[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 3, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5640-5641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2240]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2008-0211]


Pipeline Safety: Implementation of Revised Incident/Accident 
Report Forms for Distribution Systems, Gas Transmission and Gathering 
Systems, and Hazardous Liquid Systems

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

ACTION: Notice; Issuance of Advisory Bulletin.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises owners and operators of gas pipeline 
facilities and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities that the incident/
accident report forms for their pipeline systems were recently revised 
and should be used for all incidents and accidents occurring on or 
after January 1, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jamerson Pender, Information Resources 
Manager, 202-366-0218 or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) 
requires that an operator of a covered pipeline facility file a written 
report within 30 days of certain adverse events, defined by regulation 
as either

[[Page 5641]]

an incident or accident, 49 CFR 191.1-191.27, 195.48-195.63 (2008).\1\ 
PHMSA further requires that those reports be submitted to the agency on 
one of three standardized forms: (1) PHMSA Form F 7100.1, Incident 
Report--Gas Distribution Pipelines, (2) PHMSA Form F 7100.2, Incident 
Report--Gas Transmission and Gathering Systems, and (3) PHMSA Form F 
7000-1--Accident Report for Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Systems. PHMSA 
uses the information collected from these forms to identify trends in 
the occurrence of safety-related problems, to appropriately target its 
performance of risk-based inspections, and to assess the overall 
efficacy of its regulatory program.
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    \1\ Reportable events are referred to as ``incidents'' for gas 
pipelines, 49 CFR 191.3, and ``accidents'' for hazardous liquid 
pipelines, 49 CFR 195.50. An operator may also be required to file a 
supplemental report in certain circumstances.
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    PHMSA published a Federal Register notice on September 4, 2008 (73 
FR 51697) inviting public comment on a proposal to revise the incident/
accident report forms. PHMSA stated that the proposed revisions were 
needed to make the information collected more useful to all those 
concerned with pipeline safety and to provide additional, and in some 
instances more detailed, data for use in the development and 
enforcement of its risk-based regulatory program. PHMSA published a 
subsequent Federal Register notice on October 30, 2008 (73 FR 64661) to 
extend the comment period to December 12, 2008.
    On August 17, 2009, PHMSA published a Federal Register notice (74 
FR 41496) to respond to comments, provide the public with an additional 
30 days to comment on the proposed revisions to the incident/accident 
report forms, including the form instructions, and announce that the 
revised Information Collections would be submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for approval. Several comments were 
received in response to the August 17, 2009, notice. PHMSA reviewed the 
comments and revised the forms as applicable.
    PHMSA has recently received OMB approval to use the newly revised 
forms that are incorporated under OMB Control No. 2137-0522, ``Incident 
and Annual Reports for Gas Pipeline Operators'' and OMB Control No. 
2137-0047, ``Transportation of Hazardous Liquids by Pipeline: 
Recordkeeping and Accident Reporting.'' The revised forms reflect 
comments that were received throughout the notice and comment periods. 
These forms should be used for all incidents/accidents that have 
occurred on or after January 1, 2010.

Advisory Bulletin (ADB-2010-01)

    To: Owners and Operators of Gas Pipeline Facilities and Hazardous 
Liquid Pipeline Facilities.
    Subject: Implementation of PHMSA`s Revised Incident/Accident Report 
Forms for Gas Distribution Systems, Gas Transmission and Gathering 
Systems, and Hazardous Liquid Systems.
    Advisory: This notice advises owners and operators of gas pipeline 
facilities and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities that the incident/
accident report forms for their pipeline systems were recently revised 
and should be used for all incidents/accidents occurring on or after 
January 1, 2010. Until PHMSA completes development of a new electronic 
online data entry system for the new forms (approximately March 1, 
2010) operators should file hard copy forms for incidents/accidents 
occurring on or after January 1, 2010. Copies of the new forms and 
instructions are available at http://phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/library/forms or http://opsweb.phmsa.dot.gov/. Hard copy forms should be 
submitted to the attention of the Information Resources Manager at the 
address listed in the instructions. As an alternative, completed forms 
that include signatures may be submitted to the Information Resources 
Manager by e-mail to [email protected]. Any questions regarding 
this new requirement can be directed to the Office of Pipeline Safety 
operator helpline at 202-366-8075.

    Issued in Washington, DC on January 25, 2010.
Jeffrey D. Wiese,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2010-2240 Filed 2-2-10; 8:45 am]
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