[Federal Register: April 9, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 68)] [Notices] [Page 17399-17400] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr09ap98-66] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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