[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14572-14573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2830]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2006-23387; Notice 1]


Pipeline Safety: Request for Waiver; Alliance Pipeline L.P.

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA); 
DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to consider waiver request.

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SUMMARY: Alliance Pipeline L.P. (APL) requested a waiver of compliance 
for the U.S. portion of its pipeline system in Class 1 and Class 2 
locations to operate its pipeline at stress levels up to 80 percent of 
the pipeline's specified minimum yield strength (SMYS), and increase 
the design factor for its compressor station piping. APL also requested 
relief from the hydrostatic testing requirements for its compressor 
station piping and pressure relieving and limiting station equipment 
requirements.

DATES: Persons interested in submitting comments regarding this waiver 
request must do so by April 21, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Comments should reference Docket No. PHMSA-2006-23387 and 
may be submitted in the following ways:
     DOT Web site: http://dms.dot.gov. To submit comments on 
the DOT electronic docket site, click ``Comment/Submissions,'' click 
``Continue,'' fill in the requested information, click ``Continue,'' 
enter your comment, then click ``Submit.''
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: DOT Docket Management System; Room PL-401 
on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.
     E-Gov Web site: http://www.Regulations.gov. This site 
allows the public to enter comments on any Federal Register notice 
issued by any agency.
    Instructions: You should identify the docket number, PHMSA-2006-
23387, at the beginning of your comments. If you submit your comments 
by mail, you should submit two copies. If you wish to receive 
confirmation that PHMSA received your comments, you should include a 
self-addressed stamped postcard. Internet users may submit comments at 
http://www.regulations.gov, and may access all comments received by DOT 
at http://dms.dot.gov by performing a simple search for the docket 
number.

    Note: All comments will be posted without changes or edits to 
http://dms.dot.gov including any personal information provided.

    Privacy Act Statement: Anyone may search the electronic form of all 
comments received for any of our dockets. You may review DOT's complete 
Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 
2000 (65 FR 19477) or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov.

[[Page 14573]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Reynolds by telephone at 202-
366-2786; by fax at 202-366-4566; by mail at DOT, Pipeline and 
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Pipeline Safety 
Program (PHP), 400 7th Street, SW., Room 2103, Washington, DC 20590, or 
by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Alliance Pipeline L.P. requests a waiver from the pipeline 
regulations to operate the U.S. portion of its pipeline in Class 1 and 
Class 2 locations--upstream of the Aux Sable Delivery Meter Station 
(mile post 0.0) to its interconnection with the Canadian portion of the 
APL system at the Canadian/United States border near Minot, North 
Dakota (mile post 874)--at stress levels up to 80 percent of the 
pipeline's SMYS. APL is also requesting a waiver to increase the design 
factor for its compressor station piping as well as relief from the 
hydrostatic testing requirements for its compressor station piping. 
Specifically, APL requests a waiver of compliance from the following 
regulatory requirements:
     49 CFR 192.111--Design factor (F) for steel pipe;
     49 CFR 192.201--Required capacity of pressure relieving 
and limiting stations;
     49 CFR 192.505--Strength test requirements for steel 
pipelines to operate at a hoop stress of 30 percent or more of SMYS; 
and
     49 CFR 192.619--Maximum allowable operating pressure: 
Steel or plastic pipelines.
    The U.S. portion of APL's pipeline system transports natural gas 
from the Canadian/United States border near Minot, North Dakota to the 
Aux Sable Delivery Meter Station near Chicago, Illinois. The U.S. 
pipeline system was commissioned in 2000 and is comprised of 888-miles 
of 36-inch diameter X70 pipes, with varying wall thicknesses, and 7 
compressor stations. The pipeline was constructed using fusion bonded 
epoxy (FBE) coating, heavy-wall pipe, and was mechanically welded. The 
pipeline was in-line inspected using a high resolution magnetic flux 
leakage tool, and all girth welds were inspected.

Pipeline System Analysis

    APL conducted evaluations of the U.S. portion of its pipeline to 
confirm whether the system could safely and reliably operate at 
increased stress levels. As part of its evaluation, APL established a 
feasibility criterion to assess the safety and reliability of the 
pipeline to operate at stress levels up to 80 percent of the pipeline's 
SMYS. The feasibility criterion includes, but is not limited to:
     Developing operational commitments that would improve 
safety for any person residing, working, or recreating near the U.S. 
portion of its pipeline, including approximately 15 miles of pipeline 
located in high consequence areas.
     Conducting in-depth assessments of its existing pipeline 
equipment to ensure the equipment is capable of sustaining operations 
at increased pressures. In addition, APL plans to modify its existing 
pipeline to enhance the safety and reliability of the pipeline to 
operate at stress levels up to 80 percent of the pipe's SMYS.
    APL also performed technical reviews of its pipeline and compared 
the threats imposed on a pipeline operating at 72 percent SMYS to those 
imposed on a pipeline operating at 80 percent SMYS. The following nine 
threats were analyzed: (1) Excavation damage; (2) external corrosion; 
(3) internal corrosion; (4) stress corrosion cracking; (5) pipe 
manufacturing; (6) construction; (7) equipment; (8) weather/outside 
factors; and (9) incorrect operation.
    To combat increased threats to its pipeline, APL implemented 
preventive measures as part of its Integrity Management Program (IMP) 
to mitigate the threat imposed by excavation damage. APL also developed 
an External Corrosion Mitigation Plan to address the threat of external 
corrosion, and APL will rely on the integrity reassessment intervals of 
IMP to mitigate the threat of internal corrosion. To manage the threat 
of stress corrosion cracking, APL will implement magnetic particle 
examinations at any location(s) along its pipeline where damage to its 
FBE coating is detected. Based on APL's technical review of its 
pipeline, and its actions to prevent and mitigate potential threats to 
the pipeline, APL believes that its pipeline can be safely and reliably 
operated at stress levels up to 80 percent of the pipeline's SMYS, with 
no increased threats to the pipeline.
    APL also requests relief from regulations which require that 
compressor station piping be subjected to Class 3 testing requirements, 
and seeks to increase the design factor from 50 percent SMYS to 54 
percent SMYS. Additionally APL asks to be allowed to use ASME B31.8 
requirements to test compressor stating piping to 1.4 times the maximum 
allowable operating pressure (MAOP) in lieu of Sec.  192.505 
requirements that require compressor station piping be tested to 1.5 
times the pipe's MAOP.
    APL noted that since ASME B31.8, which served as the early standard 
for the design, construction, and operation of natural gas transmission 
pipelines, PHMSA has improved its pipeline safety regulations to 
include an integrity management program and a focus on high consequence 
areas. APL also embraces PHMSA's commitment to improving pipeline 
safety, and believes its proposal will achieve a greater degree of 
safety than that currently provided by the regulations.
    PHMSA will consider APL's waiver request and whether its proposal 
will yield an equivalent or greater degree of safety than that provided 
by the current regulations. After considering any comments received, 
PHMSA may grant APL's waiver request as proposed, with modifications 
and conditions, or deny APL's request. If the waiver is granted and 
PHMSA subsequently determines the effect of the waiver is inconsistent 
with pipeline safety, PHMSA may revoke the waiver at its sole 
discretion.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 60118(c) and 49 CFR 1.53.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 20, 2006.
Joy Kadnar,
Director of Engineering and Emergency Support.
[FR Doc. 06-2830 Filed 3-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P