[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 221 (Monday, November 17, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64948-64949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28623]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration


Pipeline Safety: Guidance on When the Baseline Integrity 
Assessment Begins

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of advisory bulletin.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This document provides guidance to operators of gas 
transmission pipelines on the requirement in 49 U.S.C. 60109 that 
operators begin the baseline integrity assessment of pipeline segments 
located in high consequence areas no later than June 17, 2004. Trade 
associations representing natural gas pipeline companies affected by 
this requirement, have asked for guidance on what actions an operator 
must take to begin a baseline assessment. This document provides 
guidance to gas transmission operators on what initial steps RSPA/OPS 
expects each operator to take to begin the baseline integrity 
assessment to meet the intent of the statute.

General Information

    You may contact the Dockets Facility by phone at (202) 366-9329, 
for copies of this document or other material in the docket. All 
materials in this docket may be accessed electronically at http://dms.dot.gov/search. Once you access this address, type in the last four 
digits of the docket number shown at the beginning of this notice (in 
this case 7666), and click on search. You will then be connected to all 
relevant information.
    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78) or you may visit 
http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Israni by phone at (202) 366-
4571, by fax at (202) 366-4566, or by e-mail at 
[email protected], regarding the subject matter of this 
guidance. General information about the RSPA/OPS programs may be 
obtained by accessing RSPA's Home page at http://RSPA.dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Federal Pipeline Safety Statute (49 U.S.C. 60109(c)) requires 
that RSPA/OPS issue regulations, by December 17, 2003, establishing 
requirements for integrity management programs for gas transmission 
pipelines in high consequence areas. The statute also imposes 
requirements directly on gas pipeline operators. The statute requires 
each gas pipeline operator to adopt an integrity management program for 
pipeline segments located in high consequence areas by December 17, 
2004, and to begin the baseline integrity assessment of those segments 
no later than June 17, 2004. The statute requires that an operator 
complete the baseline assessment on all the operator's gas transmission 
pipeline segments in high consequence areas by December 17, 2012, with 
at least 50 percent of those segments being assessed no later than 
December 17, 2006. An operator must also reassess each of the segments 
every 7 years.
    Trade associations that represent gas pipeline operators have 
requested guidance on what actions are necessary for an operator to 
have begun the required baseline assessment process by the statutory 
deadline. This advisory bulletin gives guidance on the actions RSPA/OPS 
expects an operator to take by June 17, 2004 for the operator to be 
considered as having begun the baseline assessment.
    On August 6, 2002, RSPA/OPS published a final rule defining high 
consequence areas, i.e. those areas for which additional protections 
are required (67 FR 50824). RSPA/OPS initiated the rulemaking on 
integrity management program requirements with a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPRM), published January 28, 2003 (68 FR 4278), that 
proposed substantive requirements to establish integrity management 
programs and modifications to the high consequence area definition to 
better identify population potentially impacted by a pipeline failure. 
A final rule has not yet been issued. RSPA/OPS published an advisory 
bulletin on July 17, 2003 (68 FR 42456) providing guidance on steps 
RSPA/OPS expects gas transmission operators to take to determine 
``identified sites'' along the pipeline, one of the components of the 
high consequence area definition.
    RSPA/OPS expects that by June 17, 2004, an operator will have 
identified many high consequence areas along its transmission pipelines 
though operation and maintenance activities on the pipeline right-of-
way, including patrolling, that the operator conducts on a routine 
basis, and through the guidance RSPA/OPS provided on how to determine 
the identified sites component with the help of emergency response 
officials. An operator will also have integrated all available data and 
information the operator has available on those high consequence areas 
to prioritize segments that are high risk, and to have begun selecting 
the assessment method best suited for each segment and scheduling the 
assessment of the high risk segments.

Advisory Bulletin (ADB-03-07)

    To: Operators of gas transmission pipelines.
    Subject: The requirement in 49 U.S.C. 60109 (c) that each operator 
begin the baseline integrity assessment of segments in high consequence 
areas no later than June 17, 2004.
    Purpose: To provide guidance to operators on what steps RSPA/OPS 
considers acceptable to begin the baseline integrity assessment process 
to meet the intent of the statute.
    Advisory: RSPA/OPS will accept the following steps as having begun 
the baseline assessment process required by 49 U.S.C. 60109 (c).
    Prior to June 17, 2004, each operator must have begun to--

[[Page 64949]]

    [sbull] Identify segments that are located in high consequence 
areas;
    [sbull] Integrate available data on those identified segments;
    [sbull] Prioritize the highest risk segments from available data on 
those identified segments; and
    [sbull] Select the assessment method best suited to assess 
(pressure-test, internal inspection devices, direct assessment, or 
alternative method) each high risk segment.
    By June 17, 2004, each operator must have begun its preparation to 
conduct a baseline assessment on at least one high risk segment that 
the operator has already identified. Preparing to conduct a baseline 
assessment means that--
    [sbull] An operator has scheduled for assessment the segments 
identified prior to June 17, 2004; and
    [sbull] An operator has started to contract or has entered into a 
contract with a tool vendor to assess the identified segments; or
    [sbull] An operator has started to assess the first scheduled 
segment.
    RSPA/OPS also considers that any of the following actions as 
meeting the intent of the statute that an operator have begun the 
baseline integrity assessment process by June 17, 2004. The following 
actions are not the only actions that RSPA/OPS will accept.
    [sbull] An operator has installed launchers or receivers for 
internal inspection devices;
    [sbull] An operator has set up a segment for a pressure test; or
    [sbull] An operator has completed the pre-assessment step for 
Direct Assessment.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 10, 2003.
Stacey L. Gerard,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 03-28623 Filed 11-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P