Energy facilities applications; collaborative procedures; technical conference,
[Federal Register: October 26, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 206)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 57086]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26oc98-16]
[[Page 57086]]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
18 CFR Parts 4, 153, 157 and 375
[Docket No. RM98-16-000]
Collaborative Procedures for Energy Facilities Applications; Notice of Technical Conference
October 20, 1998. AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of Technical Conference.
SUMMARY: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) intends to hold a staff technical conference on November 5, 1998 at 9:00 AM, in the Commission Meeting Room, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C., to discuss the proposed pre-filing collaborative process.
DATES: The conference will be held on November 5, 1998.
ADDRESSES: The conference will be held in the Commission Meeting Room, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas Russo, Office of Pipeline Regulation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, (202) 219- 2792 Berne Mosley, Office of Pipeline Regulation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, (202) 208- 2256 Gordon Wagner, Office of the General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, (202) 219- 0122 Merrill Hathaway, Office of the General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, (202) 208-0825.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the Federal Register, the Commission also provides all interested persons an opportunity to inspect or copy the contents of this document during normal business hours in the Public Reference Room at 888 First Street, N.E., Room 2A, Washington, D.C. 20426.
The Commission Issuance Posting System (CIPS) provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission. CIPS can be accessed via Internet through FERC's Homepage (http://www.ferc.fed.us) using the CIPS Link or the Energy Information Online icon. The full text of this document will be available on CIPS in ASCII on WordPerfect 6.1 format. CIPS is also available through the Commission's electronic bulletin board service at no charge to the user and may be accessed using a personal computer with a modem by dialing 202-208-1397, if dialing locally, or 1-800-856-3920, if dialing long distance. To access CIPS, set your communications software to 19200, 14400, 12000, 9600, 7200, 4800, 2400, or 1200 bps, full duplex, no parity, 8 data bits and 1 stop bit. User assistance is available at 202-208-2474 or by E-mail to CipsMaster@FERC.fed.us.
This document is also available through the Commission's Records and Information Management System (RIMS), an electronic storage and retrieval system of documents submitted to and issued by the Commission after November 16, 1981. Documents from November 1995 to the present can be viewed and printed. RIMS is available in the Public Reference Room or remotely via Internet through FERC's Homepage using the RIMS link or the Energy Information Online icon. User assistance is available at 202-208-2222, or by E-mail to RimsMaster@FERC.fed.us.
Finally, the complete text on diskette in WordPerfect format may be purchased from the Commission's copy contractor, RVJ International, Inc. RVJ International, Inc., is located in the Public Reference Room at 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is proposing to expand its procedural regulations governing the authorization of natural gas facilities and services, and is considering revising its procedural regulations governing applications for licenses for hydroelectric projects.\1\ The proposed regulations are intended to offer prospective applicants seeking to construct, operate or abandon natural gas facilities or services the option, in appropriate circumstances and prior to filing an application, of using a collaborative process to resolve significant issues. In addition, a significant portion of the environmental review process should be completed as part of the pre-filing collaborative process. This pre- filing collaborative process is comparable to the process the Commission recently adopted with respect to applications for hydroelectric licenses, amendments and exemptions and, like those regulations, is optional and is designed to be adaptable to the facts and circumstances of the particular case. The proposed regulations would not delete or replace any existing regulations. Finally, the Commission is considering whether the existing collaborative process for hydroelectric license and exemption applications, as well as the proposed collaborative process for natural gas facilities and services, should be made mandatory.
\1\ See 84 FERC para. 61,346 (September 30, 1998).
A staff technical conference will be held on November 5, 1998, to provide an overview of the proposed pre-filing collaborative process and to respond to questions. Additional conferences will be held at a later date in Houston and Chicago. These conferences are designed as workshops in which Commission staff will present information and respond to questions concerning the proposed collaborative process as an aid to assist participants in developing comments in response to and as requested in the September 30, 1998 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Accordingly, there will be no transcript and statements made in the context of the workshops will not become part of the record in this proceeding. All parties--particularly those with experience with collaborative processes, whether at this agency or in another context-- are invited to attend. David P. Boergers, Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-28546Filed10-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
