[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 140 (Tuesday, July 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 44062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15738]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP16-13-000]
Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Request for Extension of Time
Take notice that on July 10, 2020, Equitrans L.P. (Equitrans)
requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission)
grant an extension of time, until December 1, 2020, to complete the
abandonment of the Pratt Compressor Station facilities located in
Greene County, Pennsylvania. The Pratt Compressor Station is being
replaced by the Redhook Compressor Station as part of the Equitrans
Expansion Project as authorized by the Commission's October 13, 2017
Order Issuing Certificates and Granting Abandonment Authority
(Certificate Order).\1\ Equitrans is required to abandon the Pratt
Compressor Station facilities within one year of placing the Redhook
Compressor Station into service.\2\
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\1\ Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, 161 FERC 61,043 (2017).
\2\ Equitrans, L.P., 162 FERC 61,191, at P 5 (2018).
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On July 31, 2019, Equitrans placed the Redhook Compressor Station
into service, establishing July 31, 2020 as the abandonment deadline
for the Pratt Compressor Station facilities.
On March 5, 2020, Commission staff granted Equitrans' request to
proceed with abandonment activities at the Pratt Compressor Station, as
well as its request for a variance to abandon-in-place several existing
facilities that were approved for removal at the Pratt Compressor
Station.\3\ Specifically, the variance permitted Equitrans to abandon-
in-place the H-117 pipeline receiver; the D-497 pipeline pig launcher
and associated appurtenances; five buildings, including storage
buildings, an office building, an electronics building, and the main
water service building; a garage; and the foundation floor of the
building housing the old Pratt compressor units.
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\3\ Equitrans, L.P., Docket No. CP16-13-000 (unreported) (Letter
Order under Delegated Authority) (2020) (Accession No. 20200305-
3024).
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Equitrans asserts that it has experienced delays as a result of
extra safety precautions taken due to the age of the building and
equipment, safeguards taken with removal of the compressor building to
ensure safety in direct vicinity of remaining equipment at the station,
and inefficiencies resulting from newly developed processes related to
the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, the following facilities remain to be
removed from the site: (a) 2,200 linear feet of piping; (b) six
vessels; (c) five coolers; (d) compressor building basement; and (e)
five compressors. Accordingly, Equitrans requests an extension of time
until December 1, 2020, to complete abandonment of the Pratt Compressor
Station facilities.
This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on Equitrans' 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).\4\
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\4\ 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,\5\ the
Commission will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45
days.\6\ The Commission will address all arguments relating to whether
the applicant has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the
extension.\7\ 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.\8\ The OEP
Director, or his or her designee, will act on all of those extension
requests that are uncontested.
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\5\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2019).
\6\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC 61,144, at P 40
(2020).
\7\ Id. at P 40.
\8\ 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
[email protected] or call toll-free, (886) 208-3676 or TYY,
(202) 502-8659.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments,
protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the eFile 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 Health and Human Services,
12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 30, 2020.
Dated: July 15, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-15738 Filed 7-20-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P