[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 160 (Tuesday, August 18, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50822-50823]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17998]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP20-503-000; PF20-1-000]


Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Application

    Take notice that on July 31, 2020, Northern Natural Gas Company 
(Northern), 1111 South 103rd Street, Omaha, NE 68124, filed an 
application in Docket No. CP20-503-000, pursuant to section 7 of the 
Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's Regulations 
thereunder, requesting the issuance of a certificate of public 
convenience and necessity to construct, modify, replace and operate 
certain compression and pipeline facilities, with appurtenances, 
located in various counties in Minnesota. All relevant information is 
more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the 
Commission and open to public inspection. The filing may also be viewed 
on the 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, (866) 208-3676 or TTY, 
(202) 502-8659.
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to 
Michael T. Loeffler, Senior Director, Certificates and External Affairs 
for Northern, 1111 South 103rd Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68124, or by 
calling (402) 398-7103.
    Specifically, Northern proposes to: (1) Construct an 0.80-mile-
long, 24-inch-diameter pipeline extension and an 0.63-mile-long, 24-
inch-diameter pipeline loop; (2) replace an 0.08-mile-long, 8-inch-
diameter branch line with an equivalent length of 12-inch-diameter 
pipeline; (3) construct a new 11,153 hp gas-fired turbine greenfield 
compressor station; (4) install an additional 1,100 hp electric-driven 
reciprocating compressor unit at its Pierz Compressor Station; and (5) 
construct various appurtenances, all located within Minnesota.
    On December 6, 2019, the Commission staff granted Northern's 
request to utilize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Pre-
Filing Process and assigned Docket No. PF20-1-000 to staff activities 
involving the Project. Now, as of the filing of this application on 
July 31, 2020, the NEPA Pre-Filing Process for this project has ended. 
From this time forward, this proceeding will be conducted in Docket No. 
CP20-503-000, as noted in the caption of this Notice.
    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

[[Page 50823]]

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 NGA 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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    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 (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. At this time, 
the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's Public 
Reference Room, due to the proclamation declaring a National Emergency 
concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), issued by the 
President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact FERC at 
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call toll-free, (886) 208-3676 or TYY, 
(202) 502-8659.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments 
in lieu of paper using the eFile link at http://www.ferc.gov. In lieu 
of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy. Submissions sent via 
the U.S. Postal Service must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, 
Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, 
Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions sent via any other carrier 
must be addressed to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
    Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 2, 2020.

    Dated: August 12, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-17998 Filed 8-17-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P


