[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 182 (Thursday, September 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65170-65172]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20456]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP23-536-000]


Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company; Notice of Application and 
Establishing Intervention Deadline

    Take notice that on August 31, 2023, Eastern Shore Natural Gas 
Company (Eastern Shore), 500 Energy Lane, Suite 200, Dover, Delaware, 
19901, filed an application under section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act 
(NGA), and part 157 of the Commission's regulations requesting 
authorization for its Worcester Resiliency Upgrade Project (Project). 
The Project consists of the installation of five (5) liquified natural 
gas (LNG) storage tanks and LNG vaporizers in Worcester County, MD. 
Eastern Shore also proposes to install approximately 1.1 miles of 10-
inch-diameter pipeline looping in Sussex County, DE and Wicomico 
County, MD, upgrades to an existing pressure control station in Sussex 
County, DE, and upgrades to three (3) existing meter and regulating 
(M&R) stations in Sussex County, DE, Worcester County, MD, and Somerset 
County, MD. The Project is designed to store approximately 475,000 
gallons of LNG, equivalent to 39,627 Dth, and provide 14,000 Dth/d of 
corresponding peak firm natural gas transportation service, as well as 
enhance the resiliency of Eastern Shore's system. Eastern Shore 
estimates the total cost of the Project to be $79,878,927 and proposes 
an initial recourse rate under new Rate Schedules PEAK-FT and PEAK-IT, 
all as more fully set forth in the application which is on file with 
the Commission and open for public inspection.
    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 (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 the Commission's Public 
Reference Room. For assistance, contact the Federal Energy Regulatory

[[Page 65171]]

Commission at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#276142554468494b4e494274525757485553674142554409404851"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="35735047567a5b595c5b50664045455a474175535047561b525a43">[email protected]</span></a> or call toll-free, (886) 208-
3676 or TTY (202) 502-8659.
    Any questions regarding the proposed project should be directed to 
Matt Everngam, Director, Regulatory Affairs, Eastern Shore Natural Gas 
Company, 500 Energy Lane, Suite 200, Dover, DE 19901 by phone 1-844-
366-3764 or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#79141c0f1c0b171e1814391a110912571a1614"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e588809380978b828488a5868d958ecb868a88">[email protected]</span></a>.
    Pursuant to Section 157.9 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedure,\1\ within 90 days of this Notice the Commission staff will 
either: complete its environmental review and place it into the 
Commission's public record (eLibrary) for this proceeding; or issue a 
Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review. If a Notice of Schedule 
for Environmental Review is issued, it will indicate, among other 
milestones, the anticipated date for the Commission staff's issuance of 
the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) or environmental 
assessment (EA) for this proposal. The filing of an EA in the 
Commission's public record for this proceeding or the issuance of a 
Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review will serve to notify 
Federal and State agencies of the timing for the completion of all 
necessary reviews, and the subsequent need to complete all Federal 
authorizations within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission 
staff's FEIS or EA.
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    \1\ 18 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 157.9.
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Water Quality Certification

    Eastern Shore's application states that a water quality certificate 
under section 401 of the Clean Water Act is required for the project 
from Delaware's DNREC Division of Water Resources and Maryland's MDE 
Water Management Administration. The request for certification must be 
submitted to the certifying agency and to the Commission concurrently. 
Proof of the certifying agency's receipt date must be filed no later 
than five (5) days after the request is submitted to the certifying 
agency.

Public Participation

    There are three ways to become involved in the Commission's review 
of this project: you can file comments on the project, you can protest 
the filing, and you can file a motion to intervene in the proceeding. 
There is no fee or cost for filing comments or intervening. The 
deadline for filing a motion to intervene is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on 
October 6, 2023. How to file protests, motions to intervene, and 
comments is explained below.
    The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports 
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission 
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, 
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access 
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For 
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as 
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is 
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5a150a0a1a3c3f2839743d352c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aae5fafaeacccfd8c984cdc5dc">[email protected]</span></a>.

Comments

    Any person wishing to comment on the project may do so. Comments 
may include statements of support or objections, to the project as a 
whole or specific aspects of the project. The more specific your 
comments, the more useful they will be.

Protests

    Pursuant to sections 157.10(a)(4) \2\ and 385.211 \3\ of the 
Commission's regulations under the NGA, any person \4\ may file a 
protest to the application. Protests must comply with the requirements 
specified in section 385.2001 \5\ of the Commission's regulations. A 
protest may also serve as a motion to intervene so long as the 
protestor states it also seeks to be an intervenor.
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    \2\ 18 CFR 157.10(a)(4).
    \3\ 18 CFR 385.211.
    \4\ Persons include individuals, organizations, businesses, 
municipalities, and other entities. 18 CFR 385.102(d).
    \5\ 18 CFR 385.2001.
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    To ensure that your comments or protests are timely and properly 
recorded, please submit your comments on or before October 6, 2023.
    There are three methods you can use to submit your comments or 
protests to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
Project docket number CP23-536-000 in your submission.
    (1) You may file your comments electronically by using the eComment 
feature, which is located on the Commission's website at www.ferc.gov 
under the link to Documents and Filings. Using eComment is an easy 
method for interested persons to submit brief, text-only comments on a 
project;
    (2) You may file your comments or protests electronically by using 
the eFiling feature, which is located on the Commission's website 
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and Filings. With eFiling, 
you can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a 
file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an 
account by clicking on ``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the 
type of filing you are making; first select ``General'' and then select 
``Comment on a Filing''; or
    (3) You can file a paper copy of your comments or protests by 
mailing them to the following address below. Your written comments must 
reference the Project docket number (CP23-536-000).
    To file via USPS: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    To file via any other courier: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 
20852.
    The Commission encourages electronic filing of comments (options 1 
and 2 above) and has eFiling staff available to assist you at (202) 
502-8258 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cb8daeb9a884a5a7a2a5ae98bebbbba4b9bf8badaeb9a8e5aca4bd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d791b2a5b498b9bbbeb9b284a2a7a7b8a5a397b1b2a5b4f9b0b8a1">[email protected]</span></a>.
    Persons who comment on the environmental review of this project 
will be placed on the Commission's environmental mailing list, and will 
receive notification when the environmental documents (EA or EIS) are 
issued for this project and will be notified of meetings associated 
with the Commission's environmental review process.
    The Commission considers all comments received about the project in 
determining the appropriate action to be taken. However, the filing of 
a comment alone will not serve to make the filer a party to the 
proceeding. To become a party, you must intervene in the proceeding. 
For instructions on how to intervene, see below.

Interventions

    Any person, which includes individuals, organizations, businesses, 
municipalities, and other entities,\6\ has the option to file a motion 
to intervene in this proceeding. Only intervenors have the right to 
request rehearing of Commission orders issued in this proceeding and to 
subsequently challenge the Commission's orders in the U.S. Circuit 
Courts of Appeal.
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    \6\ 18 CFR 385.102(d).
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    To intervene, you must submit a motion to intervene to the 
Commission in accordance with Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of 
Practice and Procedure \7\ and the regulations under the NGA \8\ by the 
intervention deadline for the project, which is October 6, 2023. As 
described further in Rule 214, your motion to intervene must state, to 
the extent known, your position regarding the proceeding, as well as

[[Page 65172]]

your interest in the proceeding. For an individual, this could include 
your status as a landowner, ratepayer, resident of an impacted 
community, or recreationist. You do not need to have property directly 
impacted by the project in order to intervene. For more information 
about motions to intervene, refer to the FERC website at https://www.ferc.gov/resources/guides/how-to/intervene.asp.
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    \7\ 18 CFR 385.214.
    \8\ 18 CFR 157.10.
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    There are two ways to submit your motion to intervene. In both 
instances, please reference the Project docket number CP23-536-000 in 
your submission.
    (1) You may file your motion to intervene by using the Commission's 
eFiling feature, which is located on the Commission's website 
(www.ferc.gov) under the link to Documents and Filings. New eFiling 
users must first create an account by clicking on ``eRegister.'' You 
will be asked to select the type of filing you are making; first select 
``General'' and then select ``Intervention.'' The eFiling feature 
includes a document-less intervention option; for more information, 
visit https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling/document-less-intervention.pdf.; or
    (2) You can file a paper copy of your motion to intervene, along 
with three copies, by mailing the documents to the address below. Your 
motion to intervene must reference the Project docket number CP23-536-
000.
    To file via USPS: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    To file via any other courier: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 
20852.
    The Commission encourages electronic filing of motions to intervene 
(option 1 above) and has eFiling staff available to assist you at (202) 
502-8258 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#90d6f5e2f3dffefcf9fef5c3e5e0e0ffe2e4d0f6f5e2f3bef7ffe6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ca8cafb8a985a4a6a3a4af99bfbabaa5b8be8aacafb8a9e4ada5bc">[email protected]</span></a>.
    Protests and motions to intervene must be served on the applicant 
either by mail or email at: Matt Everngam, Director, Regulatory 
Affairs, Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company, 500 Energy Lane, Suite 200, 
Dover, DE 19901 or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e28f879487908c85838fa2818a9289cc818d8f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c9a4acbfacbba7aea8a489aaa1b9a2e7aaa6a4">[email protected]</span></a>. Any subsequent 
submissions by an intervenor must be served on the applicant and all 
other parties to the proceeding. Contact information for parties can be 
downloaded from the service list at the eService link on FERC Online. 
Service can be via email with a link to the document.
    All timely, unopposed \9\ motions to intervene are automatically 
granted by operation of Rule 214(c)(1).\10\ Motions to intervene that 
are filed after the intervention deadline are untimely, and may be 
denied. Any late-filed motion to intervene must show good cause for 
being late and must explain why the time limitation should be waived 
and provide justification by reference to factors set forth in Rule 
214(d) of the Commission's Rules and Regulations.\11\ A person 
obtaining party status will be placed on the service list maintained by 
the Secretary of the Commission and will receive copies (paper or 
electronic) of all documents filed by the applicant and by all other 
parties.
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    \9\ The applicant has 15 days from the submittal of a motion to 
intervene to file a written objection to the intervention.
    \10\ 18 CFR 385.214(c)(1).
    \11\ 18 CFR 385.214(b)(3) and (d).
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Tracking the Proceeding

    Throughout the proceeding, additional information about the project 
will be available from the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 
(866) 208-FERC, or on the FERC website at www.ferc.gov using the 
``eLibrary'' link as described above. The eLibrary link also provides 
access to the texts of all formal documents issued by the Commission, 
such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission offers a free service called 
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances 
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time 
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with 
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to 
the documents. For more information and to register, go to 
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp.
    Intervention Deadline: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 6, 2023.

    Dated: September 15, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-20456 Filed 9-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


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