20812 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 90 / Wednesday, May 8, 1996 / Notices

[Docket No. CP87–39–004]

Granite State Gas Transmission, Inc.;

Notice of Amendment

May 2, 1996.

Take notice that on April 29, 1996,

Granite State Gas Transmission, Inc.

(Granite State), 300 Friberg Parkway,

Westborough, Massachusetts 01581,

filed an application with the

Commission, pursuant to Section 7(c) of

the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the

Commission’s regulations, requesting an

extension of its limited-term certificate

to operate an interstate pipeline facility

leased from Portland Pipe Line

Corporation (Portland) from March 31,

1997 to April 30, 1998, with pregranted

abandonment as of the latter date,

consistent with a recently negotiated

agreement between Granite State and

Portland to extend the lease of the

pipeline facility, all as more fully set

forth in the application which is on file

with the Commission and open to

public inspection.

According to Granite State, it has

leased from Portland an 18-inch

pipeline extending approximately 166

miles from a connection with its

pipeline near Portland, Maine, to the

U.S.-Canadian border in the Township

of North Troy, Vermont, opposite

Highwater, Quebec. The pipeline was

originally built and operated as a crude

oil pipeline; Granite State converted the

pipeline for natural gas service in 1987

and currently operates the pipeline

pursuant to an amended lease with

Portland and a limited-term certificate

issued by the Commission expiring

March 31, 1997 (69 FERC ¶ 61,186).

Granite State further says that it has

negotiated an agreement with Portland

to extend the lease for 13 months, from

March 31, 1997 to April 30, 1998.

According to Granite State, no new

facilities are required in connection

with the extension of the limited-term

certificate, and no new services utilizing

the leased pipeline are proposed.

Granite State further requests that, in

extending the limited-term certificate,

the Commission confirm the ruling it

has previously made that the leasing

arrangement will not subject Portland to

jurisdiction under the Natural Gas Act

and that the revenues received by

Portland under the lease will not be

considered in determining its rates for

oil transportation service.

Any person desiring to be heard or to

make any protest with reference to said

application should on or before May 23,

1996, 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 CFR

157.10). All protests filed with the

Commission will be considered by it in

determining the appropriate action to be

taken on the request for a permanent

certificate but will not serve to make the

protestants parties to the proceeding.

Any person wishing to become a party

to the 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 the

application if no motion to intervene is

filed within the time requested 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 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 Granite State to appear

or be represented at the hearing.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–11425 Filed 5–7–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. CP96–358–000]

MidAmerican Energy Company v.

Natural Gas Pipeline Company of

America; Notice of Complaint

May 2, 1996.

Take notice that on April 26, 1996,

MidAmerican Energy Company

(MidAmerican), P.O. Box 778, Sioux

City, Iowa 51102, filed with the

Commission in Docket CP96–358–000 a

complaint against Natural Gas Pipeline

Company of America (Natural), 701 East

Lombard Street, Lombard, Illinois

60148–5072. MidAmerican states that

its complaint is based on Natural’s

violation of Section 4 of the Natural Gas

Act (NGA) and the Commission’s orders

thereunder in refusing to return

approximately $5,000,000 worth of base

(cushion) gas previously supplied by

MidAmerican to support Rate Schedule

LS–3 firm storage service (LS–3), all as

more fully set forth in the complaint

which is on file with the Commission

and open to public inspection.

MidAmerican states that Natural

terminated such LS–3 service for its

own use in order to replace it with new

open access storage service, Delivered

Storage Service (DSS), which

MidAmerican converted to and under

which Natural is obligated to provide all

cushion gas volumes. MidAmerican

asserts that Natural is required to return

MidAmerican’s LS–3 cushion gas

volumes, and that its failure to do so

violates the NGA, Natural’s tariff sheets

governing the transition from LS–3 to

DSS service, and the certificate order

authorizing LS–3 to DSS service, and

the certificate order authorizing LS–3

service. MidAmerican asserts that

Natural is claiming that it is entitled to

retain a ‘‘non-recoverable’’ amount

equal to approximately 75% of that

cushion gas total, and MidAmerican

maintains that it is entitled to the return

of the entire amount of that cushion gas.

MidAmerican alleges that Natural is

thereby misappropriating the cushion

gas supplied by MidAmerican for

Natural’s own use to support its new

DSS service using the same storage field

which supported LS–3 service, and is

creating a discriminatory and anticompetitive economic barrier to its

open-access storage service because

MidAmerican in effect bears an entry

fee of $5,000,000 which other DSS

customers do not bear.

MidAmerican requests that the

Commission issue an order directing

that Natural immediately return all

cushion gas previously provided by

MidAmerican to Natural pursuant to

Natural’s LS–3 storage service, and that

if the Commission does not issue such

an order, that the Commission issue an

order requiring Natural to show cause

why it is not in violation of the Natural

Gas Act, Commission orders, and the

express terms of its tariff for its failure

to return such cushion gas to

MidAmerican.

Any person desiring to be heard or to

make a protest with reference to

MidAmerican’s complaint should file

with the Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, 888 First Street, N.E.,

Washington, D.C. 20426, a motion to

intervene or protest in accordance with

the Commission’s Rules of Practice and

Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 or 385.214).

All such motions, together with the

answer of Respondents to the complaint

and motions, should be filed on or

before May 23, 1996. Any person

desiring to become a party must file a

motion to intervene. Copies of this filing
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 90 / Wednesday, May 8, 1996 / Notices 20813

are on file with the Commission and

available for public inspection.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–11424 Filed 5–7–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. ES96–25–000]

Semass Partnership; Notice of

Application

May 2, 1996.

Take notice that on April 30, 1996,

Semass Partnership (Semass) filed an

application, under § 204 of the Federal

Power Act, seeking authorization to

reallocate partnership interests among

the existing partners of Semass in

connection with the proposed sale by

certain partners of Semass of eighty

percent (80%) of the partnership

interests in Semass.

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, NE., Washington, DC 20426

in accordance with Rules 211 and 214

of the Commission’s Rules of Practice

and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and

385.214). All such motions or protests

should be filed on or before May 28,

1996. Protests will be considered by the

Commission 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 must file a motion to

intervene. Copies of this filing are on

file with the Commission and are

available for public inspection.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–11426 Filed 5–7–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Project No. 2000–010]

Power Authority of the State of New

York; Notice of Memorandum of

Understanding, Formation of

Cooperative Consultation Process

Team, and Initiation of Scoping

Process Associated With Relicensing

the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project

May 2, 1996.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

On February 15, 1996, the New York

Power Authority (NYPA), New York

State Department of Environmental

Conservation (NYSDEC), and the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

(FERC), entered into an MOU. Under the

MOU, the NYSDEC and the FERC will

cooperate and use the services of a

Third Party Contractor to prepare a

single Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) to more efficiently meet the

requirements for water quality

certification and relicensing of the 912-

megawatt St. Lawrence-FDR Power

Project. The hydroelectric project was

originally licensed in 1953 and the

license will expire in 2003. NYPA has

elected to use a Third Party Contractor

under the provisions of the Energy

Policy Act of 1992.

The project, which includes the Long

Sault Dam and the portions of the

Iroquois Dam and the Robert MosesRobert H. Saunders Power Dam within

the U.S., located on the St. Lawrence

River near Massena, New York. While

the project is licensed by the FERC, its

operation as well as Ontario’s Hydro’s

portion of the international project, is

governed by the International Joint

Commission (IJC) and the International

St. Lawrence River Board of Control

(ISLRBC), who direct NYPA and Ontario

Hydro to release flows to maintain water

levels in Lake Ontario and downstream

flows in accordance with criteria set

forth. The IJC was established by the

1909 Boundary Water Treaty between

the U.S. and Canada.

Cooperative Consultation Process (CCP)

Team

NYPA has contacted and invited

members of numerous federal, state, and

local governmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, the St.

Regis Mohawk Tribe, and the general

public the U.S. The FERC has also

invited federal and provincial agencies

in Canada, as well as the IJC and

ISLRBC to participate and discuss the

cooperative process for relicensing the

project. As a result of a series of three

meetings conducted in February, March

and April 1996, the participants (see list

below) along with NYSDEC and FERC

have agreed to form a Cooperative

Consultation Process (CCP) Team. The

CCP Team will assist in identifying

areas of interests, issues, required

studies and also prepare for NYSDEC

and FERC a Scoping Document (See

Scoping Process).

The CCP Team is still in the process

of identifying potential members and

active participants. As of April 16, 1996,

the following 39 organizations attended

meetings of the CCP Team and have

indicated an interest in participating in

the Team and relicensing process. Those

persons interested in joining the CCP

Team or learning more about the CCP

Team and process, as well as the

relicensing process should call any one

of the following three individuals:

Mr. Thomas R. Tatham, New York

Power Authority, 212–468–6747, 212–

468–6272 (fax)

Mr. Keith Silliman, New York Dept. of

Environmental Conservation, 518–

457–0986, 518–457–3978 (fax)

Mr. Thomas Russo, Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission, 202–219–

2792, 202–219–0125 (fax)

The following organizations have sent

representatives to the CCP Team

meetings: the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe,

Environment Canada, St. Lawrence

Seaway Development Corp., Ontario

Hydro, Alcoa, NY State Assembly, St.

Lawrence Development Commission,

Massena Electric, St. Lawrence County,

Town of Louisville, Development

Authority of N. County, Empire State

Dept. of Economic Development, GM

Power Train, I.B.E.W. Local 2032,

Vincent Kirsch, LCE Environ. Mgmt.

Council, League of Women Voters,

Massena Industrial Dev. Corp., Village

of Massena, Village Potsdam, Mass.

Municipal Wholesale Electric Co.,

Municipal Electricity Assoc. of NY, New

York Power Authority, New York Rivers

United, Audubon Society of NY State,

NYS Dept. of Parks Rec. & Historic

Preservation, NYS Dept. of

Environmental Conservation, NYS Dept.

of State (Coastal Resources), St.

Lawrence Aquarium & Ecological

Center, Public Power Assoc. of NJ,

Reynolds Metals, Robert Moses State

Park, St. Lawrence County Chamber of

Commerce, St. Lawrence Gas, United

Auto Workers/GM Power Train, US Fish

and Wildlife Service, Waddington Town

Planning Board, IBEW 450 ABGWIU,

and WYBG Radio.

Scoping Process

The Scoping Process will satisfy the

requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act. The objective

of the Scoping Process is to assist the

FERC and NYSDEC in identifying

resource issues and reasonable

alternatives that should be addressed in

the EIS analysis and the level to which

they should be addressed. The Scoping

Process will also identify the geographic

and temporal range of the EIS analysis,

those resources requiring a cumulative

impact analysis and the level of analysis

as well. The CCP Team will prepare a

Draft Scoping Document I (SDI) for

FERC’s and NYSDEC’s use.

The Scoping Process will entail a

series of public workshops/meetings

within the CCP Team over the next

seven months. During this time period,

the CCP Team will use NYPA’s Initial

Consultation Document distributed on

April 16, 1996 to initiate scoping the

issues. Members of the Team and the

general public will be given the