[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 26 (Friday, February 7, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6385-6386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3079]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration

49 CFR Part 192

[Docket No. RSPA-00-7666; Notice 5]
RIN 2137-AD54


Pipeline Safety: Pipeline Integrity Management in High 
Consequence Areas (Gas Transmission Pipelines)

AGENCY: Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS), Research and Special Programs 
Administration (RSPA), DOT

ACTION: Notice of workshop.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a two-day workshop on proposed 
regulations on ``Pipeline Integrity Management in High Consequence 
Areas'', jointly organized by the Interstate Natural Gas Association of 
America (INGAA) Foundation and the American Gas Association (AGA). This 
workshop is intended to give participants an understanding of the 
integrity management program requirements being proposed in the rule 
and the process to comment on the proposed rulemaking. An OPS 
representative will give an overview of the proposed regulation and 
answer questions about it.

DATES: The workshop is open to all. There is no registration fee. This 
workshop will be held on February 20, 2003, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 
on February 21, 2003, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Renaissance Houston Hotel, 
6 Greenway Plaza, Houston, Texas, 713-629-1200.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Mike Israni by phone at (202) 
366-4571, by e-mail at [email protected]. General information 
about RSPA/OPS programs may be obtained by accessing OPS's Internet 
page at http://ops.dot.gov. For other details on this workshop contact 
Linda A. Thomas of INGAA at 202-216-5925.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    RSPA/OPS has just proposed a rule to require operators of gas 
transmission pipelines to develop integrity management programs. The 
programs include conducting baseline and periodic assessments of 
pipeline segments. This follows rulemaking that requires integrity 
management programs for hazardous liquid pipelines.

[[Page 6386]]

Although the hazardous liquid and natural gas programs are structured 
somewhat differently to accommodate the differences between the two 
types of pipeline systems, both integrity management programs are 
designed to identify the best method(s) for maintaining the structural 
soundness (i.e., integrity) of pipelines operating across the United 
States.
    On January 9, 2002, RSPA/OPS began the integrity management 
rulemakings for gas transmission lines by proposing a definition of 
high consequence areas (See 67 FR 1108). We finalized the high 
consequence area definition on August 6, 2002 (67 FR 50824). On January 
28, 2003 (68 FR 4278), we proposed a new 49 CFR 192.763 setting out 
integrity management program requirements for gas transmission 
pipelines affecting those areas. The comment period for this proposal 
closes on March 31, 2003.
    The INGAA Foundation and AGA are conducting this workshop to give 
participants a better understanding of the proposed rule's requirements 
as they are intended to apply to gas transmission pipelines, and the 
process to comment on the proposed rulemaking. An OPS representative 
will give an overview of the proposed regulation and answer questions 
related to it.
    The preliminary agenda for this AGA/INGAA sponsored workshop on 
Integrity Management for Natural Gas Pipelines is as follows:

February 20, 2003

    Pipeline Safety Legislation--An overview of the recently passed 
legislation and its impact on the proposed integrity management program 
requirements.
    Overview of Proposed Regulation--An OPS representative will discuss 
the intent and structure of the recently published proposed integrity 
management rule for gas transmission pipelines.
    HCA Identification--An industry panel will discuss the high 
consequence area definition and the proposed refinement of that 
definition in the proposed integrity management rule.
    Risk Assessment--An industry panel will discuss the risk assessment 
process detailed in the proposed rulemaking and compare it to present 
practices.
    Plan Development--An industry panel will discuss the plan 
development as envisioned in the proposed rule and compare it to 
present practices.
    IMP Implementation & Data Integration--Issues surrounding data 
integration and implementing the administrative process in a company 
will be discussed by an industry group.

February 21, 2003

    Mitigation & Repair--An industry panel will discuss the proposed 
requirements for mitigation and remediation.
    Performance Metrics--An industry panel will discuss performance 
measures for an integrity management program.
    Open Forum and O&A--The audience will be able to query all the 
panelists and state their opinions during this session. Because this 
involves an open rulemaking, RSPA/OPS will include detailed notes of 
this workshop in the docket for the proposed rule. However, 
participants wishing to comment on the proposed rule should comment 
directly in the docket rather than rely on the notes of the workshop.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 3, 2003.
James K. O'Steen,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 03-3079 Filed 2-6-03; 8:45 am]
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