[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 88 (Wednesday, May 7, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25013-25014]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-11903]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION
[Docket No. RSPA-97-2426]


National Pipeline Mapping System

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Public meeting.

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SUMMARY: RSPA invites industry, government agencies, pipeline mapping 
vendors, and the public to a public meeting on the national pipeline 
mapping system. This system, when complete, will show the location and 
selected attributes of the major natural gas and hazardous liquid 
pipelines, and liquefied natural gas facilities, operating in the 
United States. The meeting will provide information on the draft 
national pipeline mapping standards, what data will be requested of the 
pipeline industry, and the pilot testing that is being conducted.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on May 22, 1997, from 9:00 a.m. 
to 12:00 p.m. Persons who are unable to attend may submit written 
comments by July 7, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Chevron Tower 
Auditorium, Mezzanine level, 1301 McKinney, Houston Texas.
    Address comments to the Docket Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Plaza 401, 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590-
0001, or e-mail to [email protected]. Comments must identify 
the docket number stated in the heading of this notice. The Dockets 
Facility is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except on Federal holidays when the facility is closed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christina Sames, (202) 366-4561, about 
this document, or for copies of this document or other material in the 
docket.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Transportation's Office of 
Pipeline Safety (OPS) is working with other federal and state agencies 
and the pipeline industry to create a national pipeline mapping system. 
This system, when complete, will show the location and selected 
attributes of the major natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, and 
liquefied natural gas facilities, operating in the United States. This 
would include information on interstate and intrastate natural gas 
transmission pipelines, as defined by OPS, and hazardous liquid trunk 
lines. This would not include service lines, distribution lines, 
gathering lines, flow lines, or spur lines.
    OPS will add additional data layers into the system, including 
layers on population densities, unusually sensitive areas, natural 
disaster probability and high consequence areas, hydrography, and 
transportation networks. OPS will use the system to depict pipelines in 
relation to the public and the environment, and to work with other 
government agencies and industry during an incident.
    Two Joint Government--Industry Pipeline Mapping Quality Action 
Teams (MQAT) were formed to work with OPS on creating the digital 
pipeline location and attribute layer. The Teams are sponsored by OPS, 
the American Petroleum Institute, the Interstate Natural Gas 
Association of America, and the American Gas Association. 
Representatives on the Teams include OPS, the U.S. Geological Survey, 
the Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the 
Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the 
states of Texas, Louisiana, California, New York, and Minnesota, and 
the natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industry.
    The first mapping Team, MQAT I, was formed to analyze various 
mapping alternatives and to determine a cost-effective strategy for 
creating a reasonably accurate depiction (plus or minus 500 feet, for a 
corridor width of 1000 feet) of transmission pipelines and liquefied 
natural gas facilities in the U.S. The Team developed a strategic plan 
with both short and long term strategies for creating a national 
pipeline mapping system. The recommended long term strategies will 
require a joint effort between federal and state government agencies, 
the pipeline industry, and others. The findings of MQAT I are described 
in, ``Strategies for Creating a National Pipeline Mapping System''.
    MQAT II was created to implement the strategies outlined by the 
first mapping team. This includes the development of pipeline mapping 
data standards for both digital and paper submissions, exploring 
potential options for central clearinghouses or repositories for the 
pipeline locational data, and investigating the tools and technologies 
available that will help the pipeline industry migrate from paper to 
digital location information.
    MQAT II has drafted national pipeline mapping data standards that 
will be used to create the digital pipeline layer in the national 
pipeline mapping system. These include standards for electronic data 
submissions, paper map submissions, and metadata (data on the data). 
The Team has also drafted standards that will be used by the pipeline 
mapping repository receiving the pipeline information. The Team is 
currently pilot testing the draft standards and is working to establish 
relationships with state agencies, industry, and others to exchange 
data that meets the standards. A copy of the draft standards can be 
viewed and downloaded from the OPS Internet web site after May 8. The 
Internet web site is http://ops.dot.gov. The draft standards can also 
be obtained by calling (202) 366-4561.
    Members of the first and second mapping Team will discuss at the 
public meeting the strategies for creating the national pipeline 
mapping system, how the strategies are being implemented, and the 
effect of the mapping initiative on the U.S. pipeline industry. The 
panel will discuss the draft pipeline mapping data standards, criteria 
for repositories of the pipeline locational data, pilot tests, and the 
multi-phase approach that will allow industry and Government to 
efficiently upgrade information in a manner that works with other 
business needs.


[[Page 25014]]


    Issued in Washington, DC on May 2, 1997.
Richard B. Felder,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 97-11903 Filed 5-6-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P