[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 213 (Monday, November 4, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59370-59371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23981]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP20-3-000]


Columbia Gas of Maryland, Inc.; Notice of Application

    Take notice that on October 11, 2019, Columbia Gas of Maryland, 
Inc. (CMD), 121 Champion Way, Suite 100, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania 
15317, filed in Docket No. CP20-3-000 an application pursuant to 
section 7(f) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) requesting a service area 
determination so that it may expand or enlarge its facilities without 
further Commission authorization at a small location on the 
Pennsylvania/Maryland border, all as more fully set forth in the 
application which is on file with the Commission and open to public 
inspection.
    The filing is available for review at the Commission in the Public 
Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's website web at 
http://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.
    Any questions concerning this application may be directed to Meagan 
Moore, Senior Counsel, or Kenneth W. Christman, Assistant General 
Counsel, Columbia Gas of Maryland, Inc., 121 Champion Way, Suite 100, 
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania 15317 by telephone at (724) 416-6347 (Moore) 
or (724) 416-6315 (Christman); or by email at mbmoore@nisource.com 
(Moore) or kchrist@nisource.com (Christman).
    CMD is a local gas distribution company providing natural gas 
service to customers in northwestern Maryland that is regulated by the 
Maryland Public Service Commission. Specifically, CMD plans to acquire 
a regulator set at the Mt. Savage Point of Delivery (POD), located in 
Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and associated downstream distribution 
pipeline, which CMD currently accepts gas supplies from at the 
Pennsylvania/Maryland border. CMD is seeking a service area 
determination to operate the approximately 60 feet of pipeline in 
Pennsylvania from the Mt. Savage POD to a point along the Maryland 
border where the existing piping downstream of the POD connects with 
CMD's distribution piping in Allegany County, Maryland. CMD states it 
does not now or in the future intend to serve

[[Page 59371]]

customers in Pennsylvania. CMD also requests that the Commission 
determine that CMD qualifies as a local distribution company for the 
purposes of transportation under section 311 of the Natural Gas Policy 
Act of 1978 and that it be granted waiver of all reporting and 
accounting requirements, as well as other rules and regulations that 
are normally applicable to natural gas companies subject to the 
Commission's jurisdiction.
    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 3 copies of filings made in the proceeding with the Commission 
and must provide a copy to the applicant and to every other party. 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 and will be 
notified of any 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 and will not have the right to seek 
court review of the Commission's final order.
    As of the February 27, 2018 date of the Commission's order in 
Docket No. CP16-4-001, the Commission will apply its revised practice 
concerning out-of-time motions to intervene in any new Natural Gas Act 
section 3 or section 7 proceeding.\1\ Persons desiring to become a 
party to a certificate proceeding are to intervene in a timely manner. 
If seeking to intervene out-of-time, the movant is required to ``show 
good cause why the time limitation should be waived,'' and should 
provide justification by reference to factors set forth in Rule 
214(d)(1) of the Commission's Rules and Regulations.\2\
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    \1\ Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C., 162 FERC ] 61,167 at 
] 50 (2018).
    \2\ 18 CFR 385.214(d)(1).
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    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments, 
protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the ``eFiling'' link 
at http://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically should 
submit an original and 3 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 November 18, 2019.

    Dated: October 28, 2019.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-23981 Filed 11-1-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


