[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 13 (Friday, January 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3255-3256]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1061]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration


Pipeline Safety: Semi-Annual Reporting of Performance Measures 
for Gas Transmission Pipeline Integrity Management

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 regarding semi-annual reporting of performance 
measures for integrity management. Operators of gas transmission 
pipelines subject to Subpart O, ``Pipeline Integrity Management,'' must 
submit four overall measures of their integrity management performance 
on a semi-annual basis. The first report was due August 31, 2004, and 
was the subject of RSPA/OPS Advisory Bulletin ADB-04-02 (69 FR 43881) 
which published on July 22, 2004. This document provides additional 
guidance for operators regarding on-line reporting that will be 
available for the report due in February 2005 and subsequent reports.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Zach Barrett by phone at (405) 954-
5559 or by e-mail at [email protected], regarding the subject 
matter of this Advisory Bulletin. General information about the RSPA/
OPS programs may be obtained by accessing RSPA's home page at http://RSPA.dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On December 15, 2003 (68 FR 69778) RSPA/OPS published a new Subpart 
O to the regulations governing safety of gas pipelines in 49 CFR part 
192. Subpart O establishes requirements governing integrity management 
programs for gas transmission pipelines. Included among these 
provisions (49 CFR 192.945) are requirements for each transmission 
pipeline operator to maintain quantitative measures of its integrity 
management performance, including at least four overall performance 
measures specified in ASME/ANSI B31.8S, ``Managing System Integrity of 
Gas Pipelines'', Section 9.4. The same regulation requires that each 
operator submit the four overall performance measures to RSPA/OPS semi-
annually.
    The acceptable means for submitting reports required by Subpart O 
are in 49 CFR 192.951. That regulation specifies an address for 
submission by mail, includes a facsimile number, and provides that 
submissions may be made through the online reporting system provided by 
RSPA/OPS for electronic reporting. The electronic system is available 
at the RSPA/OPS Home Page at http://ops.dot.gov. The electronic 
submission form for integrity management performance measures is 
available from the ``Gas IMP Reporting'' link on that page.
    Advisory Bulletin ADB-04-02 informed natural gas transmission 
pipeline operators that the initial performance measures submission 
required by August 31, 2004, could be abbreviated, in recognition of 
the developmental state of operator integrity

[[Page 3256]]

management programs. This advisory bulletin provides additional 
information concerning on-line reporting of performance measures for 
the report due in February 2005.

Advisory Bulletin (ADB-05-01)

    To: Operators of gas transmission pipelines.
    Subject: Semi-Annual Reporting of Integrity Management Performance 
Measures in 49 CFR 192.945.
    Purpose: To provide guidance to operators for making required semi-
annual submission of performance measures for integrity management.
    Advisory: Operators are required by 49 CFR 192.945 to submit 
integrity management performance measures semi-annually. RSPA/OPS 
developed an electronic form to facilitate submission of the required 
measures. This form is available on the RSPA/OPS Home Page (http://ops.dot.gov) for ``Gas IMP Reporting''. RSPA/OPS strongly encourage 
operators to submit data using the electronic form, since this 
minimizes future transcription and handling, and lessens the chance for 
error. Operators may also submit the information by mail or facsimile, 
addressed to RSPA/OPS, 400 7th Street, SW., Room 2103, Washington, DC 
20590. The fax number is (202) 366-4566. Please clearly notate your 
correspondence with ``Gas IMP Reporting''.
    The four overall performance measures that gas transmission 
pipeline operators are required to submit are the:
    1. Number of pipeline miles inspected versus program requirements;
    2. Number of immediate repairs completed as a result of the 
integrity management inspection program;
    3. Number of scheduled repairs completed as a result of the 
integrity management program; and
    4. Number of leaks, failures, and incidents (classified by cause).
    With respect to the first performance measure, the phrase ``versus 
program requirements'' refers to the number of miles of the operator's 
pipeline system that require assessment in accordance with Subpart O, 
(i.e., the number of miles in high consequence areas.) Operators were 
not required to have developed their integrity management programs and 
baseline inspection plans until December 17, 2004, and thus may not 
have known the total number of miles that would require assessment at 
the time the first report was due (August 31, 2004). Similarly, 
operators may not have known, at that time, what repairs were 
reportable, since they may not have known which were made in high 
consequence areas. For these reasons, Advisory Bulletin ADB-04-02 
advised operators that the quantitative performance measures would not 
be required for the first (August 31, 2004) report. That report, 
instead, allowed operators to report that they had begun assessment 
activities by June 17, 2004, in conformance with the Pipeline Safety 
Improvement Act of 2002 (codified at 49 U.S.C. 60109(c)).
    The December 17, 2004, deadline for identifying high consequence 
areas has now passed. Operators should be aware of how many miles of 
their pipeline system are in high consequence areas and where those 
areas are located. Operators should have all of the information needed 
for the overall quantitative performance measures required by the rule. 
Operators must include the quantitative information in their February 
2005 reports and in subsequent semi-annual submissions, unless the 
requirement is changed by future rulemaking. The February 2005 report 
should include data covering all of calendar year 2004, (i.e., it 
should include the quantitative data that would have been reported in 
August 2004 but for which reporting was deferred by the earlier 
advisory bulletin.) Failure to submit performance measures in 
accordance with the rule could result in enforcement action.
    The electronic report form provides a template with data fields 
that operators can complete to submit the required quantitative 
performance measures for 2004 (report due February 28, 2005). Operators 
who submit by mail or facsimile should similarly include all of the 
quantitative information required by the rule and the referenced 
standard.
    The rule does not now require that performance measures be 
submitted separately for each state in which a pipeline operator 
operates. State pipeline safety authorities will have significant 
involvement in oversight of the implementation of integrity management 
requirements for gas transmission pipelines and performance measure 
information for their state will be useful for prioritizing and 
managing this work. RSPA/OPS is considering a change to the rule that 
would require operators to report separately for each state in which 
they have transmission pipeline. In the meantime, RSPA/OPS encourages 
operators with transmission pipeline in more than one state to submit 
their integrity management performance measure information separately 
for each state.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 12, 2005.
Stacey L. Gerard,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 05-1061 Filed 1-14-05; 9:11 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P