[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 223 (Tuesday, November 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63959-63961]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25045]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration


Pipeline Safety: Request for Special Permits

[Docket No. PHMSA-2019-0080] Williams--Transcontinental Gas Pipeline 
Company
[Docket No. PHMSA-2019-0081] Williams--Transcontinental Gas Pipeline 
Company
[Docket No. PHMSA-2019-0082] Williams--Transcontinental Gas Pipeline 
Company
[Docket No. PHMSA-2019-0083] Williams--Transcontinental Gas Pipeline 
Company
[Docket No. PHMSA-2019-0084] Williams--Transcontinental Gas Pipeline 
Company
[Docket No. PHMSA-2019-0085] Williams--Transcontinental Gas Pipeline 
Company
[Docket No. PHMSA-2019-0142] Williams--Northwest Pipeline Company

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: PHMSA is publishing this notice to solicit public comment on 
several requests for special permit from Williams --Transcontinental 
Gas Pipeline Company (Transco) and Williams--Northwest Pipeline Company 
(Northwest), seeking relief from compliance with certain requirements 
in the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations. After the 30-day comment 
period, PHMSA will review the comments received from this notice as 
part of its evaluation to grant or deny the special permit requests.

DATES: Submit any comments regarding these special permit requests by 
December 19, 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: You should identify the docket number for the special 
permit request you are commenting on at the beginning of your comments. 
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.
    Privacy Act: There is a privacy statement published on http://www.Reglations.gov. Comments, including any personal information 
provided, are posted without changes or edits to http://www.Regulations.gov.
    Confidential Business Information: Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both 
customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from 
public disclosure. If your comments responsive to this notice contain 
commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as 
private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or 
responsive to this notice, it is important that you clearly designate 
the submitted comments as CBI. Pursuant to 49 CFR 190.343, you may ask 
PHMSA to give confidential treatment to information you give to the 
agency by taking the following steps: (1) Mark each page of the 
original document submission containing CBI as ``PROPIN'' or 
``Confidential''; (2) send PHMSA, along with the original document, a 
second copy of the original document with the CBI deleted; and (3) 
explain why the information you are submitting is CBI. Unless you are 
notified otherwise, PHMSA will treat such marked submissions as 
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public 
docket of this notice. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Ms. 
Kay McIver at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, E24-443, Washington, DC 20590, 
or emailed to her at [email protected]. Any commentary PHMSA receives 
that is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public 
docket for this matter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    General: Ms. Kay McIver by telephone at 202-366-0113, or email at 
[email protected].
    Technical: Mr. Steve Nanney by telephone at 713-272-2855, or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PHMSA received six (6) special permit 
requests from the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Transco, and one (1) 
special permit request from Northwest. Transco and Northwest are 
subsidiaries of the Williams Company. Transco and Northwest operate 
interstate gas transmission pipelines and both are seeking waivers from 
49 CFR 192.611 for segments where the class location has changed from a 
Class 1 to a Class 3 location.
    The requests, proposed special permits with conditions, and Draft 
Environmental Assessments (DEAs) for the Transco and Northwest 
pipelines are available for public view and comments in the respective 
dockets at http://www.Regulations.gov. We invite interested persons to 
participate by reviewing the special permit requests and DEAs at 
https://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 the special permit is granted.
    Details of the six (6) Transco and one (1) Northwest requested 
special permits are as follows:

[[Page 63960]]



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            Docket No.                   Requester          Regulation(s)          Nature of special permit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHMSA-2019-0080..................  Transcontinental Gas  49 CFR 192.611.....  To authorize Transco a special
                                    Pipe Line Company,                         permit to waive compliance with
                                    LLC (Transco).                             the requirements of 49 CFR
                                                                               192.611 ``Change in Class
                                                                               Location: Confirmation or
                                                                               Revision of Maximum Allowable
                                                                               Operating Pressure''. This
                                                                               special permit is being requested
                                                                               in lieu of pipe replacement or
                                                                               pressure reduction for three (3)
                                                                               special permit segments of 0.19
                                                                               miles of 30-inch diameter
                                                                               pipeline located on Mainline
                                                                               ``A'' in Guilford County, North
                                                                               Carolina, where the class
                                                                               location has changed from Class 1
                                                                               to Class 3 location in 2017.
                                                                               Mainline ``A'' is a 1,750-mile
                                                                               interstate pipeline in the 10,500-
                                                                               mile Transco system that begins
                                                                               in Texas and runs northeast along
                                                                               the eastern side of the
                                                                               Appalachian Mountains to the New
                                                                               York City metropolitan area.
                                                                               Mainline ``A'' was installed in
                                                                               1950 and transports natural gas
                                                                               from the Gulf of Mexico and the
                                                                               Marcellus region of Pennsylvania
                                                                               to population centers, industrial
                                                                               customers, and other pipelines.
                                                                              Transco operates the Mainline
                                                                               ``A'' proposed special permit
                                                                               segments in the Guilford County,
                                                                               North Carolina area at a maximum
                                                                               allowable operating pressure
                                                                               (MAOP) of 780 pounds per square
                                                                               inch gauge (psig).
PHMSA-2019-0081..................  Transcontinental Gas  49 CFR 192.611.....  To authorize Transco a special
                                    Pipe Line Company,                         permit to waive compliance with
                                    LLC (Transco).                             the requirements of 49 CFR
                                                                               192.611 ``Change in Class
                                                                               Location: Confirmation or
                                                                               Revision of Maximum Allowable
                                                                               Operating Pressure''. This
                                                                               special permit is being requested
                                                                               in lieu of pipe replacement or
                                                                               pressure reduction for one (1)
                                                                               special permit segment of 0.36
                                                                               miles of 30-inch diameter
                                                                               pipeline located on Mainline
                                                                               ``A'' in Hartford County,
                                                                               Maryland, where the class
                                                                               location has changed from Class 1
                                                                               to Class 3 location in 2017.
                                                                               Mainline ``A'' is a 1,750-mile
                                                                               interstate pipeline in the 10,500-
                                                                               mileTransco system that begins in
                                                                               Texas and runs northeast along
                                                                               the eastern side of the
                                                                               Appalachian Mountains to New York
                                                                               City metropolitan area. Mainline
                                                                               ``A'' was installed in 1950 and
                                                                               transports natural gas from the
                                                                               Gulf of Mexico and the Marcellus
                                                                               region of Pennsylvania to
                                                                               population centers, industrial
                                                                               customers and other pipelines.
                                                                              The MAOP for Mainline ``A'' in the
                                                                               special permit segment is 780
                                                                               psig.
PHMSA-2019-0082..................  Transcontinental Gas  49 CFR 192.611.....  To authorize Transco a special
                                    Pipe Line Company,                         permit to waive compliance with
                                    LLC (Transco).                             the requirements of 49 CFR
                                                                               192.611 ``Change in Class
                                                                               Location: Confirmation or
                                                                               Revision of Maximum Allowable
                                                                               Operating Pressure''. This
                                                                               special permit is being requested
                                                                               in lieu of pipe replacement or
                                                                               pressure reduction for one (1)
                                                                               special permit segment of 0.35
                                                                               miles of 30-inch diameter
                                                                               pipeline located on Mainline
                                                                               ``B'' in Hartford County,
                                                                               Maryland, where the class
                                                                               location has changed from Class 1
                                                                               to Class 3 location in 2017.
                                                                               Mainline ``B'' is a 1,525-mile
                                                                               interstate pipeline in the 10,500-
                                                                               mile Transco system that begins
                                                                               in Texas and runs northeast along
                                                                               the eastern side of the
                                                                               Appalachian Mountains to New York
                                                                               City metropolitan area. Mainline
                                                                               ``B'' was installed in 1955 and
                                                                               transports natural gas from the
                                                                               Gulf of Mexico and the Marcellus
                                                                               region of Pennsylvania to
                                                                               population centers, industrial
                                                                               customers and other pipelines.
                                                                              The MAOP for Mainline ``B'' in the
                                                                               special permit segment is 780
                                                                               psig.
PHMSA-2019-0083..................  Transcontinental Gas  49 CFR 192.611.....  To authorize Transco a special
                                    Pipe Line Company,                         permit to waive compliance with
                                    LLC (Transco).                             the requirements of 49 CFR
                                                                               192.611 ``Change in Class
                                                                               Location: Confirmation or
                                                                               Revision of Maximum Allowable
                                                                               Operating Pressure''. This
                                                                               special permit is being requested
                                                                               in lieu of pipe replacement or
                                                                               pressure reduction for one (1)
                                                                               special permit segment where the
                                                                               class location has changed from
                                                                               Class 1 to Class 3 location in
                                                                               2017, and eleven (11) additional
                                                                               special permit segments that
                                                                               experienced class changes in 2008
                                                                               and 2015. The total mileage of
                                                                               all special permit segments is
                                                                               2.36 miles of 30-inch diameter
                                                                               pipeline. These changes are on
                                                                               the pipeline segments located on
                                                                               Mainline ``A'' in Greenville
                                                                               County, South Carolina. Mainline
                                                                               ``A'' is a 1,750-mile interstate
                                                                               pipeline in the 10,500-mile
                                                                               Transco system that begins in
                                                                               Texas and runs northeast along
                                                                               the eastern side of the
                                                                               Appalachian Mountains to New York
                                                                               City metropolitan area. Mainline
                                                                               ``A'' was installed in 1950 and
                                                                               transports natural gas from the
                                                                               Gulf of Mexico and the Marcellus
                                                                               region of Pennsylvania to
                                                                               population centers, industrial
                                                                               customers, and other pipelines.
                                                                              The MAOP for Mainline ``A''
                                                                               special permit segments are
                                                                               either 780 psig or 650 psig.
                                                                               Transco is proposing to uprate
                                                                               the MAOPs of eleven (11) special
                                                                               permit segments that operate at
                                                                               650 psig to 780 psig.
PHMSA-2019-0084..................  Transcontinental Gas  49 CFR 192.611.....  To authorize Transco a special
                                    Pipe Line Company,                         permit to waive compliance with
                                    LLC (Transco).                             the requirements of 49 CFR
                                                                               192.611 ``Change in Class
                                                                               Location: Confirmation or
                                                                               Revision of Maximum Allowable
                                                                               Operating Pressure''. This
                                                                               special permit is being requested
                                                                               in lieu of pipe replacement or
                                                                               pressure reduction for one (1)
                                                                               special permit segment of
                                                                               pipeline located on Mainline
                                                                               ``B'' in Greenville County, South
                                                                               Carolina where the class location
                                                                               has changed from Class 1 to Class
                                                                               3 location in 2017, and twelve
                                                                               (12) additional segments that
                                                                               experienced class changes in 2008
                                                                               and 2015. The total mileage of
                                                                               all special permit segments is
                                                                               2.18 miles of 36-inch diameter
                                                                               pipeline. Mainline ``B'' is a
                                                                               1,525-mile interstate pipeline in
                                                                               the 10,500-mile Transco natural
                                                                               gas system that begins in Texas
                                                                               and runs northeast along the
                                                                               eastern side of the Appalachian
                                                                               Mountains to New York City
                                                                               metropolitan area. Mainline ``B''
                                                                               was installed in 1957 and
                                                                               transports natural gas from the
                                                                               Gulf of Mexico and the Marcellus
                                                                               region of Pennsylvania to
                                                                               population centers, industrial
                                                                               customers, and other pipelines.
                                                                              The MAOPs for Mainline ``B'' in
                                                                               the special permit segments are
                                                                               either 780 psig or 704 psig.
                                                                               Transco is proposing to uprate
                                                                               the MAOPs for twelve (12) special
                                                                               permit segments that operate at
                                                                               704 psig to 780 psig.

[[Page 63961]]

 
PHMSA-2019-0085..................  Transcontinental Gas  49 CFR 192.611.....  To authorize Transco a special
                                    Pipe Line Company,                         permit to waive compliance with
                                    LLC (Transco).                             the requirements of 49 CFR
                                                                               192.611 ``Change in Class
                                                                               Location: Confirmation or
                                                                               Revision of Maximum Allowable
                                                                               Operating Pressure''. This
                                                                               special permit is being requested
                                                                               in lieu of pipe replacement or
                                                                               pressure reduction for two (2)
                                                                               special permit segment of 0.26
                                                                               miles of 36-inch diameter
                                                                               pipeline located on Mainline
                                                                               ``C'' in Greenville County, South
                                                                               Carolina, where the class
                                                                               location has changed from Class 1
                                                                               to Class 3 location in 2017 and
                                                                               2018. Mainline ``C'' is a 1,345-
                                                                               mile interstate pipeline in the
                                                                               10,500-mile Transco system that
                                                                               begins in Texas and runs
                                                                               northeast along the eastern side
                                                                               of the Appalachian Mountains to
                                                                               New York City metropolitan area.
                                                                               Mainline ``C'' was installed in
                                                                               1961 and transports natural gas
                                                                               from the Gulf of Mexico and the
                                                                               Marcellus region of Pennsylvania
                                                                               to population centers, industrial
                                                                               customers, and other pipelines.
                                                                              The MAOP for Mainline ``C'' in the
                                                                               special permit segment is 780
                                                                               psig.
PHMSA-2019-0142..................  Northwest Pipeline    49 CFR 192.611.....  To authorize Northwest a special
                                    Company, LLC                               permit to waive compliance with
                                    (Northwest).                               the requirements of 49 CFR
                                                                               192.611 ``Change in Class
                                                                               Location: Confirmation or
                                                                               Revision of Maximum Allowable
                                                                               Operating Pressure''. This
                                                                               special permit is being requested
                                                                               in lieu of pipe replacement or
                                                                               pressure reduction for one (1)
                                                                               special permit segment of 0.13
                                                                               miles of 20-inch diameter
                                                                               pipeline located on the Spokane
                                                                               Lateral in Franklin County,
                                                                               Washington, where the class
                                                                               location has changed from Class 1
                                                                               to Class 3 location in 2018. The
                                                                               Spokane Lateral is a 165- mile
                                                                               interstate transmission pipeline
                                                                               and transports natural gas from
                                                                               Plymouth, Washington to the
                                                                               Spokane, Washington area.
                                                                              The MAOP for the Spokane Lateral
                                                                               in the special permit segment is
                                                                               811 psig.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Before issuing a decision on the special permit requests, PHMSA 
will evaluate all comments received on or before the comment closing 
date. Comments received after the closing date will be evaluated if it 
is possible to do so without incurring additional expense or delay. 
PHMSA will consider each relevant comment we receive in making our 
decision to grant or deny a request.

    Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR 
1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2019-25045 Filed 11-18-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-60-P