[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 102 (Tuesday, May 28, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24594-24595]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11041]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2017-0044; Docket No. PHMSA-2017-0045; Docket No. 
PHMSA-2017-0046; Docket No. PHMSA-2017-0047]


Pipeline Safety: Request for Special Permit; Alaska Gasline 
Development Corporation

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: PHMSA is publishing this notice to seek public comments on 
four special permit requests received from the Alaska Gasline 
Development Corporation (AGDC). AGDC is seeking compliance relief from 
certain requirements in the federal pipeline safety regulations for the 
construction of an integrated liquefied natural gas project with 
interdependent facilities for transporting and liquefying supplies of 
natural gas in Alaska.

DATES: Submit any comments regarding this special permit request by 
July 29, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Comments should reference the docket number for the specific 
special permit request and may be submitted in the following ways:
     E-Gov website: 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 System: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: Docket Management System: U.S. Department 
of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, between 
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal 
holidays.
    Instructions: At the beginning of your comments, you should 
identify the docket number for the special permit request you are 
commenting on. If you submit your comments by mail, please submit two 
copies. To receive confirmation that PHMSA has received your comments, 
please include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Internet users may 
submit comments at http://www.Regulations.gov.

    Note:  Comments are posted including any personal information 
provided, without changes or edits to http://www.Regulations.gov. 
There is a privacy statement published on http://www.Regulations.gov.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    General: Ms. Kay McIver by telephone at 202-366-0113, or email at 
[email protected].
    Technical: Mr. Joshua Johnson by telephone at 816-329-3825, or 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: AGDC plans to construct one integrated 
liquefied natural gas (LNG) project

[[Page 24595]]

(Project) with interdependent facilities for transporting and 
liquefying supplies of natural gas in Alaska, from the Point Thompson 
Unit (PTU) and Prudhoe Bay Unit (PBU) production fields on the Alaska 
North Slope to the proposed LNG Liquefaction Facility located in the 
Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.
    The overall proposed LNG Project includes:
     Approximately 807-miles of 42-inch gas pipeline (Mainline 
Pipeline);
     A LNG liquefaction facility located in the Kenai Peninsula 
Borough and Cook Inlet Area of Alaska;
     A gas treatment plant (GTP) with the Prudhoe Bay Unit 
(PBU) on the North Slope;
     Approximately 63-mile gas transmission line connecting the 
GTP to the PTU gas production facility, and
     Approximately 1-mile gas transmission line connecting GTP 
to the PBU gas production facility.
    The route of the 42-inch pipeline originates in the North Slope 
Borough and traverses the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, the Fairbanks 
North Star Borough, the Denali Borough, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, 
the Kenai Peninsula Borough, and terminates at the LNG Liquefaction 
Facility. The LNG Project will offer natural gas that has been 
processed into LNG for export in foreign commerce and opportunities for 
in-state deliveries of natural gas. The maximum allowable operating 
pressure (MAOP) of the Mainline Pipeline will be 2,075 psi. The 
Mainline Pipeline is essential for the export of natural gas in foreign 
commerce and will have a nominal design life of 30 years.
    PHMSA has received four special permit requests from the AGDC 
seeking relief from compliance with certain Federal pipeline safety 
regulations. The requests apply to the following areas:
    (1) Strain Based Design;
    (2) Transmission Mainline Block Valve Spacing;
    (3) Crack Arrestor Spacing; and
    (4) Three-Layer Polyethylene Coating.
    Each request includes technical analysis, draft special permit 
conditions, draft environmental assessments, and location maps (other 
details deemed necessary) provided by the operator and filed at http://www.Regulations.gov, under the assigned docket numbers. We invite 
interested persons to participate by reviewing these special permit 
requests and their associated draft environmental assessments and a 
PHMSA prepared draft special permit with conditions at http://www.Regulations.gov, and by submitting written comments, data or other 
views. Please include any comments on potential safety and 
environmental impacts that may result if these special permits are 
granted.
    Before issuing a decision on these special permit requests, PHMSA 
will evaluate all comments received on or before the 60-day comment 
period closing date. If it is possible to do so without incurring 
additional expense or delays, comments received after the closing date 
will be evaluated.
    The four special permit requests are as follows:

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            Docket No.                     Requester              Regulation(s)        Nature of special permit
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PHMSA-2017-0044...................  Alaska Gasline           49 CFR 192.103,         To authorize AGDC to use
                                     Development              192.105, 192.317, and   Strain-Based Design (SBD)
                                     Corporation (AGDC).      192.620.                for the construction of
                                                                                      discrete and specified
                                                                                      segments of the pipeline.
                                                                                      The proposed SBD segments
                                                                                      would consist of a 42-inch
                                                                                      diameter pipe with a 0.862-
                                                                                      inch wall thickness,
                                                                                      constructed in accordance
                                                                                      with API 5L Grade X70
                                                                                      specifications. The
                                                                                      segments are in the Yukon-
                                                                                      Kuyokuk and Denali
                                                                                      boroughs, are entirely
                                                                                      within Class 1 locations,
                                                                                      and not in any high
                                                                                      consequence areas.
                                                                                     The Project will be a new
                                                                                      42-inch diameter natural
                                                                                      gas pipeline of
                                                                                      approximately 807 miles.
                                                                                      It will originate at the
                                                                                      Gas Treatment Plant on the
                                                                                      Alaska North Slope site
                                                                                      and terminate at the LNG
                                                                                      Liquefaction Facility in
                                                                                      the Cook Inlet, Alaska.
                                                                                     The proposed SBD segments
                                                                                      would have a MAOP of 2,075
                                                                                      psi. 49 CFR 192.103
                                                                                      requires pipe to be
                                                                                      designed with sufficient
                                                                                      wall thickness, or must be
                                                                                      installed with adequate
                                                                                      protection, to withstand
                                                                                      anticipated external
                                                                                      pressures and loads that
                                                                                      will be imposed on the
                                                                                      pipe after installation.
PHMSA-2017-0045...................  Alaska Gasline           49 CFR 192.197(a)(4)..  To authorize AGDC to use
                                     Development                                      alternatives to mainline
                                     Corporation (AGDC).                              block valve spacing of up
                                                                                      to 50 miles in the very
                                                                                      sparsely populated region
                                                                                      north of Fairbanks borough
                                                                                      in Alaska, and up to 30
                                                                                      miles spacing south of
                                                                                      Fairbanks in Class 1
                                                                                      locations. 49 CFR
                                                                                      192.179(a)(4) requires a
                                                                                      maximum Class 1 location
                                                                                      valve spacing of 20-miles.
PHMSA-2017-0046...................  Alaska Gasline           49 CFR 192.112(f)(1)..  To authorize AGDC to use
                                     Development                                      three-layer polyethylene
                                     Corporation (AGDC).                              coatings on all Mainline
                                                                                      pipeline segments that are
                                                                                      built to comply with
                                                                                      alternative MAOP
                                                                                      requirements. 49 CFR
                                                                                      192.112(f)(1) requires a
                                                                                      non-shielding external
                                                                                      pipe coating.
PHMSA-2017-0047...................  Alaska Gasline           49 CFR 192.112(b).....  To authorize AGDC to use
                                     Development                                      crack arrestor spacing of
                                     Corporation (AGDC).                              up to 1,600 feet on all
                                                                                      Mainline pipeline segments
                                                                                      that are built to comply
                                                                                      with alternative MAOP
                                                                                      pressure requirements. 49
                                                                                      CFR 192.112(b)(2)(iii)
                                                                                      gives requirements for
                                                                                      fracture arrest based upon
                                                                                      pipe lengths. 49 CFR
                                                                                      192.112(b)(3) outlines
                                                                                      alternative arrest
                                                                                      methods.
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    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 22, 2019, under authority 
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2019-11041 Filed 5-24-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-60-P