Notice2023-20570
Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Request for Extension of Time
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 22, 2023
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 183 (Friday, September 22, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 183 (Friday, September 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65380-65381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20570]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP22-489-001]
Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Request for Extension of
Time
Take notice that on September 11, 2023, Northern Natural Gas
Company (Northern) requested that the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (Commission) grant an extension of time (2023 Extension of
Time Request), until October 13, 2023, to install and operate an
approximately 1.57-mile expansion of its 36-inch-diameter MNM80105
Ventura Interconnect to Farmington E-Line in Freeborn and Steele
counties, Minnesota, in the Prior Notice Request for Authorization
Under Blanket Certificate (Prior Notice) under Docket No. CP22-489-000.
On July 25, 2022, the Commission issued a Notice of Request Under
Blanket Authorization, which established a 60-day comment period,
ending on September 23, 2022, to file protests. No protests were filed
during the comment period, and accordingly the project was authorized
on September 24, 2022 and by Rule should have been completed within one
year.
In its 2023 Extension of Time Request, Northern states that it
delayed construction until May 22, 2023, to avoid construction during
the winter and spring load restrictions on State and local roads.
Northern expected to complete the Project within the one-year time
frame. However, during construction, Northern's contractor experienced
multiple delays with the horizontal directional drilling (HDD)
activities due to drill rig availability and an increased duration for
the pilot and reaming activities. Additionally, construction for the
associated tie-in facilities was longer than expected due to a change
in tie-in plans at the Albert Lea compressor station as described in
weekly report 16. The proposed tie-in location on the D-line was not
suitable for in-service welding, resulting in additional excavation,
backfill, fabrication and pressure testing. Northern currently
estimates completing commissioning and testing of the new line the week
of October 2, 2023.
This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on Northern's 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 (18 CFR 157.10).
As a matter of practice, the Commission itself generally acts on
requests for extensions of time to complete construction for Natural
Gas Act facilities when such requests are contested before order
issuance. For those extension requests that are contested,\1\ the
Commission will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45
days.\2\ The Commission will
[[Page 65381]]
address all arguments relating to whether the applicant has
demonstrated there is good cause to grant the extension.\3\ 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.\4\ 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.\5\ The OEP Director, or his or her designee,
will act on all of those extension requests that are uncontested.
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\1\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1) (2019).
\2\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40
(2020).
\3\ Id. at P 40.
\4\ 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.
\5\ 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 (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>) using
the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three
digits in the docket number field to access the document. At this time,
the Commission has suspended access to Commission's Public Reference
Room. For assistance, contact FERC at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b8fefdeafbf7d6d4d1d6ddebcdc8c8d7caccf8deddcadb96dfd7ce"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8acccfd8c9c5e4e6e3e4efd9fffafae5f8fecaeceff8e9a4ede5fc">[email protected]</span></a> or
call toll-free, (886) 208-3676 or TTY (202) 502-8659.
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments,
protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the ``eFiling'' link
at <a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>. Persons unable to file electronically should
submit an original and three copies of the protest or intervention to
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE,
Washington, DC 20426.
Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on, October 5, 2023.
Dated: September 18, 2023.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-20570 Filed 9-21-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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