[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 59 (Thursday, March 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14678-14679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-7788]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP97-238-000]


Portland Natural Gas Transmission System and Maritimes & 
Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C.; Notice of Application

March 21, 1997.
    Take notice that on March 18, 1997, Portland Natural Gas 
Transmission System (PNGTS), 300 Friberg Parkway, Westborough, 
Massachusetts 01581-5039, and Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C. 
(Maritimes), 1284 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, Massachusetts 02135, 
(together as joint applicants), completed the filing of a joint 
application in Docket No. CP97-238-000 for a certificate of public 
convenience and necessity, pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas 
Act, to construct and operate jointly-owned pipeline facilities for the 
transportation of natural gas, all as more fully set forth in the 
application which is on file with the Commission and open to public 
inspection.
    The completion of the joint application, originally filed February 
10, 1997, was preceded by two public conferences at the Commission and 
four letters from the Office of Pipeline Regulation (OPR) requesting 
the information required to complete the filing. The joint applicants 
request that the Commission issue a preliminary determination on non-
environmental issues by May 31, 1997, and a certificate by August 31, 
1997.
    Specifically, joint applicants seek authorization to construct 
about:
--99.8 miles of 30-inch pipeline and appurtenant facilities from 
Dracut, Massachusetts to Westbrook, Maine;
--a 3.8 mile, 12-inch lateral at Westbrook, Maine (Westbrook Lateral);
--a 1.36 mile, 16-inch lateral near Newington, New Hampshire (Newington 
Lateral);
--a 0.6 mile, 20-inch interconnecting line at Haverhill, Massachusetts 
(Haverhill Lateral);
--eight meter and regulation stations, and other appurtenant facilities
The estimated cost of the joint pipeline proposal is $172.4 million.
    PNGTS will be responsible for the engineering, design, and 
construction management of the jointly-owned pipeline, and Maritimes 
will be designated as the operator, including field operations and gas 
dispatching. The cost and ownership of the joint pipeline facilities 
will be based upon the ration of each owner's allocated capacity. The 
total capacity of the joint pipeline is 631,860 Mcf per day, with 
421,860 Mcf per day allocated to Maritimes and 210,000 Mcf per day 
allocated to PNGTS. The proposed laterals off the joint pipeline will 
be part of the jointly-owned facilities and will be sized according to 
each owner's requirements. The cost allocation of the laterals will be 
based on the ratio of each owner's capacity through the lateral. The 
cost and ownership ratios are in the following table.

[[Page 14679]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Maritimes         PNGTS    
               Facilities                    (percent)       (percent)  
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Mainline................................           66.76           33.24
Westbrook Maritimes Meter...............          100.00            0.00
Westbrook PNGTS Meter...................            0.00          100.00
Dracut Meter and Modifications..........           67.69           32.31
Wells Meter.............................           89.09           10.91
Westbrook Lateral.......................           63.35           36.65
Granite State Meter at Westbrook........           41.10           58.90
Newington Lateral.......................           41.10           58.90
Granite State Meter at Newington........            0.00          100.00
PSNH Meter at Newington.................           50.00           50.00
Haverhill Lateral.......................            1.42           98.58
Tennessee Meter at Haverhill............            0.00          100.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Each owner will be responsible for recovering all of its share of 
costs and expenses of the joint pipeline facilities through rates 
proposed in its related filings in Docket Nos. CP96-178-000, et al. 
(Maritimes), CP96-809-000 (Maritimes), and CP96-249-000, et al. 
(PNGTS). The Joint Pipeline facilities will be operated in accordance 
with each of the owner's separate tariffs proposed in their respective 
filings listed above.
    The joint applicants each amended their original proposals to 
address the impacts of the joint application. Maritimes' amendments 
were filed on February 24, 1997, and PNGTS' amendment was filed on 
March 18, 1997. Separate notices of these amendments will be issued. 
However, certain information which is needed to complete the processing 
of this application remains to be filed.\1\ Complete and accurate 
filing of that information on the schedule stated in the joint 
applicants' March 18, 1997, filing is essential for the expeditious 
processing of these applications.
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    \1\ See the March 21, 1997, OPR Director's letter to the joint 
applicants.
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    Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with 
reference to said application should on or before April 15, 1997 file 
with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, a motion to intervene or a protest 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). All protests filed with the Commission 
will be considered by it in determining the appropriate action to be 
taken but will not serve to make the protestants parties to the 
proceeding. Any person wishing to become a party to a proceeding or to 
participate as a party in any hearing therein must file a motion to 
intervene in accordance with the Commission's Rules.
    Take further notice that, pursuant to the authority contained in 
and subject to jurisdiction conferred upon the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission by Sections 7 and 15 of the Natural Gas Act and 
the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, a hearing will be 
held without further notice before the Commission or its designee on 
this application if no motion to intervene is filed within the time 
required herein, if the Commission on its own review of the matter 
finds that a grant of the certificate is required by the public 
convenience and necessity. If a motion for leave to intervene is timely 
filed, or if the Commission on its own motion believes that a formal 
hearing is required, further notice of such hearing will be duly given.
    Under the procedure herein provided for, unless otherwise advised, 
it will be unnecessary for the joint applicants to appear or be 
represented at the hearing.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-7788 Filed 3-26-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M