63032 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 236 / Friday, December 8, 1995 / Notices

1Transco states that directionally drilled

pipelines under rivers are significantly more secure

than the older pipelines which are installed by way

of trenching the river bed. The 36-inch and 42-inch

pipeline crossings will be at an approximate depth

of 45 feet beneath the Tombigbee River navigation

channel.

[Docket Nos. ER95–1586–000 and EL96–17–

000]

Citizens Utilities Company; Notice of

Initiation of Proceeding and Refund

Effective Date

December 5, 1995.

Take notice that on November 30,

1995, the Commission issued an order

in the above-indicated dockets initiating

a proceeding in Docket No. EL96–17–

000 under section 206 of the Federal

Power Act.

The refund effective date in Docket

No. EL96–17–000 will be 60 days after

publication of this notice in the Federal

Register.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95–29947 Filed 12–7–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. ER95–1838–000]

PacifiCorp; Notice of Filing

December 4, 1995.

Take notice that on November 8, 1995

and November 14, 1995 Black Hills

Power & Light Company tendered for

filing amendments in the abovereferenced docket.

Any person desiring to be heard or to

protest said filing should file a motion

to intervene or protest with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission, 888

First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

20426, in accordance with Rules 211

and 214 of the Commission’s Rules of

Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211

and 18 CFR 385.214). All such motions

or protests should be filed on or before

December 14, 1995. Protests will be

considered by the Commission in

determining the appropriate action to be

taken, but will not serve to make

protestants parties to the proceeding.

Any person wishing to become a party

must file a motion to intervene. Copies

of this filing are on file with the

Commission and are available for public

inspection.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95–29948 Filed 12–7–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. CP96–89–000]

Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line

Corporation; Notice of Application

December 4, 1995.

Take notice that on November 30,

1995, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line

Corporation (‘‘Transco’’), P.O. Box 1396,

Houston, Texas 77251, filed in the

above an abbreviated application

pursuant to Section 7(c) and Section

7(b) of the Natural Gas Act and the

Regulations of the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission

(‘‘Commission’’) for (1) a certificate of

public convenience and necessity

authorizing certain Tombigbee River

replacement crossings and certain

interconnections at that location for

downstream delivery of gas to an

industrial plant, and (2) an order

permitting and approving the

abandonment of existing facilities at the

same location. For the reasons described

herein, Transco requests a certificate

and construction clearance by January 8,

1996.

Transco states that it has four

pipelines across the Tombigbee River in

Alabama 30-inch diameter Main Line A,

30-inch diameter Main Line B, 36-inch

diameter Main Line C and 42-inch

diameter Main Line D. This river

crossing is 29.03 miles east of the

location where Transco’s system crosses

the Mississippi-Alabama state line. At

this location, the Tombigbee River forms

the boundary between Choctaw and

Marengo Counties, Alabama. Transco

states that all gas produced onshore and

offshore, Texas and Louisiana, onshore

Mississippi and the Mobile Bay offshore

Alabama area which moves on

Transco’s system to Transco’s markets

in the Deep South, Atlantic Seaboard

and eastern markets flows through this

Tombigbee River crossing.

Transco states that because of chronic

mass erosion of the river banks, Main

Line C is exposed and subject to

potential physical damage from boat

and barge traffic. Main Line D is not yet

exposed, but Transco is concerned that

it will become exposed because of the

continuing bank erosion.

Transco states that it cannot perform

these replacements pursuant to Section

2.55(b) of the Regulations because of the

Commission’s clarification of Section

2.55(b) in the order issued on May 12,

1994 in Arkla Energy Resources

Company, Docket No. CP91–2069–000

(67 FERC ¶ 61,173) (replacements

outsides of existing right-of-way cannot

be performed pursuant to Section

2.55(b)). Transco states that it is

imperative that Transco complete the

new crossings soon to ensure that gas

from the production areas described

above is able to flow to Transco’s

markets. Transco states that it proposes

to install approximately 2,000 feet of

new 36-inch diameter Main Line C by

horizontal directional drilling under the

Tombigbee River, at the location of its

existing pipeline crossings of the

Tombigbee River.1 The alignment of the

new Main Line C will parallel Main

Line B (installed in 1991 by horizontal

directional drilling) with a spacing of

approximately 75 feet to the south of

Main Line B. Approximately 950 feet of

36-inch diameter pipe will be

conventionally installed by trenching

from the entrance and exit of the bore

and tied in to existing Main Line C.

Transco states that it also proposes to

install approximately 2,300 feet of new

42-inch diameter Main Line D by

horizontal directional drilling under the

Tombigbee River. Approximately 500

feet of 42-inch diameter pipe will be

conventionally installed from the

entrance and exit of the bore and tied in

to existing Main Line D. The alignment

of the Main Line D will parallel the new

Main Line C with a spacing of

approximately 75 feet to the south of

Main Line C.

Transco states that the proposed

replacements will restore the long-term

integrity of Transco’s transmission

system at the Tombigbee River

crossings. Since 36-inch and 42-inch

diameter crossings are being replaced by

identical 36-inch and 42-inch diameter

crossings, system capacity across the

Tombigbee River will remain

unchanged at 33,639,606 MCFD. The

existing shallow, conventionally

installed Main Lines C and D at this

location will be retired—portions by

removal and portions in place.

The cost of installation of new Main

Line C is estimated to be $2,029,007,

and the cost of installation of new Main

Line D is estimated to be $2,925,170.

It is stated that Transco needs to

replace Main Line C as soon as possible

because of its vulnerable condition.

Coming quickly thereafter, Transco

plans to replace Main Line D beginning

in May 1996 because of Transco’s

concern that its condition could rapidly

worsen.

Transco states that issuance of a

certificate to Transco and construction

clearance by January 8 is justified for

two reasons: (1) the above-described

need for security of gas service to

Transco’s market areas, and (2) the de

minimis impact on the environment of

the crossing project (as described

below). With respect to the

environment, Transco states that the

following are the significant points:

1. On the east side of the river (where

the drilling rig will be set up) temporary
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 236 / Friday, December 8, 1995 / Notices 63033

work space will occupy 8.82 acres. Of

this east side work space only 0.54 acre

is presently forested (0.25 acres is

forested wetland). The remainder of the

work space on the east side is located

either on existing permanent right-ofway or in a cultivated field, both of

which have previously been cleared.

On the west side of the river (where

crossing segment fabrication and pretesting will occur) temporary work

space will occupy 22.94 acres. Of this

west side work space only 3.12 acres is

presently forested (2.56 acres is forested

wetland). The remainder of the work

space on the west side is located either

on existing permanent right-of-way or in

a cultivated field, both of which have

previously been cleared.

In summary, areas requiring

additional clearing for the installation of

Main Lines C and D are relatively

minor. Of these additional cleared areas

only 3.66 acres are forested and of those

only 2.81 acres are forested wetland.

2. Clearance has been received with

respect to endangered/threatened

species from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service. The Alabama Natural Heritage

Program provided Transco with a list of

candidate and protected species within

the general area of the project. Transco

evaluated this list in the context of the

project to ensure that the project will

not impact these species; the evaluation

verified that the project will not impact

these species.

3. Clearance has been received from

the Alabama State Historical

Preservation Officer (‘‘SHPO’’) with

respect to cultural resources related to

the project area. There is a known

archaeological site on the east bank of

the Tombigbee River to the north of the

project area that will not be impacted by

this project; thus, the SHPO has no

concern with regard to this site. Transco

has contacted several Native American

groups. Transco states that it does not

consider in situ replacement a practical

option because such conventional

replacement would be subject to the

same erosive forces of the river.

4. Transco states that the proposed

installation and removals will improve

the visual or aesthetic value of the river

banks at the Tombigbee River crossing

by allowing native revegetation and

dynamics of the river to control the

natural succession of the banks at the

crossing. Transco will implement

measures to restore and stabilize the

construction work spaces and

abandoned rights-of-way.

Therefore, Transco states that in view

of (1) the essential need for the

Tombigbee River crossings to be able to

move gas from Transco’s production

areas to Transco’s market areas, and (2)

the de minimis environmental impact of

such project, Transco requests the

Commission to issue a certificate and

construction clearance by January 8,

1996 so that security of the Tombigbee

River crossings can be assured as soon

as possible. By this application, Transco

also seeks authorization to abandon in

place and by removal the portions of its

Main Lines C and D at the Tombigbee

River which will be replaced. Gas

transmission across the Tombigbee

River will be unaffected by these

abandonments. The cost of the Line C

removal work is estimated to be

$140,000. The cost of the Line D

removal work is estimated to be

$201,540.

It is further stated that on the west

bank at the location of the Tombigbee

River crossings, Transco has

interconnections on Main Lines C and D

that enable gas to flow into a meter and

regulator (M&R) station for downstream

delivery to a plant owned by American

Can Company (‘‘American Can’’), which

is north of the crossings on the west

bank. As a result of the replacements of

Lines C and D, as above described, a

reconfiguration of the American Can

interconnections will be necessary. One

new interconnection with the M&R

station will involve conventional

installation of approximately 1,200 feet

of 4-inch diameter pipe from the M&R

station west to a tap on the new segment

of Line C. This will effectuate delivery

of gas from of Line C to the M&R station.

A second new interconnection will

involve conventional installation of

approximately 30 feet of 4-inch

diameter pipe from a new tap on Line

D to a tee near the western terminus of

the above-described 1,200-foot 4-inch

line. This will effectuate delivery of gas

from Line D to the M&R station.

The estimated cost of installation of

the 1,200-foot line is $154,718. The

estimated cost of installation of the 30-

foot line is $83,924.

By this application, Transco also

seeks authorization to abandon by

removal the interconnections between

existing Main Lines C and D and the

M&R station. Gas supply to the

American Can plant will be unaffected

by these abandonments. The estimated

cost of removal of the interconnection

between Main Line C and the M&R

station is $5,000. The estimated cost of

removal of the interconnection between

Main Line D and the M&R station is

$12,000.

Any person desiring to be heard or to

make any protest with reference to said

application should on or before

December 14 1995, file with the Federal

Energy Regulatory Commission,

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 (18 157.10). 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

proceedings. 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

the jurisdiction conferred upon the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

by Sections 7 and 15 of the Natural Gas

Act and 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 not 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 Transco to appear or be

represented at the hearing.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95–29915 Filed 12–7–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. CP96–10–001]

Transwestern Pipeline Company;

Notice of Amendment to Application

December 4, 1995.

Take notice that on November 29,

1995, Transwestern Pipeline Company

(Transwestern), P.O. Box 1188, Houston,

Texas 77251–1188 filed an amendment

(Amendment) to its original application

in Docket No. CP96–10–000, which was

filed pursuant to Section 7(c) of the

Natural Gas Act, the purpose of which

is to conform Transwestern’s

application to the following: (1) The

Purchase and Sale Agreement and

Ownership and Operating Agreement

executed November 3, 1995 between

Transwestern and Northwest Pipeline

Corporation (Northwest); and (2)

Northwest’s application for

abandonment authorization filed on