[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76226-76227]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30982]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-34-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation; Notice of Application

November 30, 2000.
    Take notice that on November 20, 2000, Transcontinental Gas Pipe 
Line Corporation (Transco), Post Office Box 1396, Houston, Texas 42301, 
in Docket No. CP01-34-000 filed an application pursuant to Section 7(b) 
of the Natural Gas Act for permission and approval for

[[Page 76227]]

Transco to abandon certain pipeline facilities, located in offshore 
Texas, which are portions of the North Padre Island Gathering System 
and the Central Texas Gathering System (North Padre and Central Texas 
Gathering Systems), by transfer to Williams Gas Processing-Gulf Coast 
Company, L.P. (WGP), an affiliate of Transco, all as more fully set 
forth in the application which is on file with the Commission and open 
to public inspection. This filing may be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call 202-208-2222 for assistance).
    Transco proposes to abandon 3.83 miles of 10-inch pipeline and 
18.79 miles of 20-inch pipeline of the North Padre Gathering System, 
located in the North Padre Island Area and the North Padre Island Area 
East Addition, offshore Texas by transfer to WFP. Transco also proposes 
to abandon 4.96 miles of 6-inch pipeline, 4.19 miles of 8-inch 
pipeline, 3.77 miles of 10-inch pipeline, 64.79 miles of 12-inch 
pipeline, 11.56 miles of 16-inch pipeline, 116.48 miles of 20-inch 
pipeline, 23.42 miles of 24-inch pipeline, and 41.15 miles of 30-inch 
pipeline of the Central Texas Gathering System, located in the 
Galveston Area, the Brazos Area, the Brazos Area South Addition, the 
Matagorda Island Area, and the Mustang Island Area East Addition, 
offshore Texas by transfer to WGP. Transco advises that the facilities 
will be transferred at net book value, which has been calculated at 
$34,893,250 as of October 31, 2000.
    Transco also requests authorization to abandon its Rate Schedule X-
66, under which Transco states that gas has not flowed since 1989. 
Transco asserts that it has either notified or has caused the 
notification of the affected parties of its intent to terminate and 
abandon the affected services, and WGP will begin discussions with the 
affected parties for continued service.
    WGP has concurrently filed a petition for a declaratory order in 
Docket No. CP01-32-000 requesting that the Commission determine that 
WGP's acquisition, ownership, and operation of the facilities at issue 
not subject WGP or any portion of WGP's facilities, rates, or services 
to the jurisdiction of the Commission under the Natural Gas Act.
    Any questions regarding the application should be directed to 
Randall R. Conklin, Vice President and General Counsel, and Gisela 
Cherches, Senior Attorney at (713) 215-2000, Transcontinental Gas Pipe 
Line Corporation, P.O. Box 1396, Houston, Texas 77251.
    There are two ways to become involved in the Commission's review of 
this project. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by 
becoming a party to the proceedings for this project should, on or 
before December 21, 2000, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20426, 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 NGA (18 CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party 
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 by all other parties. A party must submit 14 copies of 
filings made with the Commission and must mail a copy to the applicant 
and to every other party in the proceeding. Only parties to the 
proceeding can ask for court review of Commission orders in the 
proceeding.
    However, a person does not have to intervene in order to have 
comments considered. The second way to participate is by filing with 
the Secretary of the Commission, as soon as possible, an original and 
two copies of comments in support of or in opposition to this project. 
The Commission will consider these comments in determining the 
appropriate action to be taken, but the filing of a comment alone will 
not serve to make the filer a party to the proceeding. The Commission's 
rules require that persons filing comments in opposition to the project 
provide copies of their protests only to the party or parties directly 
involved in the protest.
    Persons who wish to comment only on the environmental review of 
this project should submit an original and two copies of their comments 
to the Secretary of the Commission. Environmental commenters will be 
placed on the Commission's environmental mailing list, will receive 
copies of the environmental documents, and will be notified of meetings 
associated with the Commission's environmental review process. 
Environmental commenters will not be required to serve copies of filed 
documents on all other parties. However, the non-party commenters will 
not receive copies of all documents filed by other parties or issued by 
the Commission (except for the mailing of environmental documents 
issued by the Commission) and will not have the right to seek court 
review of the Commission's final order.
    The Commission may issue a preliminary determination on non-
environmental issues prior to the completion of its review of the 
environmental aspects of the projects. This preliminary determination 
typically considers such issues as the need for the project and its 
economic effect on existing customers of the applicant, on other 
pipelines in the area, and on landowners and communities. For example, 
the Commission considers the extent to which the applicant may need to 
exercise eminent domain to obtain rights-of-way for the proposed 
project and balances that against the non-environmental benefits to be 
provided by the project. Therefore, if a person has comments on 
community and landowner impacts from this proposal, it is important 
either to file comments or to intervene as early in the process as 
possible.
    Beginning November 1, 2000, comments and protests may be filed 
electronically via the internet in lieu of paper. See, 18 CFR 
385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's web site 
at http://www.ferc.fed.us/efi/doorbell.htm.
    If the Commission decides to set the application for a formal 
hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, the Commission will issue 
another notice describing that process. At the end of the Commission's 
review process, a final Commission order approving or denying a 
certificate will be issued.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-30982 Filed 12-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M