Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of Application, 63916 [2011-26573]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 199 (Friday, October 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 63916]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26573]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP11-551-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC; Notice of 
Application

    Take notice that on September 29, 2011, Transcontinental Gas Pipe 
Line Company, LLC (Transco), P.O. Box 1396, Houston, Texas 77251-1396, 
filed in Docket No. CP11-551-000 an application pursuant to Section 
7(b) and 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and Part 157 of the 
Commission's regulations for permission and approval to abandon Caverns 
1, 2, 3, and 4 and the associated storage deliverability and capacity 
at the Eminence Storage Field (Eminence) in Covington County, 
Mississippi, all as more fully set forth in the application, which is 
on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. This filing 
may also be viewed on the web at https://www.ferc.gov using the 
``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three 
digits in the docket number field to access the document. For 
assistance, contact FERC at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll-
free, (886) 208-3676 or TYY, (202) 502-8659.
    Transco states that it has experienced structural integrity 
problems with four of its seven caverns at Eminence. On December 26, 
2010, a large, unexpected pressure drop occurred in Cavern 3. 
Subsequently, Transco experienced problems with Caverns 1 and 2 and 
began to reduce the pressure in those caverns by withdrawing gas. 
Cavern 4 has been out of service since 2004 due to collapsed casing 
which is not connected to the December incident. Transco seeks 
permission and approval to abandon Caverns 1, 2, 3, and 4, and reduce 
deliverability and capacity from 20.5 Bcf to 15.025 Bcf in Caverns 5, 
6, and 7. Transco also seeks to partially abandon the total storage 
capacity and deliverability quantities Transco provides to its 
customers under Rate Schedules ESS and EESWS. Transco further seeks to 
reduce the total capacity and deliverability quantities available to 
Transco for system flexibility. Contingent upon receiving approval of 
its request from the Commission, Transco and its Rate Schedules ESS and 
EESWS customers would amend their applicable service agreements to 
reflect their revised Storage Capacity Quantity and the Storage Demand 
Capacity. Transco states that it intends to reflect the rate impact of 
the reduction in at the Eminence Storage Field's deliverability and 
capacity, as well as any costs incurred thus far, in Transco's next 
section 4 general rate case which will be filed no later than August 
31, 2012. Transco estimates that it has already expended $76,000,000 as 
part of its emergency response to the events at Eminence.
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to 
Ingrid Germany, Staff Regulatory Analyst, Transcontinental Gas Pipe 
Line Company, P.O. Box 1396, Houston, Texas 77251-1396, at (713) 215-
4015.
    Pursuant to section 157.9 of the Commission's regulations, 18 CFR 
157.9, within 90 days of this Notice, the Commission's 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's staff issuance of 
the 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 reach a final decision on a request 
for federal authorization within 90 days of the date of issuance of the 
Commission staff's 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 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.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments, 
protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the ``eFiling'' link 
at https://www.ferc.gov. 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. See, 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the 
instructions on the Commission's Web site under the ``e-Filing'' link.
    Comment Date: October 27, 2011.

    Dated: October 6, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-26573 Filed 10-13-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P