(a) Applicability. No activity described in §§157.208(b), §157.210, §157.211(a)(2), §157.212, §157.213(b), 157.214 or 157.216(b), except for activity required to restore service in an emergency, is authorized by a blanket certificate granted under this subpart, unless, prior to undertaking such activity:

(1) The notice requirements have been fulfilled in accordance with the provisions of this section; and

(2) Either (i) no protest has been filed pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section or, (ii) if a protest has been filed, it has been withdrawn or dismissed pursuant to paragraph (g) of this section.

(b) Contents. For any activity subject to the requirements of this section, the certificate holder must file with the Secretary of the Commission an original and seven copies, as prescribed in §§157.6(a) and 385.2011 of this chapter, a request for authorization under the notice procedures of this section that contains:

(1) The exact legal name of the certificate holder and mailing address and telephone number of the person or persons to whom communications concerning the request are to be addressed;

(2) The docket number in which its blanket certificate was issued;

(3) Any information required in §§157.208 through 157.218 of this chapter for the particular activity;

(4) A verified statement that the proposed activity complies with the requirements of this subpart;

(5) A form of notice of the application suitable for publication in the Federal Register in accordance with the specifications in §385.203(d) of this chapter; and

(6) Identities and docket numbers of other applications related to the transaction. All related filings must be made within 10 days of the first filing. Otherwise the applications on file will be rejected under paragraph (c) of this section without prejudice to refiling when all parties are ready to proceed.

(c) Rejection of request. The Director of the Office of Energy Projects shall reject within 10 days of the date of filing a request which patently fails to comply with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section, without prejudice to the pipeline's refiling a complete application.

(d) Publication of notice of request.

(1) Unless the request has been rejected pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, the Secretary of the Commission shall issue a notice of the request within 10 days of the date of the filing, which will then be published in the Federal Register. The notice shall designate a deadline for filing protests, or interventions to the request. The deadline shall be 60 days after the date of issuance of the notice of the request.

(2) [Reserved]

(e) Protests.

(1) Any person or the Commission's staff may file a protest prior to the deadline. Copies of the protest must be served on the Secretary of the Commission and the certificate holder.

(2) Protests shall be filed in the following form:

(f) Effect of protest. If a protest is filed in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section, then the certificate holder, the person who filed the protest, any intervenors, and staff shall have 30 days from the deadline determined in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section, to resolve the protest, and to file a withdrawal of the protest pursuant to paragraph (g) of this section. Informal settlement conferences may be convened by the Director of the Office of Energy Projects or his designee. If a protest is not withdrawn or dismissed pursuant to paragraph (g) of this section, the activity shall not be deemed authorized by the blanket certificate. Instead, the request filed by the certificate holder shall be treated as an application for section 7 authorization for the particular activity. The Federal Register notice of the request shall be deemed to be notice of the section 7 application sufficient to fulfill the notice requirement of §§157.9 and 157.10.

(g) Withdrawal or dismissal of protests. The protestor may withdraw a protest within the 30 day period following the deadline determined in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section by submitting written notice of withdrawal to the Secretary of the Commission and serving a copy on the certificate holder, any intervenors and any other party requesting service. The withdrawal must state that the certificate holder and the protestor concur in the withdrawal. Within 10 days of the filing of a protest, the Director of the Office of Energy Projects will dismiss that protest if it does not raise a substantive issue and fails to provide any specific detailed reason or rationale for the objection. If a protest is dismissed, the notice requirements of this section will not be fulfilled until the earlier of: (1) a 30 day period following the deadline determined in paragraph (d) of this section has run; or the dismissed protesting party notifying the Secretary of the Commission that its concerns have been resolved.

(h) Final authorization.

(1) If no protest is filed within the time allowed by the Secretary, the certificate holder is authorized to conduct the activity under its blanket certificate, effective on the day after time expires for filing protests and interventions unless, during that time, the certificate holder withdraws its application in accordance with §385.216 of this chapter.

(2) If any protest is filed within the time allowed for protest and interventions and is subsequently withdrawn under paragraph (g) of this section, the certificate holder is authorized to conduct the activity under its blanket certificate, effective upon the day after the withdrawal of all protests, unless the certificate holder withdraws its application in accordance with §385.216 of this chapter prior to that date.

[Order 234, 47 FR 24266, June 4, 1982]