BNSF Railway Company-Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption-Union Pacific Railroad Company, 50439-50440 [05-17025]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 165 / Friday, August 26, 2005 / Notices
Need for Improvement
Pipeline accidents with significant
consequences gathered attention in
recent years and prompted pipeline
safety program changes. Integrity
management rules were promulgated for
hazardous liquid pipelines (65 FR
75378; December 1, 2000) and for gas
transmission pipelines (68 FR 69778;
December 15, 2003). In testimony before
the Congress on July 20, 2004, the Office
of the Inspector General (OIG) reported
that the number of incidents reported on
distribution systems has consistently
exceeded that on transmission systems.
Also, the number of fatalities and
injuries reported on distribution
systems has consistently been much
higher than for transmission systems.
The prevalence of incidents,
particularly those with consequences to
people, underscores the need for
regulators and stakeholders to pay
additional attention to distribution
pipeline integrity management. PHMSA
agrees that safety issues posed by gas
distribution pipelines need to be
addressed through appropriate integrity
management initiatives.
Differences in Gas Distribution Pipeline
Systems
A plan for assuring integrity of gas
distribution pipelines must consider the
differences between transmission
pipeline systems and distribution
pipeline systems. Ensuring the integrity
of distribution pipeline systems is
different from doing so for transmission
pipelines because:
• Most pipe in distribution pipeline
systems is small diameter and operates
at low pressure. Transmission pipelines
are generally large diameter and high
pressure.
• Distribution pipeline systems are a
more complex network, with frequent
branching and interconnections.
Transmission pipelines generally run
for many miles without such
connections.
• Distribution pipeline systems
include a range of materials, including
a significant amount of plastic pipe.
Transmission pipelines are generally
constructed of steel.
• Distribution pipelines are usually
difficult to take out of service for
inspection without interrupting gas
service to customers. Transmission
pipelines often include loop lines and
bypasses that allow individual sections
of pipe to be removed from service
temporarily.
• Distribution pipeline failures tend
to occur as leaks. Gas can migrate
underground, accumulating in areas
remote from the leak so that fires and
VerDate jul<14>2003
16:18 Aug 25, 2005
Jkt 205001
explosions occur away from the
pipeline. Transmission pipelines tend to
fail by rupture because of their high
operating pressure. The fire and
explosions on transmission lines occur
on the pipeline.
• Distribution pipeline systems tend
to be local, intrastate systems, which
state regulators are responsible for
regulating. A greater proportion of
transmission pipelines are interstate
systems, and Federal regulators play a
much larger role regulating them.
Developing an Approach to Gas
Distribution Integrity Management
Expanding integrity management for
distribution systems beyond currently
required practices requires a thorough
understanding of costs and benefits.
Following the previous public meeting,
PHMSA has worked with a number of
groups comprised of state pipeline
regulators, pipeline operators, and
representatives of the public to conduct
analyses and evaluations in a number of
areas that must be considered in
developing any distribution integrity
management requirements. These
meetings were announced by a Federal
Register notice on March 29, 2005 (70
FR 15988) and subsequent
announcements on a Web site
established specifically for this effort.
The areas considered include:
• Identifying the principal threats to
the integrity of distribution pipelines;
• Identifying requirements and
practices that currently exist at the State
and Federal levels that support
management of these threats to integrity;
• Determining whether current
requirements are written effectively to
create opportunities and incentives for
operators to use existing and developing
technologies to support management of
the integrity of distribution systems;
• Identifying whether opportunities
exist for expedited development of new
technologies supporting the assessment
of gas distribution systems;
• Understanding practices beyond
current requirements that are being used
by operators and what the results are;
• Understanding whether there are
requirements or approaches used by one
or more States which are not included
in Federal requirements but which have
proven effective in managing the
integrity of gas distribution systems;
and,
• Identifying whether the opportunity
exists to codify currently demonstrated
effective integrity management practices
in a national consensus standard.
The analyses and evaluations
conducted by the work/study groups
comprise Phase 1 of the PHMSA plan to
develop integrity management
PO 00000
Frm 00149
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
50439
requirements. Phase 1 is expected to be
completed by the end of 2005. The
Phase 1 results will support PHMSA
and state regulators in making decisions
regarding the nature of requirements
that may be needed. Achieving
increased integrity of distribution
pipeline systems may involve Federal
and/or State rulemaking, development
of guidance for adoption by States,
publication and promotion of best
practices or national consensus
standards, or some combination of these
or other actions. PHMSA will use the
results of Phase 1 to develop new
requirements as part of Phase 2 of the
PHMSA plan, which PHMSA expects to
begin in early 2006.
During this meeting, persons involved
in the Phase 1 program will share the
scope of their ongoing work and their
preliminary conclusions with the
public. Representatives of various
stakeholder groups will also share their
perspective with attendees. PHMSA will
collect comments and suggestions from
members of the public attending this
meeting to further inform the Phase 2
efforts to develop appropriate
requirements.
Interested parties may find additional
information regarding the previous
public meeting in the docket (https://
dms.dot.gov), then click on Simple
Search and type in Docket No. 19854.
Visitors may access the Distribution
Integrity Management Web site through
the OPS home page (https://ops.dot.gov)
by selecting ‘‘Integrity Management’’
and then ‘‘Distribution Integrity
Management’’.
Issued in Washington, DC, on August 22,
2005.
Theodore L. Willke,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Pipeline
Safety.
[FR Doc. 05–16966 Filed 8–25–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–60–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Finance Docket No. 34743]
BNSF Railway Company—Temporary
Trackage Rights Exemption—Union
Pacific Railroad Company
Union Pacific Railroad Company
(UP), pursuant to a written trackage
rights agreement entered into between
UP and the BNSF Railway Company
(BNSF), has agreed to grant temporary
overhead trackage rights to BNSF over
UP’s rail line between Valley Junction,
IL, UP milepost 0.00, and Rockview
Junction, MO, UP milepost 131.3, a
distance of approximately 131.3 miles.
E:\FR\FM\26AUN1.SGM
26AUN1
50440
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 165 / Friday, August 26, 2005 / Notices
The transaction was scheduled to be
consummated on August 15, 2005, and
the temporary trackage rights will expire
on October 16, 2005. The purpose of the
temporary trackage rights is to allow
BNSF to bridge a limited number of its
trains while its main lines are out of
service due to programmed track,
roadbed, and structural maintenance.
As a condition to this exemption, any
employee affected by the acquisition of
the temporary trackage rights will be
protected by the conditions imposed in
Norfolk and Western Ry. Co.—Trackage
Rights—BN, 354 I.C.C. 605 (1978), as
modified in Mendocino Coast Ry., Inc.—
Lease and Operate, 360 I.C.C. 653
VerDate jul<14>2003
16:18 Aug 25, 2005
Jkt 205001
(1980), and any employee affected by
the discontinuance of those trackage
rights will be protected by the
conditions set out in Oregon Short Line
R. Co.—Abandonment—Goshen, 360
I.C.C. 91 (1979).
This notice is filed under 49 CFR
1180.2(d)(8). If it contains false or
misleading information, the exemption
is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the
exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)
may be filed at any time. The filing of
a petition to revoke will not
automatically stay the transaction.
An original and 10 copies of all
pleadings, referring to STB Finance
Docket No. 34743, must be filed with
the Surface Transportation Board, 1925
PO 00000
Frm 00150
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–
0001. In addition, a copy of each
pleading must be served on Michael E.
Roper, Senior General Attorney, BNSF
Railway Company, P. O. Box 961039,
Fort Worth, TX 76161–0039.
Board decisions and notices are
available on our Web site at https://
www.stb.dot.gov.
Decided: August 22, 2005.
By the Board, David M. Konschnik,
Director, Office of Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05–17025 Filed 8–25–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
E:\FR\FM\26AUN1.SGM
26AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 165 (Friday, August 26, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50439-50440]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17025]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Finance Docket No. 34743]
BNSF Railway Company--Temporary Trackage Rights Exemption--Union
Pacific Railroad Company
Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP), pursuant to a written trackage
rights agreement entered into between UP and the BNSF Railway Company
(BNSF), has agreed to grant temporary overhead trackage rights to BNSF
over UP's rail line between Valley Junction, IL, UP milepost 0.00, and
Rockview Junction, MO, UP milepost 131.3, a distance of approximately
131.3 miles.
[[Page 50440]]
The transaction was scheduled to be consummated on August 15, 2005,
and the temporary trackage rights will expire on October 16, 2005. The
purpose of the temporary trackage rights is to allow BNSF to bridge a
limited number of its trains while its main lines are out of service
due to programmed track, roadbed, and structural maintenance.
As a condition to this exemption, any employee affected by the
acquisition of the temporary trackage rights will be protected by the
conditions imposed in Norfolk and Western Ry. Co.--Trackage Rights--BN,
354 I.C.C. 605 (1978), as modified in Mendocino Coast Ry., Inc.--Lease
and Operate, 360 I.C.C. 653 (1980), and any employee affected by the
discontinuance of those trackage rights will be protected by the
conditions set out in Oregon Short Line R. Co.--Abandonment--Goshen,
360 I.C.C. 91 (1979).
This notice is filed under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(8). If it contains
false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio.
Petitions to revoke the exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed
at any time. The filing of a petition to revoke will not automatically
stay the transaction.
An original and 10 copies of all pleadings, referring to STB
Finance Docket No. 34743, must be filed with the Surface Transportation
Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, a
copy of each pleading must be served on Michael E. Roper, Senior
General Attorney, BNSF Railway Company, P. O. Box 961039, Fort Worth,
TX 76161-0039.
Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at http:/
/www.stb.dot.gov.
Decided: August 22, 2005.
By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of
Proceedings.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05-17025 Filed 8-25-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P
