[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 98 (Tuesday, May 23, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23714-23715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-10621]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA-2016-0136]
Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
DOT.
ACTION: Notice of advisory committee meeting.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces a public meeting of the Technical
Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline
Advisory Committee (GPAC). The GPAC will meet to continue discussing
topics and provisions for the proposed rule titled ``Safety of Gas
Transmission and Gathering Pipelines.''
DATES: The committee will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both
Tuesday, June 6, 2017, and Wednesday, June 7, 2017.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Westin Arlington Gateway,
801 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22203. The meeting agenda, and any
additional information will be published on the following pipeline
advisory committee meeting and registration page: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/MtgHome.mtg?mtg=123.
The meetings will not be webcast; however, presentations will be
available on the meeting Web site and posted on the E-Gov Web site,
http://www.regulations.gov, under docket number PHMSA-2016-0136 within
30 days following the meeting.
Public Participation
This meeting will be open to the public. Members of the public who
wish to attend in person are asked to register at the meeting links
above no later than Friday, June 2, 2017 in order to facilitate entry
and guarantee seating. Members of the public who attend in person will
also be provided an opportunity to make a statement during the meeting.
Written comments: Persons who wish to submit written comments on
the meeting may submit them to the docket 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 the DOT West
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.
Instructions: Identify the docket number PHMSA-2016-0136 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. Anyone can 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,
consider reviewing DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), or view the Privacy
Notice at 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 the 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-2016-0136.'' The docket clerk
will date stamp the postcard prior to returning it to you via the U.S.
mail.
Privacy Act Statement
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the
public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these
comments, without edit, including any personal information the
commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov as described in the system
of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at
www.dot.gov/privacy.
[[Page 23715]]
Services for Individuals with Disabilities: The public meeting will
be physically accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals
requiring accommodations, such as sign language interpretation or other
ancillary aids, are asked to notify Cheryl Whetsel at
[email protected] by Friday, June 2, 2017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the meeting,
contact Cheryl Whetsel by phone at 202-366-4431 or by email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Meeting Details and Agenda
The GPAC will be considering the proposed rule titled, ``Safety of
Gas Transmission and Gathering Pipelines,'' which was published in the
Federal Register on April 8, 2016, (81 FR 20722) and on the associated
regulatory analysis. In the proposed rule, PHMSA is proposing the
following changes to Part 192:
Require periodic assessments of pipelines in locations
where persons are expected to be at risk that are not already covered
under the integrity management program requirements.
Modify the repair criteria, both inside and outside of
high consequence areas (HCAs).
Require inspections of pipelines in areas affected by
extreme weather, man-made and natural disasters, and other similar
events.
Provide additional specificity for in-line inspections,
including explicit requirements to account for uncertainty of reported
inspection data when evaluating in-line inspection data to identify
anomalies.
Expand integrity assessment methods to explicitly address
guided wave ultrasonic inspection and excavation with direct in-situ
examination.
Provide clearer functional requirements for conducting
risk assessments for integrity management, including addressing seismic
risks.
Expand the mandatory data collection and integration
requirements for integrity management, including data validation and
seismicity.
Add requirements to address management of change.
Repeal the use of API Recommended Practice 80 for
gathering lines.
Apply Type B requirements along with emergency
requirements to newly regulated greater than 8-inch Type A gathering
lines in Class 1 locations (GAO Recommendation 14-667).
Extend the reporting requirements to all gathering lines.
Expand requirements for corrosion protection to specify
additional post-construction quality checks, and periodic operational
and maintenance checks to address coating integrity, cathodic
protection, and gas quality monitoring.
Require operators to report maximum allowable operating
pressure exceedances.
Require safety features on in-line inspection tool
launchers and receivers.
Add certain types of roadways to the definition of
``identified sites'' (NTSB P-14-1).
Address grandfathered pipe and pipe with inadequate
records.
The GPAC meeting agenda will include a discussion on the following
topics as time permits:
--Corrosion control.
--Records.
--IM Clarifications.
--Strengthened assessment requirements.
--Assessments outside of HCAs.
--Repair criteria revisions.
--Material documentation.
--Integrity Verification Process for grandfathered segments.
The agenda will be published on the PHMSA meeting page https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/MtgHome.mtg?mtg=123, once it is
finalized.
II. Committee Background
The GPAC is a statutorily mandated advisory committee that advises
PHMSA on proposed gas pipeline safety standards and their associated
risk assessments. The committee is established in accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2, as amended) and 49
U.S.C. 60115. The committee consists of 15 members with membership
evenly divided among federal and state governments, the regulated
industry, and the general public. The committees advise PHMSA on the
technical feasibility, reasonableness, cost-effectiveness, and
practicability of each proposed pipeline safety standard.
Issued in Washington, DC, on May 18, 2017, under authority
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2017-10621 Filed 5-22-17; 8:45 am]
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