[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 2, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21921-21922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10908]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-175-000]


Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Application

April 26, 2001.
    On April 23, 2001, Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern), 1111 
South 103rd Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68124, filed an application in 
Docket No. CP01-175-000 pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act 
(NGA) and Section 157.18 of the Commission's Regulations for permission 
and approval to abandon, in-place five (5) 1,400 horsepower horizontal 
compressor units at the Mullinville compressor station, with 
appurtenances, located in Kiowa County, Kansas, all as more fully set 
forth in the application which is on file with the Commission and open 
to public inspection. The filing may be viewed at http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call 202-208-2222 for assistance).
    Northern states the horizontal compressor units at its Mullinville 
compressor station proposed to be abandoned in the instant application 
are not longer needed due to changes in the operating configuration of 
its system since the units were initially installed. Northern states 
that the horizontal compressor units were installed pursuant to 
authorization received by order issued April 6, 1943 in Docket No. G-
280.\1\ Northern states the units have not been operated in recent 
years due to changes in the operating configuration; and that, the 
subject horizontal units are obsolete and parts to repair these units 
are not readily available. Northern states that the remaining units at 
the Mullinville compressor station provide the necessary compression 
service to meet Northern's current firm service obligations; and that, 
Northern's facilities downstream of the Mullinville compressor station 
currently operate at or near the maximum operating pressures without 
the subject horizontal units. At this time, Northern proposes to 
abandon these units in-place. However, Northern intends to utilize 
parts from these units in the future to repair other units located 
elsewhere on its system as the need may arise.\2\
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    \1\ Northern Natural Gas Company, 3 F.P.C. 967 (1943).
    \2\ The unit or parts of the unit, once abandoned, may be 
salvaged rather than utilized elsewhere on Northern's pipeline 
system. At this time, Northern does not anticipate there is any 
specific value that can be attributed to these units. Therefore, 
Exhibit Y attached hereto reflects a salvage value of zero.

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[[Page 21922]]

    Northern asserts that the abandonment of these facilities will not 
result in the abandonment of service to any of Northern's existing 
shippers, nor will the proposed abandonment adversely affect capacity 
since the compression is no longer needed to meet current firm service 
obligations. Northern also asserts minimal environmental impact.
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to 
Keith L. Petersen, Director, Certificates and Reporting for Northern, 
1111 South 103rd Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68124, at (402) 398-7421 or 
Bret Fritch, Senior Regulatory Analyst, at (402) 398-7140.
    There are two ways to become involved in the Commission's review of 
this abandonment. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by 
becoming a party to the proceedings for this abandonment should, on or 
before May 17, 2001, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 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 
abandonment. 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 abandonment 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 abandonment 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.
    Also, comments, protests, and interventions 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 
abandonment will be issued.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-10908 Filed 5-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M