Pipeline Safety: Gas and Liquid Advisory Committee Member Nominations, 28223-28224 [2017-12805]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 117 / Tuesday, June 20, 2017 / Notices suggestions for reducing the burden, to the Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk Officer for the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the Department’s performance; (b) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (c) ways for the Department to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (d) ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of the collected information. The agency will summarize and/or include your comments in the request for OMB’s clearance of this information collection. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William McDonald, 202–366–0688, Office of Sealift Support, Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., W25–310, Washington, DC 20590. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA). OMB Control Number: 2133–0532. Type of Request: Renewal of a Previously Approved Information Collection. Abstract: The Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) is a voluntary agreement, in accordance with section 708, Defense Production Act, 1950, as amended, under which participants agree to provide commercial sealift capacity and intermodal shipping services and systems, necessary to meet national defense requirements. In order to meet national defense requirements, the Government must assure the continued availability of commercial sealift resources. Respondents: Operators of qualified dry cargo vessels. Affected Public: Business or other forprofit. Estimated Number of Respondents: 40. Estimated Number of Responses: 40. Estimated Hours per Response: 5. Annual Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 200. Frequency of Response: Annually. sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES (Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.93) * * * By Order of the Executive Director in lieu of the Maritime Administrator. Dated: June 15, 2017. T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr., Secretary, Maritime Administration. [FR Doc. 2017–12793 Filed 6–19–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–81–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:01 Jun 19, 2017 Jkt 241001 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [Docket No. PHMSA–2016–0033] Pipeline Safety: Gas and Liquid Advisory Committee Member Nominations Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), DOT. ACTION: Notice; request for nominations for members: Gas and Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committees; vacancies. AGENCY: PHMSA is requesting nominations for individuals to serve on the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC), also known as the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, and the Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committee (LPAC), also known as the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee. Each committee is composed of 15 members each appointed by the Secretary of Transportation (the Secretary). With this notice, PHMSA is seeking nominations for personnel, preferably executive level leadership, from the Federal Government and from industry to fill vacancies on both committees. Specifically, PHMSA will fill one Federal Government vacancy and one industry vacancy on the GPAC and one Federal Government vacancy and three industry vacancies on the LPAC. PHMSA may also consider candidates for any government or industry vacancies that may occur during the processing of the vacancies mentioned above. SUMMARY: Nominations must be received by July 5, 2017. ADDRESSES: All nomination material can be submitted to Cheryl Whetsel, Advisory Committee Program Manager, at Cheryl.whetsel@dot.gov, by fax at 202–366–4566, or mailed to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., PHP–30, E24–445, Washington, DC 20590. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Whetsel, 202–366–4431 or cheryl.whetsel@dot.gov. Information about the GPAC and LPAC can also be obtained by visiting PHMSA’s Web site by using the following link: https:// www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/regs/ technical-advisory-comm. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: I. Advisory Committee Background The GPAC and LPAC are statutorily mandated advisory committees that PO 00000 Frm 00181 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 28223 provide recommendations and advice on PHMSA’s proposed safety standards. Additionally, the committees may propose safety standards to the Secretary, and, if requested by the Secretary, shall make policy development recommendations. Both committees were established in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, and 49 U.S.C. 60115. No later than 90 days after receiving a proposed standard and supporting analyses, the appropriate committee prepares and submits a report to the Secretary of Transportation on the technical feasibility, reasonableness, cost-effectiveness, and practicability of the proposed standard. The Secretary must publish each report, including any recommended actions and minority views. The report, if timely made, is part of the proceeding for prescribing the standard. The Secretary is not bound by the committee’s conclusions. However, if the Secretary rejects the committee’s conclusions, the Secretary must publish the reasons. Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 60115, the Secretary of Transportation has the authority to appoint to each committee (1) five individuals from departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government and of the states; (2) five individuals from the natural gas or hazardous liquid industry, selected in consultation with industry representatives; and (3) five individuals selected from the general public. II. Criteria for Committee Members With this notice, PHMSA is seeking nominations for personnel, preferably executive level leadership, from the Federal Government and from industry to fill vacancies on both committees. PHMSA will fill one Federal Government vacancy and one industry vacancy on the GPAC and one Federal Government vacancy and two industry vacancies on the LPAC. PHMSA may also consider candidates for any government or industry vacancies that may occur during the processing of the vacancies mentioned above. Each GPAC member selected by the Secretary of Transportation must be experienced in the safety regulation of transporting gas and of gas pipeline facilities or technically qualified, by training, experience, or knowledge in at least one field of engineering applicable to transporting gas or operating a gas pipeline facility, to evaluate gas pipeline safety standards or risk management principles. Similarly, each LPAC member selected by the Secretary of Transportation must be experienced in E:\FR\FM\20JNN1.SGM 20JNN1 28224 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 117 / Tuesday, June 20, 2017 / Notices the safety regulation of transporting hazardous liquid and of hazardous liquid pipeline facilities or technically qualified by training, experience, or knowledge in at least one field of engineering applicable to transporting hazardous liquid or operating a hazardous liquid pipeline facility, to evaluate hazardous liquid pipeline safety standards or risk management principles. Regarding nominations of industry personnel, at least three of the individuals selected for each committee from the industry must be currently in the active operation of natural gas or hazardous liquid pipelines or pipeline facilities. At least one individual selected for each committee serving from the industry must have education, background, or experience in risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis. Nominees should represent a broad constituency whose views the candidate can represent. Additionally, the Secretary will consult with the national organizations representing the owners and operators of pipeline facilities before selecting individuals from the industry. sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES III. Terms of Service • Each member serves a three-year term, unless the member becomes unable to serve, resigns, ceases to be qualified to serve, or is removed by the Secretary. • Members may be reappointed. • All members serve at their own expense and receive no salary from the Federal Government, although travel reimbursement and per diem may be provided. • The GPAC and LPAC generally meet in-person in the Washington, DC, Metropolitan area. IV. Nomination Procedures Any interested person may nominate one or more qualified individuals for membership on the advisory committee. Self-nominations are also accepted. • Nominations must include a ´ ´ current, complete resume including current business address and/or home address, telephone number, email address, education, professional or business experience, present occupation, and membership on other advisory committees past or present) for each nominee. • Each nominee must meet the training, education, or experience requirements listed under section II above. • Nominations must also specify the advisory committee for which the nominee is recommended (the GPAC or LPAC). VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:01 Jun 19, 2017 Jkt 241001 • Nominations must also acknowledge that the nominee is aware of the nomination unless the individual is self-nominated. Issued in Washington, DC, on June 15, 2017, under authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.97. Alan K. Mayberry, Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety. [FR Doc. 2017–12805 Filed 6–19–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–60–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [Docket No. PHMSA–2016–0016] Pipeline Safety: Safety of Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities; Petition for Reconsideration Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), DOT. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: On January 18, 2017, PHMSA received a petition for reconsideration of its interim final rule (IFR), ‘‘Safety of Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities.’’ This Notice informs the petitioners and other interested persons that PHMSA intends to address the issues raised by the petitioners in a final rule, which it expects to issue by January of 2018. In the interim, and for one year after the publication of a final rule, PHMSA will not issue any enforcement citations to operators for failure to meet any provisions that are non-mandatory in an American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommended Practices (RPs) RP 1170 and RP 1171 but that were converted to mandatory provisions by the IFR. Despite this stay of enforcement, PHMSA still reserves the right to exercise its other authorities, if necessary, to address any emergencies that present an imminent hazard or specific conditions that are or would be hazardous to life, property, or the environment. This Notice also informs operators of the availability of further guidance on implementation to help operators develop assessment schedules and carry out compliance programs. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Byron Coy, Senior Technical Advisor, Pipeline Safety Policy and Programs, by telephone at 609–771–7810 or by email at byron.coy@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 19, 2016, (81 FR 91860) PHMSA published an IFR titled ‘‘Safety of Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities.’’ PHMSA issued this IFR in SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00182 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 response to a statutory mandate in section 12 of the ‘‘Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2016’’ (Pub. L. 114–183). The IFR incorporates by reference two API RPs: (1) API RP 1170, ‘‘Design and Operation of Solutionmined Salt Caverns used for Natural Gas Storage,’’ issued in July 2015, and (2) API RP 1171, ‘‘Functional Integrity of Natural Gas Storage in Depleted Hydrocarbon Reservoirs and Aquifer Reservoirs,’’ issued in September 2015. On January 18, 2017, the American Gas Association, API, American Public Gas Association, and the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) submitted a petition seeking reconsideration of the IFR, insofar as it modified the non-mandatory nature of many of the recommendations in the RPs. The petitioners also contended that the implementation periods were impracticable and should reasonably be extended. On April 17, 2017, INGAA withdrew from the petition for reconsideration. For further review, interested parties can access this petition in the docket. Under subpart D of 49 CFR part 190, PHMSA’s general policy is to take action on a petition for reconsideration of a regulation, whenever practicable, within 90 days of the regulation’s publication in the Federal Register. PHMSA determined that it would be impracticable to respond to the petition for reconsideration within that time period. Therefore, this document provides notice to the petitioners and the public of the time period in which action will be taken in accordance with 49 CFR 190.337(b). PHMSA plans to leave the petition for reconsideration open and evaluate the petition, along with the comments it has received. during the development of a final rule. PHMSA plans on using the final rule to address the comments and the petition for reconsideration and revise the requirements detailed in the IFR accordingly. PHMSA expects to issue a final rule by January 2018. Regarding the manner in which nonmandatory sections of the RPs were made mandatory by the IFR, the petitioners expressed concern that, in certain instances, treating nonmandatory practices as mandatory could result in unnecessary burdens for operators. During the 60-day public comment period on the IFR, PHMSA received similar comments to those raised in the petition on this issue. PHMSA understands these concerns and is reviewing the treatment of nonmandatory provisions as mandatory and will respond to these points in a final rule. E:\FR\FM\20JNN1.SGM 20JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28223-28224]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12805]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2016-0033]


Pipeline Safety: Gas and Liquid Advisory Committee Member 
Nominations

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

ACTION: Notice; request for nominations for members: Gas and Liquid 
Pipeline Advisory Committees; vacancies.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: PHMSA is requesting nominations for individuals to serve on 
the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC), also known as the Technical 
Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, and the Liquid Pipeline Advisory 
Committee (LPAC), also known as the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline 
Safety Standards Committee. Each committee is composed of 15 members 
each appointed by the Secretary of Transportation (the Secretary).
    With this notice, PHMSA is seeking nominations for personnel, 
preferably executive level leadership, from the Federal Government and 
from industry to fill vacancies on both committees. Specifically, PHMSA 
will fill one Federal Government vacancy and one industry vacancy on 
the GPAC and one Federal Government vacancy and three industry 
vacancies on the LPAC. PHMSA may also consider candidates for any 
government or industry vacancies that may occur during the processing 
of the vacancies mentioned above.

DATES: Nominations must be received by July 5, 2017.

ADDRESSES: All nomination material can be submitted to Cheryl Whetsel, 
Advisory Committee Program Manager, at Cheryl.whetsel@dot.gov, by fax 
at 202-366-4566, or mailed to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 
Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., PHP-30, E24-445, 
Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Whetsel, 202-366-4431 or 
cheryl.whetsel@dot.gov. Information about the GPAC and LPAC can also be 
obtained by visiting PHMSA's Web site by using the following link: 
https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/regs/technical-advisory-comm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Advisory Committee Background

    The GPAC and LPAC are statutorily mandated advisory committees that 
provide recommendations and advice on PHMSA's proposed safety 
standards. Additionally, the committees may propose safety standards to 
the Secretary, and, if requested by the Secretary, shall make policy 
development recommendations. Both committees were established in 
accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, 
and 49 U.S.C. 60115.
    No later than 90 days after receiving a proposed standard and 
supporting analyses, the appropriate committee prepares and submits a 
report to the Secretary of Transportation on the technical feasibility, 
reasonableness, cost-effectiveness, and practicability of the proposed 
standard. The Secretary must publish each report, including any 
recommended actions and minority views. The report, if timely made, is 
part of the proceeding for prescribing the standard. The Secretary is 
not bound by the committee's conclusions. However, if the Secretary 
rejects the committee's conclusions, the Secretary must publish the 
reasons.
    Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 60115, the Secretary of Transportation has 
the authority to appoint to each committee (1) five individuals from 
departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government and 
of the states; (2) five individuals from the natural gas or hazardous 
liquid industry, selected in consultation with industry 
representatives; and (3) five individuals selected from the general 
public.

II. Criteria for Committee Members

    With this notice, PHMSA is seeking nominations for personnel, 
preferably executive level leadership, from the Federal Government and 
from industry to fill vacancies on both committees. PHMSA will fill one 
Federal Government vacancy and one industry vacancy on the GPAC and one 
Federal Government vacancy and two industry vacancies on the LPAC. 
PHMSA may also consider candidates for any government or industry 
vacancies that may occur during the processing of the vacancies 
mentioned above.
    Each GPAC member selected by the Secretary of Transportation must 
be experienced in the safety regulation of transporting gas and of gas 
pipeline facilities or technically qualified, by training, experience, 
or knowledge in at least one field of engineering applicable to 
transporting gas or operating a gas pipeline facility, to evaluate gas 
pipeline safety standards or risk management principles.
    Similarly, each LPAC member selected by the Secretary of 
Transportation must be experienced in

[[Page 28224]]

the safety regulation of transporting hazardous liquid and of hazardous 
liquid pipeline facilities or technically qualified by training, 
experience, or knowledge in at least one field of engineering 
applicable to transporting hazardous liquid or operating a hazardous 
liquid pipeline facility, to evaluate hazardous liquid pipeline safety 
standards or risk management principles.
    Regarding nominations of industry personnel, at least three of the 
individuals selected for each committee from the industry must be 
currently in the active operation of natural gas or hazardous liquid 
pipelines or pipeline facilities. At least one individual selected for 
each committee serving from the industry must have education, 
background, or experience in risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis. 
Nominees should represent a broad constituency whose views the 
candidate can represent. Additionally, the Secretary will consult with 
the national organizations representing the owners and operators of 
pipeline facilities before selecting individuals from the industry.

III. Terms of Service

     Each member serves a three-year term, unless the member 
becomes unable to serve, resigns, ceases to be qualified to serve, or 
is removed by the Secretary.
     Members may be reappointed.
     All members serve at their own expense and receive no 
salary from the Federal Government, although travel reimbursement and 
per diem may be provided.
     The GPAC and LPAC generally meet in-person in the 
Washington, DC, Metropolitan area.

IV. Nomination Procedures

    Any interested person may nominate one or more qualified 
individuals for membership on the advisory committee. Self-nominations 
are also accepted.
     Nominations must include a current, complete 
r[eacute]sum[eacute] including current business address and/or home 
address, telephone number, email address, education, professional or 
business experience, present occupation, and membership on other 
advisory committees past or present) for each nominee.
     Each nominee must meet the training, education, or 
experience requirements listed under section II above.
     Nominations must also specify the advisory committee for 
which the nominee is recommended (the GPAC or LPAC).
     Nominations must also acknowledge that the nominee is 
aware of the nomination unless the individual is self-nominated.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on June 15, 2017, under authority 
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2017-12805 Filed 6-19-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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