Pipeline Safety: Voluntary Survey of Regulated and Unregulated Low-Stress Pipeline Information, 44800-44801 [E8-17530]

Download as PDF 44800 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 148 / Thursday, July 31, 2008 / Notices petitioner is exempted from the obligation of providing notification of, and a remedy for, the subject noncompliance under 49 U.S.C. 30118 and 30120. Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30118, 30120; delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8. Issued on: July 25, 2008. Daniel C. Smith, Associate Administrator for Enforcement. [FR Doc. E8–17527 Filed 7–30–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–59–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [Docket ID PHMSA–RSPA–1997–2426] Pipeline Safety: National Pipeline Mapping System Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), DOT. ACTION: Notice; Issuance of Advisory Bulletin. AGENCY: This document advises gas transmission pipeline operators, hazardous liquid pipeline operators, and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant operators of voluntary changes pertaining to submittal dates and Operator ID numbers for National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) submissions. SUMMARY: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Nelson by phone at (202) 493– 0591 or by e-mail at amy.nelson@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background The Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 requires gas transmission pipeline operators, hazardous liquid pipeline operators, and LNG plant operators to submit data to NPMS. Currently, operators submit their data annually, within one year of the last submission date. PHMSA is attempting to simplify NPMS’s reporting process and to improve PHMSA’s ability to accurately describe an operator’s assets internally and to Congress. jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES II. Advisory Bulletin (ADB–08–07) To: Operators of Gas Transmission Pipelines, Hazardous Liquid Pipelines and LNG Plant Operators. Subject: NPMS Submissions. Purpose: To advise operators of voluntary changes to their NPMS submissions. VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:53 Jul 30, 2008 Jkt 214001 Advisory: Beginning on January 1, 2009, PHMSA is requesting that operators submit their NPMS data concurrently with hazardous liquid and gas transmission annual report submissions. Annual reports are due on March 15 each year for gas transmission operators and on June 15 for hazardous liquid operators. PHMSA suggests that beginning on January 1, 2009, gas transmission NPMS submissions be submitted by March 15, 2009, and represent the pipeline operator assets as of December 31, 2008. LNG plant operators would also submit to NPMS by March 15, 2009, representing assets as of December 31, 2008. Hazardous liquid annual reports and NPMS submissions would both be submitted by June 15, 2009, representing assets as of December 31, 2008. In 2010 and beyond, the annual report and NPMS submission due dates would remain March 15 for gas transmission and LNG plants and June 15 for hazardous liquid pipelines. NPMS submissions would represent physical assets as of December 31 of the previous year. Submitting annual reports and NPMS data at the same time will alleviate the need for pipeline operators to track their last NPMS submission and may decrease the receipt of notices from PHMSA that data has not been submitted. PHMSA also suggests that Operator ID numbers (internal DOT numbers assigned by PHMSA to the operator for specific assets) in annual report submissions match the same assets described in NPMS submissions. Operators who choose to follow this guidance will use the same Operator ID number to describe a pipeline or LNG asset in both the annual report and NPMS submission beginning with their 2009 submissions. This does not apply to pipeline operators who have requested and been assigned only one Operator ID number. Synchronizing the Operator ID numbers will alleviate confusion in identifying operator assets and improve PHMSA’s ability to accurately describe the pipeline operated by a specific pipeline operator. The ability to accurately identify and track operator physical assets is beneficial to PHMSA, pipeline operators, and all stakeholders who utilize our data, and ultimately helps promote pipeline safety. Pipeline operators whose NPMS submission due date would normally fall between October 1, 2008, and December 31, 2008, and who choose to align their submission dates with annual report due dates, may wait to submit their 2008 data capture until their new submission dates (either PO 00000 Frm 00099 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 March 15, 2009 or June 15, 2009). As stated above, NPMS submissions will reflect the state of the assets on December 31, 2008. The NPMS processing department encourages operators to submit data prior to the suggested deadlines. Submitting early will speed submission processing and provide time for the processing department to notify operators if a submission is incomplete. Submissions for the December 31, 2008, data capture will be accepted starting January 2, 2009. If operators have no change since their previous NPMS submission, they may continue to send an e-mail to npms-nr@mbakercorp.com or use the ‘‘Update your submission online’’ tool on the NPMS Web site (https://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov) in lieu of making a submission. Issued in Washington, DC, on July 24, 2008. Jeffrey D. Wiese, Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety. [FR Doc. E8–17532 Filed 7–30–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–60–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [Docket No. PHMSA–2008–0186] Pipeline Safety: Voluntary Survey of Regulated and Unregulated Low-Stress Pipeline Information Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), DOT. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: PHMSA’s Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) is requesting each operator of a rural low-stress hazardous liquid pipeline to complete a voluntary survey to gather information concerning the mileage and characteristics of these pipelines to assess the costs of subjecting rural low-stress pipeline mileage to the pipeline safety standards and regulations pursuant to the PIPES Act. The purpose of this notice is to request all operators of LSPs to complete the voluntary survey, including operators of low-stress pipelines that will not be subject to the pipeline safety standards and regulations until Phase II of the rulemaking proceeding. DATES: It is requested that the voluntary survey be completed by September 15, 2008. ADDRESSES: To complete the voluntary survey, go to the OPS Online Data Entry Web site at https:// E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM 31JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 148 / Thursday, July 31, 2008 / Notices opsweb.phmsa.dot.gov. For those individuals that cannot access the Internet, please contact Carson Poe at 617–494–2765 for filing instructions. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger Little by telephone at 202–366– 4569, by fax at 202–366–4566, or by mail at DOT, PHMSA, PHP–10, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, or by e-mail at roger.little@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES Background With certain exceptions, section 4 of the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006 (PIPES Act) (Pub. L. 109–468) requires PHMSA to issue regulations subjecting low-stress hazardous liquid transmission pipelines (LSPs) to the same standards and regulations as other hazardous liquid transmission pipelines. On June 3, 2008, PHMSA issued a Final Rule that subjected larger diameter rural LSPs located within a half-mile buffer zone of an unusually sensitive area (USA) to the part 195 standards and regulations (73 FR 31364). In that rulemaking proceeding, PHMSA explained that it was only the first phase of a two-phase approach to meeting the PIPES Act mandate and that additional rural LSP mileage would be subjected to the part 195 regulations in Phase II. The June 3, 2008 Final Rule subjected all operators of LSPs to certain reporting requirements, including LSPs that will be considered in the Phase II rulemaking. These reporting requirements include incident reports and safety-related condition reports as reflected in 49 CFR 195.48, but did not require the reporting of pipeline mileage or characteristics (except to the extent that operators of regulated LSP mileage subject to the integrity management requirements must report high consequence area (HCA) mileage). In order to assess the costs of subjecting LSP mileage to the pipeline safety standards and regulations VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:53 Jul 30, 2008 Jkt 214001 pursuant to the PIPES Act, PHMSA has initiated a voluntary survey on rural LSPs. The voluntary survey supports DOT’s Strategic Safety Goal. PHMSA will be better able to promulgate future safety-related LSP regulations with more accurate information about pipelines. Voluntary survey results will be summarized by the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) of DOT. The voluntary survey solicits information on the following: • Pipeline Mileage—Total number of LSP miles. • Rural LSP Characteristics—Specific information on interplant pipeline miles, mileage of LSP having a diameter equal to or greater than 85⁄8 inches, mileage of steel LSP, and mileage of non-metallic LSP. • Pipeline Products—Listing of all products transported using rural LSP. • Pipeline Location by State—Listing of states with LSP and corresponding mileages. • Unusually Sensitive Areas—Total number of LSP miles within one-half mile of an unusually sensitive area. • Breakout Tanks—Total number of breakout tanks associated with the LSP miles. PHMSA will use the results to calculate the economic impacts associated with current and future LSP rulemakings. In addition, PHMSA will be able to oversee the safety of LSPs more effectively with more accurate information. The voluntary survey is posted on OPS Online Data Entry Web site at https://opsweb.phmsa.dot.gov. All companies completing the voluntary survey are asked to do so via the online link provided where possible. Operators who do not have access to the Internet should contact Carson Poe of the Volpe Center by phone at 617–494–2765 for alternate filing instructions. To ensure that PHMSA reaches all of the targeted operators, PHMSA will also electronically deliver notification of how to complete the voluntary survey to PO 00000 Frm 00100 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 44801 each of the companies operating regulated hazardous liquid pipelines. PHMSA will send the e-mail to the contact person responsible for the most recent annual report submission, as this voluntary survey is closely related to the infrastructure information PHMSA receives through the annual reports. In an effort to reach companies that operate currently unregulated pipelines exclusively, PHMSA is working with the American Petroleum Institute (API), the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), and the Association of Oil Pipelines (AOPL) to announce the voluntary survey via these industry associations’ e-mail newsletters to their members. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations (5 CFR part 1320) implementing provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13) require that interested members of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(s)) and specify that no person is required to respond to an information collection unless it displays a valid OMB control number. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA has received OMB approval for the initiation of this voluntary survey as follows: Title: Rural Low-Stress Pipelines Survey. OMB Control Number: 2137–0623. Affected Public: Hazardous liquid pipeline operators. Expiration Date: June 30, 2011. Estimated Number of Respondents: 158. Estimated Number of Responses: 158. Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 2,528 hours. Issued in Washington, DC on July 25, 2008. Jeffrey D. Wiese, Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety. [FR Doc. E8–17530 Filed 7–30–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–60–P E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM 31JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 148 (Thursday, July 31, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44800-44801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-17530]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2008-0186]


Pipeline Safety: Voluntary Survey of Regulated and Unregulated 
Low-Stress Pipeline Information

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

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: PHMSA's Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) is requesting each 
operator of a rural low-stress hazardous liquid pipeline to complete a 
voluntary survey to gather information concerning the mileage and 
characteristics of these pipelines to assess the costs of subjecting 
rural low-stress pipeline mileage to the pipeline safety standards and 
regulations pursuant to the PIPES Act. The purpose of this notice is to 
request all operators of LSPs to complete the voluntary survey, 
including operators of low-stress pipelines that will not be subject to 
the pipeline safety standards and regulations until Phase II of the 
rulemaking proceeding.

DATES: It is requested that the voluntary survey be completed by 
September 15, 2008.

ADDRESSES: To complete the voluntary survey, go to the OPS Online Data 
Entry Web site at https://

[[Page 44801]]

opsweb.phmsa.dot.gov. For those individuals that cannot access the 
Internet, please contact Carson Poe at 617-494-2765 for filing 
instructions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger Little by telephone at 202-366-
4569, by fax at 202-366-4566, or by mail at DOT, PHMSA, PHP-10, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, or by e-mail at 
roger.little@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    With certain exceptions, section 4 of the Pipeline Inspection, 
Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006 (PIPES Act) (Pub. L. 
109-468) requires PHMSA to issue regulations subjecting low-stress 
hazardous liquid transmission pipelines (LSPs) to the same standards 
and regulations as other hazardous liquid transmission pipelines. On 
June 3, 2008, PHMSA issued a Final Rule that subjected larger diameter 
rural LSPs located within a half-mile buffer zone of an unusually 
sensitive area (USA) to the part 195 standards and regulations (73 FR 
31364). In that rulemaking proceeding, PHMSA explained that it was only 
the first phase of a two-phase approach to meeting the PIPES Act 
mandate and that additional rural LSP mileage would be subjected to the 
part 195 regulations in Phase II.
    The June 3, 2008 Final Rule subjected all operators of LSPs to 
certain reporting requirements, including LSPs that will be considered 
in the Phase II rulemaking. These reporting requirements include 
incident reports and safety-related condition reports as reflected in 
49 CFR 195.48, but did not require the reporting of pipeline mileage or 
characteristics (except to the extent that operators of regulated LSP 
mileage subject to the integrity management requirements must report 
high consequence area (HCA) mileage).
    In order to assess the costs of subjecting LSP mileage to the 
pipeline safety standards and regulations pursuant to the PIPES Act, 
PHMSA has initiated a voluntary survey on rural LSPs. The voluntary 
survey supports DOT's Strategic Safety Goal. PHMSA will be better able 
to promulgate future safety-related LSP regulations with more accurate 
information about pipelines.
    Voluntary survey results will be summarized by the John A. Volpe 
National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) of DOT. The 
voluntary survey solicits information on the following:
     Pipeline Mileage--Total number of LSP miles.
     Rural LSP Characteristics--Specific information on 
interplant pipeline miles, mileage of LSP having a diameter equal to or 
greater than 8\5/8\ inches, mileage of steel LSP, and mileage of non-
metallic LSP.
     Pipeline Products--Listing of all products transported 
using rural LSP.
     Pipeline Location by State--Listing of states with LSP and 
corresponding mileages.
     Unusually Sensitive Areas--Total number of LSP miles 
within one-half mile of an unusually sensitive area.
     Breakout Tanks--Total number of breakout tanks associated 
with the LSP miles.
    PHMSA will use the results to calculate the economic impacts 
associated with current and future LSP rulemakings. In addition, PHMSA 
will be able to oversee the safety of LSPs more effectively with more 
accurate information.
    The voluntary survey is posted on OPS Online Data Entry Web site at 
https://opsweb.phmsa.dot.gov. All companies completing the voluntary 
survey are asked to do so via the online link provided where possible. 
Operators who do not have access to the Internet should contact Carson 
Poe of the Volpe Center by phone at 617-494-2765 for alternate filing 
instructions.
    To ensure that PHMSA reaches all of the targeted operators, PHMSA 
will also electronically deliver notification of how to complete the 
voluntary survey to each of the companies operating regulated hazardous 
liquid pipelines. PHMSA will send the e-mail to the contact person 
responsible for the most recent annual report submission, as this 
voluntary survey is closely related to the infrastructure information 
PHMSA receives through the annual reports.
    In an effort to reach companies that operate currently unregulated 
pipelines exclusively, PHMSA is working with the American Petroleum 
Institute (API), the Independent Petroleum Association of America 
(IPAA), and the Association of Oil Pipelines (AOPL) to announce the 
voluntary survey via these industry associations' e-mail newsletters to 
their members.
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations (5 CFR part 
1320) implementing provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(Pub. L. 104-13) require that interested members of the public and 
affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information 
collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(s)) and 
specify that no person is required to respond to an information 
collection unless it displays a valid OMB control number. In accordance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA has received OMB 
approval for the initiation of this voluntary survey as follows:
    Title: Rural Low-Stress Pipelines Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 2137-0623.
    Affected Public: Hazardous liquid pipeline operators.
    Expiration Date: June 30, 2011.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 158.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 158.
    Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 2,528 hours.

    Issued in Washington, DC on July 25, 2008.
Jeffrey D. Wiese,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. E8-17530 Filed 7-30-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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