[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 34 (Thursday, February 20, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 9786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03644]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice 8640]
Notice of Receipt of an Application by Plains Pipeline, L.P. for
Issuance of a Presidential Permit To Operate and Maintain Existing
Pipeline Facilities on the Border of the United States and Canada
AGENCY: Department of State.
ACTION: Notice of Receipt of an Application by Plains Pipeline, L.P.
for Issuance of a Presidential Permit to Operate and Maintain Existing
Pipeline Facilities on the Border of the United States and Canada.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that on December 20, 2013, the
Department of State (DOS) received from Plains Pipeline, L.P. (``Plains
Pipeline'') notice that it has acquired the rights to operate and
maintain a portion of the Poplar Pipeline (formerly the Wascana
Pipeline) in Sheridan County, Montana that is currently permitted under
a 2007 Presidential Permit issued in the name of two Plains Pipeline
affiliates: PMC (Nova Scotia) Company and Plains Marketing Canada L.P.,
collectively (``PMC''). Plains Pipeline requests that a Presidential
Permit be issued in its name with respect to the pipeline facilities.
END SUMMARY
Plains Pipeline is a subsidiary of Plains All American Pipeline,
L.P. (Plains), a publically traded master limited partnership with
headquarters in Houston, Texas. Plains is engaged in the
transportation, storage, and marketing of crude oil, refined products,
and natural gas-related petroleum products.
The current Permit, issued in 2007 to PMC (Nova Scotia) Company and
Plains Marketing Canada L.P., covers the 56.8-mile long Poplar
Pipeline, previously called the Wascana Pipeline, which extends from
the Murphy Oil terminal northeast of Poplar, Montana, to the
international border near Raymond, Montana, and which was constructed
pursuant to authorization in a 1972 Permit issued to Wascana Pipeline
Corp. Plains Pipeline has acquired an approximately 6.4-mile segment of
the Poplar Pipeline extending from Raymond Station to the international
border, repaired and replaced portions of the pipeline in that area,
and installed two block valves. Plains Pipeline has submitted an
application for a new Presidential Permit in its name and requests that
the new Permit cover approximately 85 feet of pipeline facilities
extending from a new block valve to the international border. Plains
Pipeline has reported that it has separately constructed the Bakken
North pipeline that extends from Trenton, North Dakota to Raymond
Station, and that it intends to interconnect the Bakken North with the
Poplar Pipeline in order to use the Poplar Pipeline border crossing to
transport the Bakken North crude into Canada.
Plains Pipeline has stated that, upon returning the upgraded
pipeline facilities to service under the 2007 Presidential Permit,
Plains Pipeline will continue to operate the acquired facilities for
the same purpose of transporting crude oil between the United States
and Canada. It has further stated that the acquired pipeline facilities
and the operation and maintenance thereof authorized by the 2007 Permit
will remain substantially the same as before the transfer of the
facilities to Plains Pipeline. Plains Pipeline is not seeking
authorization for new construction or a change in operations.
Under E.O. 13337, the Secretary of State is designated and
empowered to receive all applications for Presidential Permits for the
construction, connection, operation, or maintenance at the borders of
the United States of facilities for the exportation or importation of
liquid petroleum, petroleum products, or other fuels (except natural
gas) to or from a foreign country. The Department of State is
circulating this application to concerned federal agencies for comment.
The Department of State has the responsibility to determine whether
issuance of a new Presidential Permit in light of Plains' acquisition
and continued operation of the pipeline facilities would serve the U.S.
national interest.
Plains Pipeline's application is available at http://www.state.gov/e/enr/applicant.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments within 30 days
of the publication date of this notice with regard to whether issuing a
new Presidential Permit to Plains Pipeline would serve the national
interest. Comments may be submitted through the regulations.gov comment
portal. Comments are not private. They will be posted on the site
http://www.regulations.gov. The comments will not be edited to remove
identifying or contact information, and the State Department cautions
against including any information that one does not want publicly
disclosed. The State Department requests that any party soliciting or
aggregating comments received from other persons for submission to the
State Department inform those persons that the State Department will
not edit their comments to remove identifying or contact information,
and that they should not include any information in their comments that
they do not want publicly disclosed.
ADDRESSES: To submit comments, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal
(http://www.regulations.gov), enter the Docket No. DOS-2014-000, and
follow the prompts.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Energy Diplomacy, Energy
Resources Bureau (ENR/EDP/EWA) Department of State, 2201 C St. NW.,
Ste. 4843, Washington, DC 20520, Attn: Michael Brennan Tel: 202-647-
7553.
Dated: February 12, 2014.
Michael Brennan,
Energy Officer, Office of Europe, Western Hemisphere and Africa, Bureau
of Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2014-03644 Filed 2-19-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-09-P