.

However, a person does not have to intervene in order to have comments considered. The second way to participate is by filing with the Secretary of the Commission, as soon as possible, an original and two copies of comments in support of or in opposition to this project. The Commission will consider these comments in determining the appropriate action to be taken, but the filing of a comment alone will not serve to make the filer a party to the proceeding. The Commission's rules require that persons filing comments in opposition to the project provide copies of their protests only to the party or parties directly involved in the protest.

Persons who wish to comment only on the environmental review of this project should submit an original and two copies of their comments to the Secretary of the Commission. Environmental commenters will be placed on the Commission's environmental mailing list and will be notified of meetings associated with the Commission's environmental review process. Environmental commenters will not be required to serve copies of filed documents on all other parties. However, the non-party 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 court review of the Commission's final order.

As of the February 27, 2018 date of the Commission's order in Docket No. CP16-4-001, the Commission will apply its revised practice concerning out-of-time motions to intervene in any new NGA section 3 or section 7 proceeding.^[1] Persons desiring to become a party to a certificate proceeding are to intervene in a timely manner. If seeking to intervene out-of-time, the movant is required to “show good cause why the time limitation should be waived,” and should provide justification by reference to factors set forth in Rule 214(d)(1) of the Commission's Rules and Regulations.^[2]

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 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 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 28, 2020.

Dated: July 7, 2020.

Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,

Deputy Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C., 162 FERC ¶ 61,167 at ¶ 50 (2018).

2.  18 CFR 385.214(d)(1).