[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 10, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67511-67512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26559]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2017-0157]


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

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 a 
request for special permit, seeking relief from compliance with certain 
requirements in the Federal pipeline safety regulations (PSRs). At the 
conclusion of the 60-day comment period, PHMSA will review the comments 
received from this notice as part of its evaluation to grant or deny 
the special permit request.

DATES: Submit any comments regarding this special permit request by 
February 10, 2020.

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.

    Note:  There is a privacy statement published on http://www.Regulations.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 Code of Federal Register 
(CFR) Sec.  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 ``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 Kay 
McIver, DOT, PHMSA PHP-80, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 
20590-0001. 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 by email 
at [email protected].
    Technical: Mr. Joseph Sieve by telephone at 202-366-5064, or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    PHMSA received a special permit request from the Alaska Gasline 
Development Corporation (AGDC) to deviate from the PSRs in 49 CFR 
193.2167 and 193.2173 in order to use pipe-in-pipe (PIP) technology at 
various segments of their proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) product 
and LNG quench lines.
    AGDC is proposing to construct, own, and operate one integrated 
natural gas pipeline with gas pre-treatment facilities, interdependent 
interconnection gas delivery points, and a liquefaction and marine 
export facility, (collectively known as the Alaska LNG Project) for the 
purpose of liquefying supplies of natural gas from Alaska. Gas would be 
supplied from the Point Thomson Unit and Prudhoe Bay Unit production 
fields on the North Slope, and provide opportunities for in-state 
deliveries of natural gas and export of LNG in foreign commerce. PHMSA 
has prescribed the minimum PSRs for LNG facilities in compliance with 
49 U.S.C. 60101 et. seq. Those standards are codified in 49 CFR part 
193 and apply to the siting, design, construction, operation, 
maintenance, and security of LNG facilities.
    The Alaska LNG Terminal would include LNG rundown lines, which 
would transfer LNG from the liquefaction units to the LNG storage 
tanks. These lines would be constructed using PIP technology, which 
would be designed to contain releases from the inner pipe within an 
enclosed secondary outer pipe. The three 20-inch diameter PIP rundown 
lines would start at the outlet line of each liquefaction train and 
combine to a 30-inch diameter rundown header, which transfers LNG to 
the storage tanks. The 30-inch diameter PIP rundown header transitions 
to conventional stainless steel piping in the LNG storage tank area 
before branching to two (2) tank loading lines. Additionally, AGDC 
proposes to use PIP technology for four (4) LNG quench lines (two (2) 
supply and two (2) return lines) that would be used to cool down the 
boil-off gas. Four-inch (4-inch) diameter quench lines would be 
connected to the dual 28-inch diameter LNG marine cargo transfer lines 
using fabricated PIP tees. The quench lines would continue to the 
northern edge of the boil-off gas compressor unit spill collection area 
where the PIP transitions to conventional stainless steel piping near 
the boil-off gas compressors.
    The request, proposed special permit with conditions, and Draft 
Environmental Assessment (DEA) for the AGDC LNG Terminal pipeline are 
available for review and public comment in the Docket No. PHMSA-2017-
0157. We invite interested persons to review and submit comments on the 
special permit request and DEA in the docket. Please include any 
comments on potential safety and environmental impacts that may result 
if the special permit is granted. Comments may include relevant data.

[[Page 67512]]

    Before issuing a decision on the special permit request, 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 this request.

     Issued in Washington, DC on December 4, 2019, under authority 
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2019-26559 Filed 12-9-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-60-P