[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 73 (Monday, April 15, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 26118-26119]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07888]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

49 CFR Parts 191, 192, and 193

[Docket No. PHMSA-2024-0005]


Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of advisory committee meeting; extension of comment 
period.

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SUMMARY: On February 20, 2024, PHMSA published a Federal Register 
notice titled: ``Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory 
Committee,'' which provided an opportunity for public comment by April 
29, 2024, on the proceedings of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee 
(GPAC) meeting related to the notices of proposed rulemakings (NPRMs) 
titled ``Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair'' (LDAR) and ``Class 
Location Change Requirements'' (Class Location). PHMSA received a 
request to extend the comment period for stakeholders to have more time 
to provide comments on the topics of discussion. PHMSA is denying the 
request to extend the comment period for the GPAC proceedings related 
to the LDAR NPRM, but PHMSA is granting the request to extend the 
comment period for the GPAC proceedings related to the Class Location 
NPRM to August 27, 2024.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published February 
2024, at 89 FR 12798, is extended. Comments should be received on or 
before August 27, 2024, for comments on GPAC proceedings related to the 
Class Location NPRM. The closing date for filing comments is April 29, 
2024, for comments on GPAC proceedings related to the LDAR NPRM. 
Consistent with 49 CFR 190.323, the agency will consider late-filed 
comments to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the docket number 
PHMSA-2024-0005 by any of the following methods:
    E-Gov Web: https://www.regulations.gov. This site allows the public 
to enter comments on any Federal Register notice issued by any agency. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of Transportation, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    Hand Delivery: U.S. DOT Docket Management System, West Building 
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 
20590-0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.
    Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    Instructions: Please include the docket number PHMSA-2024-0005 at 
the beginning of your comments. If you submit your comments by mail, 
submit two copies. If you wish to receive confirmation that PHMSA has 
received your comments, include a self-addressed stamped postcard. 
Internet users may submit comments at https://www.regulations.gov/.

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

    Privacy Act: 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), that can be reviewed at 
www.dot.gov/privacy.
    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 document 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 ``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. Submissions containing CBI 
should be sent to Tewabe Asebe, Office of Pipeline Safety, by phone at 
202-366-5523 or by email at [email protected]. Any commentary PHMSA 
receives that is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in 
the public docket.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for accessing the docket. Alternatively, you may review 
the documents in person at the street address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tewabe Asebe, Office of Pipeline 
Safety, by phone at 202-366-5523 or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    On February 20, 2024, PHMSA published a Federal Register notice (89 
FR 12798) announcing its plans to hold a public meeting of the 
Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas 
Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC), to complete discussion on the 
notices of proposed rulemakings (NPRMs) titled ``Gas Pipeline Leak 
Detection and Repair'' and ``Class Location Change Requirements.'' In 
the notice, PHMSA announced that the public meeting would be held from 
March 25, 2024, to March 29, 2024, and specified that comments on the 
proceedings of the GPAC meeting must be submitted by April 29, 2024.
    Following the conclusion of the meeting, PHMSA received a joint 
comment extension request from the Interstate Natural Gas Association 
of America, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, American Gas 
Association, American Petroleum Institute, American Public Gas 
Association, and the GPA Midstream Association (the Associations). The 
Associations requested an additional 60 days to provide comment on the 
GPAC proceedings pertaining to the LDAR NPRM, which would change the 
comment deadline to June 28, 2024. The Associations also requested an 
additional 120 days to provide comment on the GPAC proceedings 
pertaining to the Class Location NPRM, changing the comment deadline to 
August 27, 2024.
    PHMSA received comments from public interest and environmental 
groups opposing the extension of the comment period for GPAC 
proceedings pertaining to the ``Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and 
Repair'' NPRM. Noting that the rule is urgently needed to improve 
safety and reduce methane emissions across the millions of miles of 
pipelines in the Unites States, and that the Protecting Our 
Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2020 directed 
PHMSA to finalize advanced leak detection and repair standards by 
December 2021;

[[Page 26119]]

commenters urged PHMSA to swiftly finalize the proposed measures to 
improve public safety. Extending the comment period for GPAC 
proceedings pertaining to the Leak Detection and Repair NPRM could 
further delay PHMSA's finalization of that rule.
    PHMSA will extend the comment submission deadline from April 29, 
2024, to August 27, 2024, for comments on the GPAC proceedings 
pertaining to the Class Location NPRM. For comments on the GPAC 
proceedings pertaining to the Leak Detection and Repair NPRM, the 
comment submission deadline will remain April 29, 2024. Consistent with 
49 CFR 190.323, PHMSA will consider late-filed comments to the extent 
practicable.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 10, 2024, under authority 
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Massoud Tahamtani,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Policy and Programs.
[FR Doc. 2024-07888 Filed 4-12-24; 8:45 am]
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