[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 6, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8699-8701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02610]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No PHMSA-2013-0003]


Pipeline Safety: Information Collection Activities, Revision to 
Annual Report for Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Systems

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) invites 
comments on its intention to revise form PHMSA F 7000-1.1--Annual 
Report for Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Systems, and its intention to 
request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
revised information collection burdens.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments on or before 
April 8, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted in the following ways:
    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.
    Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation 
(DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the ground level of DOT, West 
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m. 
and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Instructions: Identify the docket number, PHMSA-2012-0024, at the 
beginning of your comments. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided. You should know that anyone is able to 
search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our 
dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or 
signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). Therefore, you may want to review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000, (65 FR 19477) or visit http://www.regulations.gov 
before submitting any such comments.
    Docket: For access to the docket or to read background documents or 
comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov at any time or to Room W12-
140 on the ground level of DOT, West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. If you wish to receive confirmation of 
receipt of your written comments, please include a self-addressed, 
stamped postcard with the following statement: ``Comments on PHMSA-
2012-0024.'' The Docket Clerk will date stamp the postcard prior to 
returning it to you via the U.S. mail. Please note that due to delays 
in the delivery of U.S. mail to Federal offices in Washington, DC, we 
recommend that persons

[[Page 8700]]

consider an alternative method (Internet, fax, or professional delivery 
service) of submitting comments to the docket and ensuring their timely 
receipt at DOT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Angela Dow by telephone at 202-366-
1246, by fax at 202-366-4566, or by mail at DOT, PHMSA, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE, PHP-30, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    Section 1320.8 (d), Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, requires 
PHMSA to provide interested members of the public and affected agencies 
an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping 
requests. This notice identifies a revised information collection 
request that PHMSA will be submitting to OMB for approval. The 
information collected from hazardous liquid operators' annual reports 
is an important tool for identifying safety trends in the hazardous 
liquid pipeline industry.

B. Proposed Changes to the Annual Report for Hazardous Liquid Pipeline 
Systems

    PHMSA is proposing to revise the Annual Report for Hazardous Liquid 
Pipeline Systems (PHMSA F 7000-1.1, hazardous liquid annual report 
form) to:
    (1) Remove sections A3, A6, and A8 which are of limited value (PART 
A);
    (2) Obtain additional information on a by-state basis (PARTS D and 
E);
    (3) Improve information collection on mileage of older pipe (PART 
I); and
    (4) Require reporting of actionable anomalies removed due to pipe 
replacement or abandonment (PART F).
    Background for these revisions, including the PART location on the 
hazardous liquid annual report, is as follows:

(1) Remove Sections A3, A6, and A8 (PART A)

    Removal of section A3: Section A3- ``Individual Where Additional 
Information May be Obtained'' is of limited value since similar 
information is available in PARTS N and O. This change will only result 
in an amendment to the form without any burden hour impacts.
    Removal of sections A6 and A8: Section A6 of the hazardous liquid 
annual report allows each submitter to characterize its pipelines and/
or the pipeline facilities covered by its Operator Identification 
(OPID) and commodity group that are included in an integrity management 
program under 49 CFR 195.452. Section A8 allows for submitters to 
identify whether they had any changes from last year's filing. PHMSA 
has determined that these sections provide limited value and should be 
removed. This change will only result in an amendment to the form 
without any burden hour impacts.

(2) Obtain Additional Information on a By-State Basis (Parts D and E)

    Currently, the annual report information is collected on a by-state 
basis for PARTS H, I, J, K, L and M. PHMSA proposes to additionally 
collect information in PART D ``Miles of Steel Pipe by Corrosion 
Protection'' and PART E ``Miles of Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) 
Pipe'' by state. PHMSA believes that most of the regulated hazardous 
liquid pipeline industry already collects this information on a by-
state basis so the burden for providing it would be minimal. The 
information in these two PARTs is currently collected from gas 
transmission pipeline operators who have about twice the mileage as 
hazardous liquid operators. This information is essential for PHMSA's 
response to state regulators, Congress, state officials, and the public 
following pipeline incidents. This information also helps state 
pipeline safety agencies carry out their oversight responsibilities.

(3) Improve Information Collection on Mileage of Older Pipe (Part I)

    In PART I- Miles of Pipe by Decade Installed, the form asks for 
``Pre-20's or Unknown'' decades in one category. Recent accidents on 
older pipe continue to emphasize the need for information about the age 
of the pipeline infrastructure; thus, PHMSA believes the information 
for pipe installed prior to the 1920s should not be comingled with pipe 
installed at an unknown period. Therefore, PHMSA is proposing to have a 
category for ``Pre-20's'' and a category for ``Unknown'' decade of 
installation.

(4) Require Reporting of Actionable Anomalies Removed Due to Pipe 
Replacement or Abandonment (Part F)

    The annual report currently collects information about the number 
of anomalies repaired in response to integrity assessments in PART F. 
During data quality checks of the 2010 data, PHMSA learned that many 
anomalies are eliminated from hazardous liquid pipeline systems by pipe 
replacement or abandonment. This data is crucial to demonstrating the 
benefits of integrity management programs.

C. Summary of Impacted Collection

    PHMSA consulted industry and trade association representatives of 
the American Petroleum Institute and state pipeline safety 
representatives through the National Association of Pipeline Safety 
Representatives in considering revisions to the hazardous liquid 
pipeline operator annual report form to make the information collected 
more useful to industry, government, and the public.
    PHMSA has revised burden estimates, where appropriate, to reflect 
revisions to the annual report form since the information collection 
was last approved. PHMSA estimates that ten percent of reporting 
companies will abandon or replace pipe in high-consequences areas in 
any given year and 30 additional minutes would be required to collect 
and report the information, resulting in an increase in burden of 16.75 
hours (335 reports x .10 affected x .5 hours). For the purpose of 
calculating burden hours, this amount has been rounded up to 17 
additional hours for a total reporting burden of 8,063 (8,046 + 17) 
hours.
    The following information is provided for each information 
collection:
    (1) Abstract for the affected annual report form; (2) title of the 
information collection; (3) OMB control number; (4) affected annual 
report form; (5) description of affected public; (6) estimate of total 
annual reporting and recordkeeping burden; and (7) frequency of 
collection. PHMSA will request a three-year term of approval for each 
information collection activity and, when approved by OMB, publish 
notice of the approval in the Federal Register.
    PHMSA requests comments on the following information collection:
    Title: Transportation of Hazardous Liquids by Pipeline: 
Recordkeeping and Annual Reporting.
    OMB Control Number: 2137-0614.
    Current Expiration Date: 1/31/2014.
    Type of Request: Revision.
    Abstract: To ensure adequate public protection from exposure to 
potential hazardous liquid pipeline failures, PHMSA collects 
information on reportable hazardous liquid pipeline accidents. 
Additional information is also obtained concerning the characteristics 
of an operator's pipeline system on the Annual Report for Hazardous 
Liquid Pipeline Systems form (PHMSA F 7000-1.1). This information is 
needed for normalizing the accident information to provide for adequate 
safety trending. The Annual Report for Hazardous Liquid Pipeline 
Operators form is required to be filed annually by June 15 of each year 
for the preceding calendar year.

[[Page 8701]]

    Affected Public: Hazardous liquid pipeline operators.
    Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:
    Total Annual Responses: 447.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 8,063 (8,046 + 17).
    Frequency of collection: Annually.
    Comments are invited on:
    (a) The need for the proposed collection of information for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 
the information will have practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 1, 2013.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Field Operations.
[FR Doc. 2013-02610 Filed 2-5-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P