[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 46 (Monday, March 9, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13703-13704]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-04716]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA-2008-0213]
Pipeline Safety: Request for Special Permit; Empire Pipeline,
Inc.
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 from Empire Pipeline, Inc., to renew a previously issued
special permit. The special permit renewal request is seeking continued
relief from compliance with certain requirements in the Federal
pipeline safety regulations. At the conclusion of 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 renewal
request.
DATES: Submit any comments regarding this special permit request by
April 8, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Comments should reference the docket number for this special
permit request and may be submitted in the following ways:
E-Gov Website: http://www.Regulations.gov. This site
allows the public to entercomments 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 (2) 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
[[Page 13704]]
CBI. Pursuant to 49 Code of Federal Regulations (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. Steve Nanney by telephone at 713-272-2855, or by
email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PHMSA received a special permit renewal
request from Empire Pipeline, Inc. (Empire), owned by National Fuel Gas
Company, to continue its operations of the Empire State Pipeline as
defined in the original special permit issued on May 20, 2010, and
renewed on May 20, 2015. An additional special permit segment was added
to the special permit on March 28, 2017. The present special permit
term is through May 20, 2020. Empire's special permit renewal request
submitted on November 22, 2019, seeks to waive compliance from the
requirements of 49 CFR Sec. 192.611, ``Change in class location:
Confirmation or revision of maximum allowable operating pressure''.
This special permit renewal is being requested in lieu of pipe
replacement or pressure reduction for six (6) special permit segments
totaling 10,475 feet of 24-inch diameter Empire State Pipeline located
in Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, and Wayne Counties, New York. The special
permit renewal will allow the continued operation of the original Class
1 pipe in Class 3 locations.
The Empire State Pipeline is comprised of 157 miles of 24-inch
diameter pipeline and transports natural gas from the Canadian and
United States international border in Niagara County, New York to
Oswego County, New York. The Empire State Pipeline was installed in
1993 and has a maximum allowable operating pressure of either 1,440
pounds per square inch gauge (psig) or 1,000 psig in the special permit
segments.
The special permit renewal request, existing special permit with
conditions, and Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant
Impact (EA/FONSI) for the Empire State Pipeline is available for review
and public comment in Docket No. PHMSA-2008-0213. We invite interested
persons to review and submit comments on the special permit renewal
request and EA/FONSI in the docket. Please include any comments on
potential safety and environmental impacts that may result if the
special permit renewal is granted. Comments may include relevant data.
Before issuing a decision on the special permit renewal 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 it receives
in making its decision to grant or deny this special permit renewal
request.
Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR
1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2020-04716 Filed 3-6-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P