Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 82 / Thursday, April 27, 2000 / Notices 24691

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP00–34–000]

Algonquin Gas Transmission

Company; Notice of Availability of the

Environmental Assessment for the

Proposed Fore River Project

April 21, 2000.

The staff of the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission (FERC or

Commission) has prepared an

environmental assessment (EA) on the

natural gas pipeline facilities proposed

by Algonquin Gas Transmission

Company (Algonquin) in the abovereferenced docket.

The EA was prepared to satisfy the

requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act. The staff

concludes that approval of the proposed

project, with appropriate mitigating

measures, would not constitute a major

Federal action significantly affecting the

quality of the human environment.

The EA assesses the potential

environmental effects of the

construction and operation of the

proposed facilities including:

• Replacement of approximately 6.9

miles of existing 10-inch-diameter

pipeline (I–3 Lateral) with 24-inchdiameter pipeline from milepost (MP)

0.0 in Canton, Massachusetts to MP 6.9

in Braintree, Massachusetts; and

• Construction of a new 0.5-milelong, 24-inch-diameter pipeline I–9

Lateral) and measurement facilities in

Braintree and Weymouth,

Massachusetts

The purpose of the proposed facilities

would be to provide transportation

service of up to 140,000 Dth/d of natural

gas for Sithe Energy Fore River Station

(Fore River Station). Sithe Power

Marketing, L.P. (Sithe) has requested

firm natural gas transportation service to

fuel the planned Fore River Station, a

750 megawatt gas-fired electric power

plant.

The EA has been placed in the public

files of the FERC. A limited number of

copies of the EA are available for

distribution and public inspection at:

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,

Public Reference and Files Maintenance

Branch, 888 First Street, N.E., Room 2A,

Washington, DC 20426, (202) 208–1371.

Copies of the EA have been mailed to

Federal, state and local agencies, public

interest groups, interested individuals,

newspapers, and parties to this

proceeding.

Any person wishing to comment on

the EA may do so. To ensure

consideration prior to a Commission

decision on the proposal, it is important

that we receive your comments before

the date specified below. Please

carefully follow these instructions to

ensure that your comments are received

in time and property recorded:

• Send two copies of your comments

to: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, 888 First St., N.E., Room

1A, Washington, DC 20426;

• Label one copy of the comments

for the attention of the Gas Group 2,

PJ11.2;

• Reference Docket No. CP00–34–

000; and

• Mail your comments so that they

will be received in Washington, DC on

or before May 22, 2000.

Comments will be considered by the

Commission but will not serve to make

the commentor a party to the

proceeding. Any person seeking to

become a party to the proceeding must

file a motion to intervene pursuant to

Rule 214 of the Commission’s Rules of

Practice and Procedures (18 CFR

385.214). Only intervenors have the

right to seek rehearing of the

Commission’s decision.

Affected landowners and parties with

environmental concerns may be granted

intervenor status upon showing good

cause by stating that they have a clear

and direct interest in this proceeding

which would not be adequately

represented by any other parties. You do

not need intervenor status to have your

comments considered.

Additional information about the

proposed project is available from Paul

McKee in the Commission’s Office of

External Affairs, at (202) 208–1088 or on

the FERC Internet website

(www.ferc.fed.us) using the ‘‘RIMS’’

link to information in this docket

number. Click on the ‘‘RIMS’’ link,

select ‘‘Docket #’’ from the RIMS Menu,

and follow the instructions. For

assistance with access to RIMS, the

RIMS helpline can be reached at (202)

208–2222.

Similarly, the ‘‘CIPS’’ link on the

FERC Internet website provides access

to the texts of formal documents issued

by the Commission, such as orders,

notices, and rulemakings. From the

FERC Internet website, click on the

‘‘CIPS’’ link, select ‘‘Docket #’’ from the

CIPS menu, and follow the instructions.

For assistance with access to CIPS, the

CIPS helpline can be reached at (202)

208–2474.

David P. Boergers,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–10466 Filed 4–26–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. RM98–1–000]

Regulations Governing Off-the-Record

Communications; Public Notice

April 21, 2000.

This constitutes notice, in accordance

with 18 CFR 385.2201(h), of the receipt

of exempt and prohibited off-the-record

communications.

Order No. 607 (64 FR 51222,

September 22, 1999) requires

Commission decisional employees, who

make or receive an exempt or a

prohibited off-the-record

communication relevant to the merits of

a contested on-the-record proceeding, to

deliver a copy of the communication, if

written, or a summary of the substance

of any oral communication, the

Secretary.

Prohibited communications will be

included in a public, non-decisional file

associated with, but not part of, the

decisional record of the proceeding.

Unless the Commission determines that

the prohibited communication and any

responses thereto should become part of

the decisional record, the prohibited offthe-record communication will not be

considered by the Commission in

reaching its decision. Parties to a

proceeding may seek the opportunity to

respond to any facts or contentions

made in a prohibited off-the-record

communication, and may request that

the Commission place the prohibited

communication and responses thereto

in the decisional record. The

Commission will grant such requests

only when it determines that fairness so

requires.

Exempt off-the-record

communications will be included in the

decisional record of the proceeding,

unless the communication was with a

cooperating agency as described by 40

CFR 1501.6, made under 18 CFR

385.2201(e)(1)(v).

The following is a list of exempt and

prohibited off-the-record

communications received in the Office

of the Secretary within the preceding 14

days. The documents may be viewed on

the Internet at http://www.ferc.fed.us/

online/rims.htm (call 202–208–2222 for

assistance).

[Docket No. RM98–1–000]

Exempt

1. EL99–90–000: 3/27/00, Annie Kuether

2. CP00–40–000: 3/4/00, Lou Phemister

3. CP99–163–000: 4/12/00, David Swearingen

4. CP00–14–00: 4/11/00, John Wisniewski

(FERC)