[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 179 (Tuesday, September 15, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57204-57205]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20238]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP18-260-000]
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Request
for Extension of Time
Take notice that on August 31, 2020, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line
Company, LLC (Transco) requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (Commission) grant an extension of time, until October 23,
2021, to complete abandonment of its North Padre Island (NPI) Lateral
from NPI Block 956 to approximately 3.5 miles from shore, Offshore
Texas, and its NPI Block ``B'' Platform (Project), as originally
authorized in the October 24, 2018 Order Issuing Certificate (October
24 Order).\1\ On October 21, 2019, FERC approved Transco's October 17,
2019 request for a waiver of Ordering Paragraph (B) of the Order and
granted an extension of time until and including October 23, 2020 to
complete abandonment of Project facilities.\2\
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\1\ Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC, 165 FERC ]
62,047 (2018).
\2\ Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC, Letter Order
Re: Request for Waiver, Docket No. CP18-260-000 (October 21, 2019).
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On May 19, 2020 FERC approved Transco's May 14, 2020 request for
notice to proceed with Project construction activities.\3\ On August
21, 2020 Transco provided notice that construction activities commenced
for the Project.\4\ Transco states that among other factors, offshore
weather systems including Hurricane Hanna have caused significant
delays for construction start, and Hurricanes Marco and Laura suspended
construction activities and caused de-mobilizations from the
construction site in the Gulf of Mexico. Weather permitting, the
offshore construction window generally runs from May 1st through
September 30th of each year allowing for a very limited window to
safely complete activities offshore. Transco states that with the
offshore construction window closing soon, Transco intends to complete
the platform decommissioning and pipeline abandonment this year and
anticipates deferring the platform and jacket removal scope to next
year.
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\3\ Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC, Letter Order
Re: Notice to Proceed with Construction, Docket No. CP18-260-000
(May 19, 2020).
\4\ Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC, Notice of
Commencement of Construction, Docket No. CP18-260-000 (August 21,
2020).
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This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on the applicant's
request for an extension of time 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).\5\
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\5\ 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 Natural
Gas Act facilities when such requests are contested before order
issuance. For those extension requests that are contested,\6\ the
Commission will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45
days.\7\ The Commission will address all arguments relating to whether
the applicant has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the
extension.\8\ 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.\9\
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.\10\ The OEP Director,
or his or her designee, will act on all of those extension requests
that are uncontested.
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\6\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2019).
\7\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40
(2020).
\8\ Id. at P 40.
\9\ 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.
\10\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40
(2020).
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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://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
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll-free, (886) 208-3676 or TYY,
(202) 502-8659.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments
in lieu of paper using the ``eFile'' link at http://www.ferc.gov. In
lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy. Submissions
sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D.
Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street
NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other
carrier must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland
20852.
[[Page 57205]]
Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 21, 2020.
Dated: September 4, 2020.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-20238 Filed 9-14-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P