[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1434-1436]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-545]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket No. PS-132; Notice 3]


Risk Assessment Prioritization (RAP) Program, Cycle 1 Completion

AGENCY: Office of Pipeline Safety, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), 
through it's Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) has just completed the 
first generation of the Risk Assessment Prioritization (RAP) program. 
The RAP program was developed to assist OPS in determining how to best 
apply federal resources to pipeline safety issues using a risk based 
approach. This public meeting is being held to discuss the RAP process, 
review the RAP results and outline recommendations for improving RAP 
for the next cycle.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on Thursday January 25, 1996. 
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites, 7640 
N.W. Tiffany Springs Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri 64154 in the Salon 
Room. The telephone number to the Embassy Suites is 816-891-7788.
    Individuals not able to attend the public meeting can send comments 
and recommendations on the RAP program to the docket listed above. This 
docket will remain open for several months to ensure that all 
interested parties can comment. Send comments in duplicate to the 
Dockets Units, Room 8421, Research and Special Programs Administration, 
U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, 
DC 29590. Identify the docket and notice number stated in the heading 
of this notice. All comments and docketed material will be available 
for inspection and copying in room 8421 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
each business day.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick J. Ramirez, (202) 366-9864 
regarding the subject matter of this notice. Contact the Dockets Unit, 
(202) 366-5046, for docketed material.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    OPS began the RAP process two years ago with the goal of gaining 
better control of its agenda. OPS believes that having a structured 
method of prioritizing resources based on risk will help it better 
address Congressional mandates, National Transportation Safety Board 
(NTSB) recommendations and National Association of Pipeline Safety 
Representatives (NAPSR) resolutions. OPS began the RAP model 
development by having several OPS meetings and one public meeting to 
solicit input and ideas on the model and its usage. In October 1993, 
OPS published the RAP model in the Federal Register (58 FR 51402, Oct. 
1, 1993) along with a request for pipeline safety issues. The notice 
generated nearly 500 issues from the government, industry, states, 
public interests groups and the general public. OPS consolidated these 
500 issues to 189 distinct issues and published a second Federal 
Register notice (60 FR 7620, Feb. 8, 1995) in February 1995 requesting 
solutions. This second notice generated 400 responses, again from a 
wide range of pipeline safety interests.
    Each solution was evaluated and/or prioritized by three groups 
consisting of the OPS regional directors, NAPSR/National Association of 
Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and OPS Technical Advisory 
Committee members. In addition to having a functioning risk model, OPS 
has a RAP database that holds all of the issues, solutions and 
prioritized ratings.
    Government, industry and public representatives provided extensive 
input to the RAP process which resulted in the ranked solutions and 
recommendations that led to the action plan. The action plan represents 
a significant step for OPS as it continues applying risk based business 
methods.

II. OPS Risk Based Action Plan

    The RAP results provide substantial validation for much of the FY-
95 OPS agenda including the following areas, which will retain a high 
level of OPS attention during FY-96:
     One-Call Systems. OPS will continue efforts in support of 
passage of federal legislation applicable to all underground utilities 
and operators. In addition, OPS will work to promote industry training 
of employees responsible for one-call systems and increased awareness 
and training of excavators. OPS will also work, along with its State 
Representatives, to promote increased development and use of quick and 
effective administrative enforcement of penalties for one-call 
violations.
     Continue Rulemakings. OPS will continue the following 
rulemakings:
     Installation of check valves or remote-operated valves on 
liquid pipelines in all high risk areas to provide for rapid shutdown 
of failed pipeline segments.
     Requiring periodic smart pigging in transmission pipeline 
segments situated in high risk areas.
     Require qualification of pipeline personnel.
    Through Regulatory Reinvention Initiatives (RRI), OPS will continue 
to identify ways of providing more flexibility within its regulations, 
and reduce or remove costly requirements with little or no risk-
reduction benefits. RAP identified the following RRI areas where 
increased OPS attention is warranted:
     Use of Industry Standards. OPS will increase the use of 
industry standards within its regulations and will continue the trend 
of increased OPS participation on national consensus standard 
development committees. Specifically, OPS will increase its efforts in 
support of API committees addressing specification of pipeline 
toughness, and will examine for incorporation within its regulations 
API Standard 1117, Lowering In-Service Pipelines, and the API series of 
standards concerning corrosion protection for tanks.
     Inspection procedures. OPS will strengthen its inspection 
guidelines to properly evaluate the adequacy of cathodic protection 
design, installation and monitoring.
     Drug and alcohol testing requirements. OPS will reconsider 
current requirements and work to define the appropriate level of 
testing commensurate with the risks being addressed.
     Requirements for clearing shorted casings. OPS will 
develop more flexible guidance on the conditions and criteria for 
clearing shorted casings.
     Plastic Pipe Technology. OPS will review its regulations 
to ensure that they are consistent with current application of plastic 
pipe technology, especially in the areas of joints and tracer wire.
    RAP outlined several technology advancement programs that OPS 
should continue addressing. The following broad-based efforts will 
include risk management programs and performance measures, pipeline 
mapping, research and technology, training and data development:
     Risk Management Programs and Performance Measures. OPS 
will continue to work closely with industry and other stakeholders to 
develop risk management programs that can demonstrate equal or greater 
levels of safety.
     Mapping Initiatives. OPS will continue its joint efforts 
with industry to obtain better information concerning the location of 
pipelines and their proximity to high risk population and environmental 
areas.
     Research & Technology Development. OPS will continue to 
promote the development of improved 

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and more cost-effective smart in-line inspection tools, leak detection 
systems, and line location technologies.
     De-Centralized Training. OPS will emphasize the use of 
computer-based training and other mechanisms to provide cost-effective 
training to state and regional inspectors.
     Improve Usefulness of Incident Data. OPS will work to 
improve the quality and usefulness of its incident database system, 
including facilitating collection of the data, making the data more 
widely available, improving on-line analytical capabilities, and 
developing ties to industry databases to support risk management 
demonstrations, which will include making the industry databases 
available to OPS and States.
    OPS will strengthen its interagency cooperative activities through 
the following:
     Regulatory Jurisdictional Authority. OPS will increase 
efforts with the Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
Minerals Management Service and others to clarify jurisdictions and 
authorities. Specifically, OPS will address jurisdictional issues on 
low stress lines pipelines and tanks.
     Pipeline Casings. OPS will work with the Federal Highway 
Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration to investigate 
the requirements for casings at highway and railroad crossings.
    The RAP process included all current mandates from the National 
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), National Association of Pipeline 
Safety Representatives (NAPSR), and certain provisions of the FY88 and 
FY92 Pipeline Safety Acts. While the RAP results indicate that several 
of the mandates may require significant cost to implement, they also 
offer the opportunity to provide appreciable risk reduction. OPS will 
take a risk based approach to the following initiatives, allowing 
operators opportunity to determine the circumstances and extent to 
which these safety actions should be applied to mitigate consequences 
of accidents.
     Require qualification of pipeline personnel.
     Require periodic smart pigging in transmission pipeline 
segments situated in high risk areas.
     Install check valves or remote-operated valves on gas and 
liquid pipelines in all high risk areas to provide for rapid shutdown 
of failed pipeline segments.
    On the mandate to issue regulations requiring operators of natural 
gas distribution systems to notify their customers with lines in which 
excess flow valves (EFVs) are not required by law, but can be 
installed, OPS has thoroughly considered the issue and is taking steps 
to issue a rule requiring operators to notify customers about EFV 
availability and to offer to install EFVs if the customer pays for the 
installation. Additionally, OPS will be taking steps to develop 
performance standards for any EFV installed on a service line.
    OPS will continue to develop and refine the RAP program through 
future cycles and will make the database available to State pipeline 
safety offices and other stakeholders upon request.

III. Public Meeting Topics

    The public meeting will focus on the 5 following areas for 
discussions:
     Overview of the RAP process
     Overview of the RAP results (OPS Action Plan)
     How issues and solutions were gathered and consolidated
     Recommendations for the next cycle
     Introduction to the RAP database
    Issues in Washington, DC on January 11, 1996.

Richard B. Felder,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 96-545 Filed 1-18-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P