Palomar Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Application, 270-271 [E8-31313]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 2 (Monday, January 5, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 270-271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-31313]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP09-35-000; PF07-13-000]


Palomar Gas Transmission, LLC; Notice of Application

December 29, 2008.
    Take notice that on December 11, 2008, as revised on December 12, 
2008, Palomar Gas Transmission, LLC (Palomar) filed with the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) an application under section 
7 of the Natural Gas Act for a Certificate of Public Convenience and 
Necessity authorizing the construction, ownership and operation of the 
Palomar gas transmission system, all as more fully set forth in the 
application which is on file with the Commission and open to public 
inspection.
    This filing is accessible on-line at https://www.ferc.gov, using the 
``eLibrary'' link and is available for review in the Commission's 
Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. There is an ``eSubscription'' 
link on the Web site that enables subscribers to receive e-mail 
notification when a document is added to a subscribed docket(s). For 
assistance with any FERC Online service, please e-mail 
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, or call (866) 208-3676 (toll free). For 
TTY, call (202) 420-5589.
    On August 30, 2007, the Commission staff granted Palomar's request 
to utilize the Pre-Filing process and assigned Docket No. PF07-13-000 
to staff activities involving the proposed Project. Now, as of the 
filing of the December 11, 2008 application, the Pre-Filing Process for 
this project has ended. From this time forward, this proceeding will be 
conducted in Docket No. CP09-35-000 as noted in the caption of this 
Notice.
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to: 
John A. Roscher, Director, Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Palomar Gas 
Transmission, LLC, 1400 SW., Fifth Avenue, Suite 900, Portland, OR 
97201; Tel: (503) 833-4254.
    Palomar is a wholly owned subsidiary of Palomar Gas Holdings, LLC, 
a Delaware limited liability company, which is owned fifty percent 
(50%) by Gas Transmission Northwest Corporation (GTN) and fifty percent 
(50%) by Northwest Natural Gas Company (NW Natural). Palomar requests 
authorization to construct and operate a 36-inch-diameter, 216.9-mile-
long natural gas transmission mainline; a 24-inch-diameter, 3.8-mile-
long lateral line, three meter stations and appurtenant facilities to 
serve Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and other parts of the western 
United States.
    As proposed, the Palomar Project will have a design flow capacity 
of up to 1.3 billion cubic feet (Bcf) per day of natural gas eastbound 
and 98 million cubic feet (MMcf) per day of natural gas westbound. 
Palomar will be capable of transporting natural gas west from the 
existing GTN mainline pipeline system northwest of Madras in Wasco 
County, Oregon to NW Natural's local gas distribution system near 
Molalla, which provides access to NW Natural's Mist Storage Facility as 
well as NW Natural's distribution infrastructure. The Palomar

[[Page 271]]

Project will also be designed to transport gas east from an 
interconnection with the proposed Bradwood Landing LNG Terminal in 
Clatsop County, Oregon. Gas supply from the Bradwood Landing LNG 
Terminal could be shipped to points along the Palomar mainline--such as 
NW Natural's system--and to the GTN pipeline where it can serve markets 
in the northwest and other parts of the western United States.
    Pursuant to section 157.9 of the Commission's rules, 18 CFR 157.9, 
within 90 days of this Notice the Commission staff will either: 
complete its environmental assessment (EA) and place it into the 
Commission's public record (eLibrary) for this proceeding; or issue a 
Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review. If a Notice of Schedule 
for Environmental Review is issued, it will indicate, among other 
milestones, the anticipated date for the Commission staff's issuance of 
the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) or EA for this 
proposal. The filing of the EA in the Commission's public record for 
this proceeding or the issuance of a Notice of Schedule for 
Environmental Review will serve to notify federal and state agencies of 
the timing for the completion of all necessary reviews, and the 
subsequent need to complete all federal authorizations within 90 days 
of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's FEIS or EA.
    There are two ways to become involved in the Commission's review of 
this project. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by 
becoming a party to the proceedings for this project should, on or 
before the comment date stated below, 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 project. 
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 project 
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 project should submit an original and two copies of their comments 
to the Secretary of the Commission. Environmental commentors 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 commentors will not be required to serve copies of filed 
documents on all other parties. However, the non-party commentors 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.
    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 under the ``e-Filing'' 
link at https://www.ferc.gov. The Commission strongly encourages 
intervenors to file electronically. Persons unable to file 
electronically should submit an original and 14 copies of the protest 
or intervention to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First 
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
    Comment Date: January 30, 2009.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-31313 Filed 1-2-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P