National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Request for Extension of Time, 94720-94721 [2024-27977]

Download as PDF 94720 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 230 / Friday, November 29, 2024 / Notices FirstLight MA Hydro LLC and Northfield Mountain LLC, respectively, filed applications for new major licenses to operate the 62.0-megawatt (MW) Turners Falls Hydroelectric Project (Turners Falls Project; FERC No. 1889) and 1,166.8-MW Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Project (Northfield Mountain Project; FERC No. 2485) (collectively, projects). On June 5, 2024, Commission staff issued a notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the effects of relicensing the projects. The notice included an anticipated schedule for issuing the draft and final EIS. By this notice, Commission staff is updating the procedural schedule for completing the draft and final EIS. The revised schedule is shown below. Further revisions to the schedule may be made as appropriate. Milestone khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with NOTICES Issue draft EIS .......... Draft EIS Public Meeting. Comments on draft EIS due. Commission issues final EIS. Target date April 2025. May 2025. June 2025. December 2025. Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 4336a(c), we are soliciting additional comments on alternatives or impacts and on relevant information, studies, or analyses with respect to the proposed action. Such comments must be filed within 30 days of this notice. Comments on these topics already filed in response to the REA Notice do not need to be refiled. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file comments using the Commission’s eFiling system at https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ efiling.asp. Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at https:// www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ ecomment.asp. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov, (866) 208–3676 (toll free), or (202) 502–8659 (TTY). In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier must be addressed to: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. All filings must clearly identify the project name and docket number on the first page. VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:22 Nov 27, 2024 Jkt 265001 The Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedures require all intervenors filing documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document on that resource agency. The Commission’s Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502–6595, or OPP@ ferc.gov. Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Steve Kartalia at (202) 502–6131 or stephen.kartalia@ ferc.gov. Dated: November 21, 2024. Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2024–27970 Filed 11–27–24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP17–443–001] National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Request for Extension of Time Take notice that on November 15, 2024, National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (National Fuel) requested that the Commission grant an extension of time, until December 31, 2025, to complete abandonment of Well WH23 in the Wharton Storage Field as part of its Wharton WH23 Storage Well Abandonment Project (Project) located in Potter County, Pennsylvania. On March 25, 2017, the Commission issued a Notice of Request Under Blanket Authorization for the Project, which established a 60-day comment period, ending on July 7, 2017. No protests were filed during the comment period, and accordingly, by Rule, the project was authorized on July 8, 2017, and construction required to be completed within one year or July 24, 2018. The PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Commission subsequently granted four extensions of time; the current deadline for the Project facilities to be constructed and placed into service is December 31, 2024.1 National Fuel states abandonment activities were suspended in June 2023 due to higher than anticipated wellhead pressures and that it has conducted work to allow for monitoring and isolation of certain storage reservoir zones. National Fuel states it plans to complete abandonment work and monitor the wellhead pressure over the 2024–2025 withdrawal season to assure the well is sealed. Therefore, National Fuel requests an extension of time until December 31, 2025, to complete abandonment work and assure that Well WH23 is sealed. This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on National Fuel’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 (NGA) (18 CFR 157.10). As a matter of practice, the Commission itself generally acts on requests for extensions of time to complete construction for NGA facilities when such requests are contested before order issuance. For those extension requests that are contested,2 the Commission will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45 days.3 The Commission will address all arguments relating to whether the applicant has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the extension.4 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 1 See National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation, Request for Extension of Time, filed July 22, 2021, and September 21, 2021 delegated letter order to National Fuel granting National Fuel’s request. 2 Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1). 3 Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ¶ 61,144, at P 40 (2020). 4 Id. at P 40. E:\FR\FM\29NON1.SGM 29NON1 khammond on DSK9W7S144PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 230 / Friday, November 29, 2024 / Notices (NEPA).5 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.6 The Director of the Office of Energy Projects, or his or her designee, will act on all of those extension requests that are uncontested. 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 (https:// www.ferc.gov). From the Commission’s Home Page on the internet, this information is available on eLibrary. The full text of this document is available on eLibrary in PDF and Microsoft Word format for viewing, printing, and/or downloading. To access this document in eLibrary, type the docket number excluding the last three digits of this document in the docket number field. User assistance is available for eLibrary and the Commission’s website during normal business hours from FERC Online Support at (202) 502–6652 (toll free at 1–866–208–3676) or email at ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or the Public Reference Room at (202) 502– 8371, TTY (202) 502–8659. Email the Public Reference Room at public.referenceroom@ferc.gov. The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments in lieu of paper using the ‘‘eFile’’ link at https:// www.ferc.gov. In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy which must reference the Project docket number. To file via USPS: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426. To file via any other courier: DebbieAnne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The Commission’s Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access publicly available 5 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. 6 Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ¶ 61,144, at P 40 (2020). VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:22 Nov 27, 2024 Jkt 265001 information and navigate Commission processes. For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502–6595 or OPP@ ferc.gov. Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 6, 2024. Dated: November 21, 2024. Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2024–27977 Filed 11–27–24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP24–93–000] Schedule for the Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for the Venice Gathering System Abandonment Project: Venice Gathering System, LLC On March 12, 2024, Venice Gathering System, L.L.C. (VGS) filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC), in Docket No. CP24–93–000, requesting authorization pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act to abandon certain natural gas pipeline facilities. The proposed project is known as the Venice Gathering System Abandonment Project (Project). On March 18, 2024, the FERC issued its Notice of Application for the Project. Among other things, that notice alerted agencies issuing federal authorizations of the requirement to complete all necessary reviews and to reach a final decision on a request for a federal authorization within 90 days of the date of issuance of the Commission staff’s environmental document for the Project. This notice identifies Commission staff’s intention to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) for the Project and the planned schedule for the completion of the environmental review.1 The EA would be issued for a 30-day comment period. Schedule for Environmental Review Issuance of EA—January 31, 2025 90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline 2—May 1, 2025 1 In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations, the unique identification number for documents relating to this environmental review is EAXX–019–20–000– 1730110485. 40 CFR 1501.5(c)(4) (2024). 2 The Commission’s deadline applies to the decisions of other federal agencies, and state agencies acting under federally delegated authority, PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 94721 If a schedule change becomes necessary, additional notice would be provided by FERC so that the relevant agencies are kept informed of the Project’s progress. Project Description VGS proposes to abandon certain onshore and offshore facilities comprising the Venice Gathering System located onshore in the state of Louisiana and offshore in state and federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Specifically, VGS proposes to abandon in-place a total of approximately 121.5 miles of 8-inch to 26-inch-diameter pipeline extending south of Venice Energy Services Company LLC’s natural gas processing plant in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana to offshore federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico in South Timbalier Block 151 and West Delta Blocks 41 and 72. Background On November 5, 2024, the Commission issued a Notice of Scoping Period Requesting Comments on Environmental Issues for the Proposed Venice Gathering System Pipeline Abandonment Project (Notice of Scoping). The Notice of Scoping was sent to affected landowners; federal, state, and local government agencies; elected officials; environmental and public interest groups; interested Indian tribes; other interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. As of today’s notice, the Commission has received no comments from any parties in response to the Notice of Scoping. All substantive environmental comments will be addressed in the EA. No government agencies volunteered to be cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EA. Additional Information In order to receive notification of the issuance of the EA and to keep track of formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets, the Commission offers a free service called eSubscription. This service provides automatic notification of filings made to subscribed dockets, document summaries, and direct links to the documents. Go to https:// www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to register for eSubscription. The Commission’s Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including that are responsible for federal authorizations, permits, and other approvals necessary for proposed projects under the Natural Gas Act. Per 18 CFR 157.22(a), the Commission’s deadline for other agency’s decisions applies unless a schedule is otherwise established by federal law. E:\FR\FM\29NON1.SGM 29NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 230 (Friday, November 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 94720-94721]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27977]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP17-443-001]


National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Request for 
Extension of Time

    Take notice that on November 15, 2024, National Fuel Gas Supply 
Corporation (National Fuel) requested that the Commission grant an 
extension of time, until December 31, 2025, to complete abandonment of 
Well WH23 in the Wharton Storage Field as part of its Wharton WH23 
Storage Well Abandonment Project (Project) located in Potter County, 
Pennsylvania. On March 25, 2017, the Commission issued a Notice of 
Request Under Blanket Authorization for the Project, which established 
a 60-day comment period, ending on July 7, 2017. No protests were filed 
during the comment period, and accordingly, by Rule, the project was 
authorized on July 8, 2017, and construction required to be completed 
within one year or July 24, 2018. The Commission subsequently granted 
four extensions of time; the current deadline for the Project 
facilities to be constructed and placed into service is December 31, 
2024.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation, Request for 
Extension of Time, filed July 22, 2021, and September 21, 2021 
delegated letter order to National Fuel granting National Fuel's 
request.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    National Fuel states abandonment activities were suspended in June 
2023 due to higher than anticipated wellhead pressures and that it has 
conducted work to allow for monitoring and isolation of certain storage 
reservoir zones. National Fuel states it plans to complete abandonment 
work and monitor the wellhead pressure over the 2024-2025 withdrawal 
season to assure the well is sealed. Therefore, National Fuel requests 
an extension of time until December 31, 2025, to complete abandonment 
work and assure that Well WH23 is sealed.
    This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment 
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on National Fuel'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 (NGA) (18 CFR 157.10).
    As a matter of practice, the Commission itself generally acts on 
requests for extensions of time to complete construction for NGA 
facilities when such requests are contested before order issuance. For 
those extension requests that are contested,\2\ the Commission will aim 
to issue an order acting on the request within 45 days.\3\ The 
Commission will address all arguments relating to whether the applicant 
has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the extension.\4\ 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

[[Page 94721]]

(NEPA).\5\ 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.\6\ The Director of the 
Office of Energy Projects, or his or her designee, will act on all of 
those extension requests that are uncontested.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes 
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1).
    \3\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
    \4\ Id. at P 40.
    \5\ 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.
    \6\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 (https://www.ferc.gov). 
From the Commission's Home Page on the internet, this information is 
available on eLibrary. The full text of this document is available on 
eLibrary in PDF and Microsoft Word format for viewing, printing, and/or 
downloading. To access this document in eLibrary, type the docket 
number excluding the last three digits of this document in the docket 
number field.
    User assistance is available for eLibrary and the Commission's 
website during normal business hours from FERC Online Support at (202) 
502-6652 (toll free at 1-866-208-3676) or email at 
[email protected], or the Public Reference Room at (202) 502-
8371, TTY (202) 502-8659. Email the Public Reference Room at 
[email protected].
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments 
in lieu of paper using the ``eFile'' link at https://www.ferc.gov. In 
lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy which must 
reference the Project docket number.
    To file via USPS: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.
    To file via any other courier: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852.
    The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports 
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission 
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, 
environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access 
publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For 
public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as 
interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is 
encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595 or [email protected].
    Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 6, 2024.

    Dated: November 21, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-27977 Filed 11-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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