[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 139 (Monday, July 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43832-43833]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15627]
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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
complete the abandonment of the Pratt Compressor Station facilities
located in Greene County, Pennsylvania, as authorized as part of the
Equitrans Expansion Project in the October 13, 2017 Order Issuing
Certificates and Granting Abandonment \1\ (October 13 Order).
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\1\ Equitrans, L.P., 162 FERC ] 61,191 at P 5 (2018) (Granting
Equitrans' requested clarification that the Pratt Compressor Station
facilities must be abandoned within one year of placing the Redhook
Compressor Station into service).
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On July 31, 2019, Equitrans placed the Redhook Compressor Station
and the H-305 and H-316 pipelines into service as part of the Project.
On August 29, 2019, Equitrans placed the M-80 and H-158 pipelines into
service. The old Pratt Compressor Station facilities have since been
decommissioned, dismantled, and are no longer available for service.
The remaining Project facilities (Webster Interconnect, Mobley Tap, and
H-319 Pipeline in Wetzel County, West Virginia) are complete and
awaiting service. Equitrans has not requested authorization to commence
service on
[[Page 43833]]
those facilities because they are directly associated with natural gas
deliveries to the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project.
On March 5, 2020, the Commission granted Equitrans' request for a
variance to abandon-in-place several existing facilities that were
approved for removal at the Pratt Compressor Station in order to reduce
ground disturbance. Specifically, the variance permits 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.
Equitrans has experienced delays related to 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
the inefficiencies directly related to the newly developed processes as
it relates 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. Thus, Equitrans seeks additional time until
December 1, 2020 to complete this work.
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).\2\
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\2\ 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,\3\ the
Commission will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45
days.\4\ The Commission will address all arguments relating to whether
the applicant has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the
extension.\5\ 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.\6\
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.\7\ The OEP Director, or
his or her designee, will act on all of those extension requests that
are uncontested.
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\3\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2019).
\4\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40
(2020).
\5\ Id. at P 40.
\6\ 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.
\7\ 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 29, 2020.
Dated: July 14, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-15627 Filed 7-17-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P