[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 66 (Friday, April 6, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17219-17220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1706]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-06-25735; Notice 2]


Pipeline Safety: Grant of Waiver; Sabine Pass LNG

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA); 
U.S. Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Grant of waiver; Sabine Pass LNG, L.P.

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SUMMARY: Sabine Pass LNG, L.P. (SPLNG) requested a waiver of compliance 
from the Federal pipeline safety regulation that requires liquefied 
natural gas (LNG) facilities constructed after March 31, 2000 to comply 
with the National Fire Protection Association's Standard 59A (NFPA 
59A), 2001 Edition. The waiver specifically requested permission to use 
ultrasonic examination as an acceptable alternative non-destructive 
testing method for welds on LNG tanks.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    SPLNG requested a waiver from compliance of the Federal pipeline 
safety requirements at 49 CFR 193.2301 for its facility at Cameron 
Parish, Louisiana. This regulation requires each LNG facility 
constructed after March 31, 2000 to comply with 49 CFR part 193 and 
NFPA Standard 59A, 2001 Edition. NFPA Standard 59A, 2001 Edition 
requires that welded containers designed for not more than 15 pounds 
per square inch gauge comply with the Eighth Edition, 1990, of American 
Petroleum Institute Standard 620 (API 620), ``Design and Construction 
of Large, Welded, Low-Pressure Storage Tanks (Appendix Q).'' The Eighth 
Edition of API 620 requires inspection according to Appendix Q which 
calls for a full radiographic examination of all vertical and 
horizontal butt welds associated with the container.
    SPLNG is proposing to use the Tenth Edition, 2002, Addendum 1 of 
the 2004 Edition of API 620 at its Cameron Parish LNG facility. This 
Tenth Edition allows ultrasonic examination as well as radiography as 
an acceptable alternative non-destructive testing method. SPLNG 
proposes to use ultrasonic examination, which consists of full semi-
automated and manual ultrasonic examination using shear wave probes. 
The examination will also consist of a volumetric ultrasonic 
examination using a combination of creep wave probes and focused angled 
longitudinal wave probes. To allow ultrasonic examination in accordance 
with the most recent NFPA Standard 59A, 2006 Edition, a waiver is 
required.
    PHMSA considered SPLNG's waiver request and published a notice in 
the Federal Register inviting interested persons to comment on whether 
a waiver should be granted (71 FR 56584; September 27, 2006). No 
comments were received.
    The NFPA issued a Tentative Interim Amendment to NFPA Standard 59A, 
2006 Edition, effective February 14, 2006 (59A TIA06). This amendment 
incorporates API 620, Tenth Edition, 2002, Addendum 1, 2004. The Tenth 
Edition adds ultrasonic examination as an acceptable method of non-
destructive examination for welds. The proposed wording of the Tenth 
Edition 2002, Addendum 1, 2004 of API 620 deletes ``radiographic'' 
inspection and replaces it with ``complete'' examination and defines 
``complete'' examination as radiographic or ultrasonic examination.
    Decision: PHMSA finds that the use of ultrasonic examination in 
accordance with NFPA Standard 59A, 2006 Edition and 59A TIA06 is not 
inconsistent with pipeline safety and achieves an equivalent level of 
safety. Therefore, SPLNG's request for waiver of compliance with Sec.  
193.2301 is granted, subject to the following conditions: (1)

[[Page 17220]]

Ultrasonic examinations of welds on metal containers shall comply with 
section 7.3.1.2 of NFPA Standard 59A, 2006 Edition and 59A TIA06; (2) 
the owner/operator shall retain all ultrasonic examination records for 
the life of the facility and these records shall be retained in a 
manner so they may not be altered; and (3) the interval for verifying 
the examination of welds against a calibration standard shall be eight 
hours or less. If the ultrasonic equipment is found to be out of 
calibration, all previous weld examinations determined by the operator 
shall be reexamined by ultrasonic equipment within a week.

    Issued in Washington, DC on April 2, 2007.
Jeffrey D. Wiese,
Acting Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 07-1706 Filed 4-2-07; 4:52 pm]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P