[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81897-81898]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23388]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP21-455-001]


Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Request for Extension of Time

    Take notice that on October 2, 2024, Equitrans, L.P. (Equitrans) 
requested that the Commission grant an extension of time, until January 
31, 2025, to complete its Well 3660 Plug and Abandonment Project 
(Project) located in Greene County, Pennsylvania as authorized in the 
Order Denying Protests and Authorizing Abandonment (Order).\1\ The 
Order authorized Equitrans to proceed with the Project under its Part 
157 blanket certificate. By Rule, the Project should have been 
completed within one year of the Order date, or by October 23, 2024.
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    \1\ Equitrans, L.P., 185 FERC ] 61,040 (2023).
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    Equitrans states that, pursuant to a court order in ongoing 
litigation involving Well 3660 and pending in the Court of Common Pleas 
of Greene County, Pennsylvania (Court), Equitrans was required to 
preserve physical evidence, which includes the well. Equitrans received 
an order from the Court lifting the preservation order on September 9, 
2024. Equitrans asserts that it is finalizing written protocols for 
plugging and abandonment to submit to the parties to the litigation 
prior to commencement of plugging activities. Thus, Equitrans requests 
an extension of time, until January 31, 2025, to complete the 
abandonment activities.
    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 (NGA) (18 CFR 157.10).
    As a matter of practice, the Commission itself generally acts on 
requests for extensions of time to complete construction for NGA 
facilities when such requests are contested before order issuance. For 
those extension requests that are contested,\2\ the Commission will aim 
to issue an order acting on the request within 45 days.\3\ The 
Commission will address all arguments relating to whether the applicant 
has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the extension.\4\ 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 (NEPA).\5\ 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.\6\ The Director of the Office of Energy 
Projects, or his or her designee, will act on all of those extension 
requests that are uncontested.
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    \2\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes 
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1).
    \3\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
    \4\ Id. at P 40.
    \5\ 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.
    \6\ 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). From 
the Commission's Home Page on the internet, this information is 
available on eLibrary. The full text of this document is available on 
eLibrary in PDF and Microsoft Word format for viewing, printing, and/or 
downloading. To access this document in eLibrary, type the docket 
number excluding the last three digits of this document in the docket 
number field.
    User assistance is available for eLibrary and the Commission's 
website during normal business hours from FERC Online Support at (202) 
502-6652 (toll free at 1-866-208-3676) or email at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#60060512030f0e0c090e05131510100f121420060512034e070f16"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e68083948589888a8f888395939696899492a680839485c8818990">[email protected]</span></a>, or the Public Reference Room at (202) 502-
8371, TTY (202) 502-8659. Email the Public Reference Room at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2b5b5e4947424805594e4d4e594e45484e594444466b4d4e5948054c445d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="225257404e4b410c5047444750474c4147504d4d4f62444750410c454d54">[email protected]</span></a>.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments 
in lieu of paper using the ``eFile'' link at http://www.ferc.gov. In 
lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy which must 
reference the Project docket number.
    To file via USPS: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting Secretary, Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 
20426.
    To file via any other courier: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Acting 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, 
Rockville, Maryland 20852.
    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

[[Page 81898]]

contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#79362929391f1c0b1a571e160f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9cd3ccccdcfaf9eeffb2fbf3ea">[email protected]</span></a>.
    Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 18, 2024.

    Dated: October 3, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-23388 Filed 10-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


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