[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 227 (Tuesday, November 25, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66156-66158]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-29393]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration

[Docket No. RSPA-03-15733; Notice 1]


Pipeline Safety: Request for Waiver; Portland Natural Gas 
Transmission System

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA); U.S. 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of intent to consider waiver request.

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SUMMARY: PNGTS Operating Co., LLC, operator of the Portland Natural Gas 
Transmission System (PNGTS), requested a waiver of compliance with the 
regulatory requirements at 49 CFR 192.611 to confirm or revise the 
maximum allowable operating pressure of its natural gas pipeline after 
Class location changes occurred in areas associated with two sections 
of the pipeline totaling 595 feet in length in West Stewartstown, New 
Hampshire.

DATES: Persons interested in submitting written comments on the waiver 
request described in this notice must do so by December 26, 2003. Late 
filed comments will be considered so far as practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by mailing or delivering an 
original and two copies to the Dockets Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590-0001. The Dockets Facility is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except on Federal holidays when the facility is closed. 
Alternatively, you may submit written comments to the docket 
electronically at the following web address: http://dms.dot.gov.
    All written comments should identify the docket and notice numbers 
stated in the heading of this notice. Anyone who wants confirmation of 
mailed comments must include a self-addressed stamped postcard. To file 
written comments electronically, after logging on to http://dms.dot.gov, click on ``Comment/Submissions.'' You can also read 
comments and other material in the docket. General information about 
the Federal pipeline safety program is available at http://ops.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Reynolds by phone at 202-366-
2786, by fax at 202-366-4566, by mail at DOT/RSPA, Office of Pipeline 
Safety, 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On March 19, 2003, PNGTS Operating Co., LLC, operator of the 
Portland Natural Gas Transmission System, submitted a request seeking a 
waiver of compliance with the regulatory requirements at 49 CFR 192.611 
to confirm or revise the maximum allowable operating pressure of its 
natural gas pipeline after Class location changes occurred in areas 
associated with two sections of the pipeline totaling 595 feet in 
length in West Stewartstown, New Hampshire (the ``waiver segments''). 
In lieu of complying with the Sec.  192.611 requirements, PNGTS 
proposes to conduct certain alternative risk control activities on the 
pipeline that exceed the

[[Page 66157]]

minimum requirements of Part 192. These activities include performing 
internal inspections at six-year intervals on the entire 24-inch 
mainline, annual close-interval cathodic protection surveys on the 
waiver segments, a direct current voltage gradient survey on the waiver 
segments, direct assessment and repair of any anomalies identified by 
the inspections and electrical surveys, and more frequent ground and 
aerial surveillance patrols and instrumented leak surveys on the 
pipeline.
    The Federal pipeline safety regulations categorize the geographic 
areas along natural gas pipelines according to the population densities 
in the vicinity of pipeline segments. There are four classification 
levels with areas having the lowest population density designated as 
Class 1, while areas with the highest population density are designated 
as Class 4. The regulations impose more stringent pipeline design and 
operation requirements as the Class location increases. Operators are 
required to periodically monitor these geographic areas and when a 
Class location changes to a higher Class, operators are required to 
confirm or revise the maximum pressure at which the pipeline is allowed 
to operate within a specified period of time. In the absence of a 
qualifying pressure test, this generally means that the operator must 
reduce the operating pressure or replace portions of the pipe with 
higher strength pipe.
    The PNGTS system was constructed in 1998 and 1999 and includes a 
24-inch diameter section 143.8 miles in length (the ``mainline''). The 
established maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) for the 
pipeline is 1440 psig. Pursuant to 49 CFR 192.609, PNGTS completed a 
Class location change study in February 2002. Due to construction 
activity, several areas along the mainline that were previously 
categorized as Class 1 locations were re-categorized as Class 3 
locations. Based on the specifications of the pipe used in two of these 
areas, PNGTS determined that the MAOP confirmation criteria referenced 
in Section 192.611 were not met. The first area is located at Mile Post 
(MP) 2.55 and consists of 0.343-inch wall thickness, API 5L, Grade X-70 
steel pipe (``Waiver Segment 1''). The second area is located at MP 
3.30 and consists of pipe of the same material specifications (``Waiver 
Segment 2'').

Waiver Request

    PNGTS requested a waiver of compliance with the requirements at 49 
CFR 192.611 to confirm or revise the pipeline's MAOP based on the 
following reasons:
    1. The size of the geographic areas associated with the waiver 
segments is minimal. The area associated Waiver Segment 1 is only 440 
feet in length. The area associated with Waiver Segment 2 is only 155 
feet in length.
    2. The construction activity that resulted in the Class location 
change was minimal and is not expected to expand further. The 
construction consisted of several mobile homes and two multi-tenant 
structures containing four units each on the perimeter of a tree farm. 
The multi-tenant units cross the 660-foot Class boundary by distances 
of only 0.7 to 22.8 feet. In addition, the mobile home park is now at 
capacity and is unlikely to expand due to the sloping terrain in the 
area and property ownership constraints.
    3. The pipeline was constructed as recently as 1999. Having been in 
service for only four years, the pipeline is nearly new and in 
excellent condition. No deficiencies were identified in a baseline 
close-interval cathodic protection survey conducted in 2000, and no 
anomalies were identified on or near the waiver segments in a baseline 
internal inspection conducted in 2002 with both magnetic flux leakage 
and geometry in-line inspection tools.
    4. The pipeline's operating history has been trouble free. No leaks 
have been identified anywhere on the PNGTS pipeline since it was put 
into service.
    5. The pipeline is equipped with a satellite-linked supervisory 
control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, including pressure 
transmitters and mainline valves equipped with remote control actuators 
enabling PNGTS to identify and promptly mitigate any releases in the 
vicinity of the waiver segments should they occur.
    6. The proposed alternative risk control activities would provide a 
margin of safety and environmental protection that equals or exceeds 
that of the measures required under Sec.  192.611 in the absence of a 
waiver.
    7. Granting the waiver would avoid the delivery interruptions and 
costs associated with excavating and replacing the pipe in the 
specified areas.
    8. The proposed alternative risk control activities would benefit 
virtually the entire pipeline system, as opposed to only the 595 foot 
portion associated with the Class location change.

Proposed Alternative Risk Control Activities

    PNGTS proposes to perform the following risk control activities to 
provide a comparable margin of safety in lieu of the requirements to 
confirm or revise the pipeline's MAOP under Sec.  192.611:
    1. The performance of internal inspections on the entire 143.8 
miles of 24-inch pipeline in 2008 and subsequent internal inspections 
at intervals not to exceed six years. The internal inspections would be 
performed using both magnetic flux leakage and geometry in-line 
inspection tools capable of detecting metal loss, dent-like 
deformations, and other integrity threats;
    2. The performance of annual close-interval cathodic protection 
surveys on the Class 3 sections of the pipeline extending from MP 2.56 
to MP 2.90 and from MP 3.30 to MP 3.39, as well as an additional 1000 
feet of the Class 1 or 2 pipe on both the upstream and downstream ends 
of these sections;
    3. The performance of a direct current voltage gradient survey on 
the Class 3 sections of the pipeline extending from MP 2.56 to MP 2.90 
and from MP 3.30 to MP 3.39, as well as an additional 1000 feet of the 
Class 1 or 2 pipe on both the upstream and downstream ends of these 
sections;
    4. The performance of direct assessment and appropriate repairs or 
other remedial measures for all anomalies or other indications of 
corrosion identified by the internal inspections in Item 1, or the 
electrical surveys in Items 2 and 3, regardless of the size or depth of 
the anomaly;
    5. The performance of weekly aerial patrols (weather permitting) 
and quarterly ground road crossing patrols over the entire 143.8 miles 
of 24-inch pipeline. The ground road crossing patrols would include 
leak surveys on all road crossings located in the proposed waiver 
segments and corresponding Class 3 portions of the pipeline using 
appropriate leak detection equipment;
    6. The performance of semiannual leak surveys on the portion of the 
pipeline extending from MP 0.0 to MP 6.80 using appropriate leak 
detection equipment.
    RSPA is considering granting the requested waiver because of the 
minimal distance by which the structures cross the Class boundary, the 
age and condition of the pipeline, and the additional inspection and 
monitoring activities stipulated above on which the waiver would be 
conditioned. After RSPA has considered the comments it receives in 
response to this Notice, it will make a final determination granting or 
denying the waiver as proposed, or with modifications, and what 
additional terms and conditions it may be subject to. If the waiver is 
granted, and RSPA subsequently determines that the effect of the waiver 
is inconsistent with

[[Page 66158]]

pipeline safety, RSPA may revoke the waiver at its sole discretion. 
This Notice is RSPA's only request for public comment before making its 
final decision in this matter.

    Issued in Washington, DC on November 19, 2003.
Richard D. Huriaux,
Manager, Regulations, Office of Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 03-29393 Filed 11-24-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P