Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by the Passage of Hurricanes, 36042-36044 [2015-15401]
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36042
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 120 / Tuesday, June 23, 2015 / Notices
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Linda Williams, U.S. Department of
Transportation, Maritime
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., Room W23–453,
Washington, DC 20590. Telephone 202–
366–0903, Email Linda.Williams@
dot.gov.
As
described by the applicant the intended
service of the vessel Paradigm Shift is:
Intended Commercial Use of Vessel:
‘‘Private Crewed Charter’’
Geographic Region: ‘‘Maine,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York,
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Florida’’
The complete application is given in
DOT docket MARAD–2015–0078 at
https://www.regulations.gov. Interested
parties may comment on the effect this
action may have on U.S. vessel builders
or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.flag vessels. If MARAD determines, in
accordance with 46 U.S.C. 12121 and
MARAD’s regulations at 46 CFR part
388, that the issuance of the waiver will
have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.vessel builder or a business that uses
U.S.-flag vessels in that business, a
waiver will not be granted. Comments
should refer to the docket number of
this notice and the vessel name in order
for MARAD to properly consider the
comments. Comments should also state
the commenter’s interest in the waiver
application, and address the waiver
criteria given in § 388.4 of MARAD’s
regulations at 46 CFR part 388.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Privacy Act
Anyone is able to search the
electronic form of all comments
received into any of our dockets by the
name of the individual submitting the
comment (or signing the comment, if
submitted on behalf of an association,
business, labor union, etc.). You may
review DOT’s complete Privacy Act
Statement in the Federal Register
published on April 11, 2000 (Volume
65, Number 70; Pages 19477–78).
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
Dated: June 15, 2015.
Thomas M. Hudson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015–15439 Filed 6–22–15; 08:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–81–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:39 Jun 22, 2015
Jkt 235001
Maritime Administration
[Docket No. MARAD–2015 0079]
Requested Administrative Waiver of
the Coastwise Trade Laws: Vessel
SIREN; Invitation for Public Comments
Maritime Administration,
Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
As authorized by 46 U.S.C.
12121, the Secretary of Transportation,
as represented by the Maritime
Administration (MARAD), is authorized
to grant waivers of the U.S.-build
requirement of the coastwise laws under
certain circumstances. A request for
such a waiver has been received by
MARAD. The vessel, and a brief
description of the proposed service, is
listed below.
DATES: Submit comments on or before
July 23, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to
docket number MARAD–2015–0079.
Written comments may be submitted by
hand or by mail to the Docket Clerk,
U.S. Department of Transportation,
Docket Operations, M–30, West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE.,
Washington, DC 20590. You may also
send comments electronically via the
Internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
All comments will become part of this
docket and will be available for
inspection and copying at the above
address between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
E.T., Monday through Friday, except
federal holidays. An electronic version
of this document and all documents
entered into this docket is available on
the World Wide Web at https://
www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Linda Williams, U.S. Department of
Transportation, Maritime
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., Room W23–453,
Washington, DC 20590. Telephone 202–
366–0903, Email Linda.Williams@
dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As
described by the applicant the intended
service of the vessel SIREN is:
Intended Commercial Use of Vessel:
‘‘This boat is to be used as a camera boat
for use in documentary film and feature
film production as well as six passenger
Whale watching.’’
Geographic Region: ‘‘California’’
The complete application is given in
DOT docket MARAD–2015–0079 at
https://www.regulations.gov. Interested
parties may comment on the effect this
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00111
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
action may have on U.S. vessel builders
or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.flag vessels. If MARAD determines, in
accordance with 46 U.S.C. 12121 and
MARAD’s regulations at 46 CFR part
388, that the issuance of the waiver will
have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.vessel builder or a business that uses
U.S.-flag vessels in that business, a
waiver will not be granted. Comments
should refer to the docket number of
this notice and the vessel name in order
for MARAD to properly consider the
comments. Comments should also state
the commenter’s interest in the waiver
application, and address the waiver
criteria given in § 388.4 of MARAD’s
regulations at 46 CFR part 388.
Privacy Act
Anyone is able to search the
electronic form of all comments
received into any of our dockets by the
name of the individual submitting the
comment (or signing the comment, if
submitted on behalf of an association,
business, labor union, etc.). You may
review DOT’s complete Privacy Act
Statement in the Federal Register
published on April 11, 2000 (Volume
65, Number 70; Pages 19477–78).
By Order of the Maritime Administrator
Dated: June 15, 2015.
Thomas M. Hudson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015–15420 Filed 6–22–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–81–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA–2015–0140]
Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage
to Pipeline Facilities Caused by the
Passage of Hurricanes
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice; Issuance of Advisory
Bulletin.
AGENCY:
PHMSA is issuing this
advisory bulletin to remind owners and
operators of gas and hazardous liquid
pipelines of the potential for damage to
pipeline facilities caused by the passage
of hurricanes.
ADDRESSES: This document can be
viewed on the Office of Pipeline Safety
(OPS) home page at: https://ops.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Pipeline operators regulated by PHMSA
should contact the appropriate PHMSA
Regional Office. PHMSA’s Regional
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM
23JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 120 / Tuesday, June 23, 2015 / Notices
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Offices and their contact information are
as follows:
• Eastern Region: Connecticut,
Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia,
call 609–989–2171.
• Southern Region: Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North
Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina,
and Tennessee, call 404–832–1140.
• Central Region: Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin, call 816–
329–3800.
• Southwest Region: Arkansas,
Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and
Texas, call 713–272–2859.
• Western Region: Alaska, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming, call 720–
963–3160.
Intrastate pipeline operators should
contact the appropriate State pipeline
safety authority. A list of State pipeline
safety authorities is provided at:
https://www.napsr.org/managers/napsr_
state_program_managers2.htm.
For general information about this
notice, contact David Lehman, Director
for Emergency Support and Security,
202–366–4439 or by email at
PHMSA.OPA90@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The purpose of this advisory bulletin
is to remind owners and operators of gas
and hazardous liquid pipelines,
particularly those with facilities located
in offshore and inland areas, about the
serious safety-related issues that can
result from the passage of hurricanes.
Potential damage can occur to offshore
platforms and pipelines, onshore
pumping stations, compressor stations,
and terminals.
Operators have a general obligation to
identify any conditions that can
adversely affect the operation of their
pipelines and to take appropriate
corrective measures upon discovering
such conditions. Specifically, § 192.613
of the gas pipeline safety regulations
states that ‘‘[e]ach operator shall have a
procedure for continuing surveillance of
its facilities to determine and take
appropriate action concerning . . .
unusual operating and maintenance
conditions,’’ and ‘‘[i]f a segment of
pipeline is determined to be in
unsatisfactory condition but no
immediate hazard exists, the operator
shall initiate a program to recondition or
phase out the segment involved, or, if
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:39 Jun 22, 2015
Jkt 235001
the segment cannot be reconditioned or
phased out, reduce the maximum
allowable operating pressure in
accordance with § 192.619(a) and (b).’’
Section 195.401(b)(1) of the hazardous
liquid pipeline safety regulations states
that ‘‘[w]henever an operator discovers
any condition that could adversely
affect the safe operation of its pipeline
system, it must correct the condition
within a reasonable time. However, if
the condition is of such a nature that it
presents an immediate hazard to
persons or property, the operator may
not operate the affected part of the
system until it has corrected the unsafe
condition.’’ Section 195.401(b)(2)
further states that ‘‘[w]hen an operator
discovers a condition on a pipeline
covered under [the integrity
management requirements in] § 195.452,
the operator must correct the condition
as prescribed in § 195.452(h).’’
Operators of shallow-water gas and
hazardous liquid pipelines in the Gulf
of Mexico and its inlets have a specific
obligation to ‘‘prepare and follow a
procedure to identify [their] pipelines
. . . that are at risk of being an exposed
underwater pipeline or a hazard to
navigation . . . [and to] conduct
appropriate underwater inspections . . .
[of those pipelines] based on the
identified risk[;]’’ and upon discovering
that ‘‘its pipeline is an exposed
underwater pipeline or poses a hazard
to navigation,’’ to promptly report the
location of that pipeline to the National
Response Center, to mark its location,
and to ensure its reburial within a
specified time. 49 CFR 192.612,
195.413.
Hurricanes can adversely affect the
operation of a pipeline and require
corrective action under §§ 192.613 and
195.401. Hurricanes also increase the
risk of underwater pipelines in the Gulf
of Mexico and its inlets becoming
exposed or constituting a hazard to
navigation under §§ 192.612 and
195.413. The concentration of U.S. oil
and gas production, processing, and
transportation facilities in the Gulf of
Mexico and onshore Gulf Coast means
that a significant percentage of domestic
oil and gas production and processing is
prone to disruption by hurricanes.
In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
caused significant damage to the oil and
gas production structures. The onshore
damage caused a significant impact in
the ability of the oil and gas industry to
respond due to the lack of resources,
personnel, and infrastructure, as well as
significant damage to onshore
processing facilities and power
supplies. There were significant
competing resource needs with the
impacts caused by the devastation of
PO 00000
Frm 00112
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
36043
New Orleans and western Louisiana/
eastern Texas shore communities that
normally provide the services and
supplies for the industry.
II. Advisory Bulletin (ADB–2015–02)
To: Owners and operators of gas and
hazardous liquid pipeline systems.
Subject: Potential for damage to
pipeline facilities caused by hurricanes.
Advisory: All owners and operators of
gas and hazardous liquid pipelines are
reminded that pipeline safety problems
can occur from the passage of
hurricanes. Pipeline operators are urged
to take the following actions to ensure
pipeline safety:
1. Identify persons who normally
engage in shallow-water commercial
fishing, shrimping, and other marine
vessel operations and caution them that
underwater offshore pipelines may be
exposed or constitute a hazard to
navigation. Marine vessels operating in
water depths comparable to a vessel’s
draft or when operating bottom dragging
equipment can be damaged and their
crews endangered by an encounter with
an underwater pipeline.
2. Identify and caution marine vessel
operators in offshore shipping lanes and
other offshore areas that deploying
fishing nets or anchors and conducting
dredging operations may damage
underwater pipelines, their vessels, and
endanger their crews.
3. After a disruption, operators need
to bring offshore and inland
transmission facilities back online,
check for structural damage to piping,
valves, emergency shutdown systems,
risers and supporting systems. Aerial
inspections of pipeline routes should be
conducted to check for leaks in the
transmission systems. In areas where
floating and jack-up rigs have moved
and their path could have been over the
pipelines, review possible routes and
check for sub-sea pipeline damage
where required.
4. Operators should take action to
minimize and mitigate damages caused
by flooding to gas distribution systems,
including the prevention of
overpressure of low pressure and high
pressure distribution systems.
PHMSA would appreciate receiving
information about any damage to
pipeline facilities caused by hurricanes.
The Federal pipeline safety regulations
require that operators report certain
incidents and accidents to PHMSA by
specific methods. Damage not reported
by these methods may be reported to
David Lehman, Director for Emergency
Support and Security, 202–366–4439 or
by email at PHMSA.OPA90@dot.gov.
Chapter 601; 49 CFR 1.97.
E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM
23JNN1
36044
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 120 / Tuesday, June 23, 2015 / Notices
Issued in Washington, DC, on June 18,
2015.
Jeffrey D. Wiese,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2015–15401 Filed 6–22–15; 08:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–60–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[Docket No. EP 290 (Sub-No. 5) (2015–3)]
Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor
AGENCY:
Surface Transportation Board,
DOT.
ACTION:
Approval of rail cost adjustment
factor.
The Board approves the third
quarter 2015 Rail Cost Adjustment
Factor (RCAF) and cost index filed by
the Association of American Railroads.
The third quarter 2015 RCAF
(Unadjusted) is 0.829. The third quarter
2015 RCAF (Adjusted) is 0.354. The
third quarter 2015 RCAF–5 is 0.334.
DATES: Effective Date: July 1, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Pedro Ramirez, (202) 245–0333. Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) for the
hearing impaired: (800) 877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Additional information is contained in
the Board’s decision, which is available
on our Web site, https://www.stb.dot.gov.
Copies of the decision may be
purchased by contacting the Office of
Public Assistance, Governmental
Affairs, and Compliance at (202) 245–
0238. Assistance for the hearing
impaired is available through FIRS at
(800) 877–8339.
This action will not significantly
affect either the quality of the human
environment or energy conservation.
SUMMARY:
By the Board, Acting Chairman Miller and
Vice Chairman Begeman.
Decided: June 17, 2015.
Kenyatta Clay,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2015–15356 Filed 6–22–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
Homeless Providers Grant and Per
Diem Program; Notice of Funding
Availability
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:39 Jun 22, 2015
Jkt 235001
The Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) is announcing the
availability of 1-year renewal funding in
fiscal year (FY) 2015 for the 21 currently
operational FY 2014 VA Grant and Per
Diem (GPD) Special Need Grant
Recipients and their collaborative VA
Special Need partners (as applicable) to
make re-applications for assistance
under the Special Need Grant
Component of VA’s Homeless Providers
GPD Program. The focus of this NOFA
is to encourage applicants to continue to
deliver services to the homeless Special
Need Veteran population as outlined in
their current Special Need application.
This NOFA contains information
concerning the program, application
process, and amount of funding
available.
SUMMARY:
An original signed and dated
request for re-application letter, on
agency letterhead, for assistance under
the VA’s Homeless Providers GPD
Program and associated documents,
must be received by the GPD Program
Office by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on
Tuesday, July 28, 2015 (see application
requirements below).
Applications may not be sent by
facsimile. In the interest of fairness to
all competing applicants, this deadline
is firm as to date and time, and VA will
treat any application that is received
after the deadline as ineligible for
consideration. Applicants should make
early submission of their materials to
avoid any risk of loss of eligibility as a
result of unanticipated delays or other
delivery-related problems.
DATES:
An original signed, dated,
completed, and collated grant reapplication letter and all required
associated documents must be
submitted to the following address: VA
Homeless Providers GPD Program
Office, 10770 N. 46th Street, Suite C–
200, Tampa, Florida 33617.
Applications must be received by the
application deadline. Applications must
arrive as a complete package. Materials
arriving separately will not be included
in the application package for
consideration and may result in the
application being rejected or not
funded.
ADDRESSES:
Mr.
Jeffery L. Quarles, Director, VA
Homeless Providers GPD Program,
Department of Veterans Affairs, 10770
N. 46th Street, Suite C–200, Tampa, FL
33617; (toll-free) 1–(877) 332–0334.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Veterans Health
Administration, VA Homeless Providers
Grant and Per Diem Program,
Department of Veterans Affairs.
AGENCY:
Notice of Funding Availability
(NOFA).
ACTION:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Frm 00113
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Funding Opportunity Description
This NOFA announces the availability
of FY 2015 funds to renew assistance
provided under VA’s Homeless
Providers GPD Program for the 21 FY
2014 operational GPD Special Need
recipients and their collaborative VA
partners (as applicable). Eligible
applicants may obtain grant assistance
to cover additional operational costs
that would not otherwise be incurred
but for the fact that the recipient is
providing supportive housing beds and
services for the following special needs
homeless Veteran populations:
(1) Women;
(2) Frail elderly;
(3) Terminally ill;
(4) Chronically mentally ill; or
(5) Individuals who have care of
minor dependents.
Definitions of these populations are
contained in 38 CFR 61.1 Definitions.
Eligible applicants should review these
definitions to ensure their proposed
populations meet the specific
requirements.
VA is pleased to issue this NOFA for
the Homeless Providers GPD Program as
a part of the effort to end homelessness
among our Nation’s Veterans. Funding
applied for under this NOFA may be
used for the provision of service and
operational costs to facilitate the
following for each targeted group:
Women
(1) Ensure transportation for women,
especially for health care and
educational needs; and
(2) Address safety and security issues
including segregation from other
program participants if deemed
appropriate.
Frail Elderly
(1) Ensure the safety of the residents
in the facility, including preventing
harm and exploitation;
(2) Ensure opportunities to keep
residents mentally and physically agile
to the fullest extent through the
incorporation of structured activities,
physical activity, and plans for social
engagement within the program and in
the community;
(3) Provide opportunities for
participants to address life transitional
issues and separation and/or loss issues;
(4) Provide access to assistance
devices such as walkers, grippers, or
other devices necessary for optimal
functioning;
(5) Ensure adequate supervision,
including supervision of medication
and monitoring of medication
compliance; and
(6) Provide opportunities for
participants either directly or through
E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM
23JNN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 120 (Tuesday, June 23, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36042-36044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15401]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA-2015-0140]
Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities
Caused by the Passage of Hurricanes
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
DOT.
ACTION: Notice; Issuance of Advisory Bulletin.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: PHMSA is issuing this advisory bulletin to remind owners and
operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines of the potential for
damage to pipeline facilities caused by the passage of hurricanes.
ADDRESSES: This document can be viewed on the Office of Pipeline Safety
(OPS) home page at: https://ops.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pipeline operators regulated by PHMSA
should contact the appropriate PHMSA Regional Office. PHMSA's Regional
[[Page 36043]]
Offices and their contact information are as follows:
Eastern Region: Connecticut, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West
Virginia, call 609-989-2171.
Southern Region: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, and
Tennessee, call 404-832-1140.
Central Region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and
Wisconsin, call 816-329-3800.
Southwest Region: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico,
Oklahoma, and Texas, call 713-272-2859.
Western Region: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado,
Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming,
call 720-963-3160.
Intrastate pipeline operators should contact the appropriate State
pipeline safety authority. A list of State pipeline safety authorities
is provided at: https://www.napsr.org/managers/napsr_state_program_managers2.htm.
For general information about this notice, contact David Lehman,
Director for Emergency Support and Security, 202-366-4439 or by email
at PHMSA.OPA90@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The purpose of this advisory bulletin is to remind owners and
operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, particularly those
with facilities located in offshore and inland areas, about the serious
safety-related issues that can result from the passage of hurricanes.
Potential damage can occur to offshore platforms and pipelines, onshore
pumping stations, compressor stations, and terminals.
Operators have a general obligation to identify any conditions that
can adversely affect the operation of their pipelines and to take
appropriate corrective measures upon discovering such conditions.
Specifically, Sec. 192.613 of the gas pipeline safety regulations
states that ``[e]ach operator shall have a procedure for continuing
surveillance of its facilities to determine and take appropriate action
concerning . . . unusual operating and maintenance conditions,'' and
``[i]f a segment of pipeline is determined to be in unsatisfactory
condition but no immediate hazard exists, the operator shall initiate a
program to recondition or phase out the segment involved, or, if the
segment cannot be reconditioned or phased out, reduce the maximum
allowable operating pressure in accordance with Sec. 192.619(a) and
(b).'' Section 195.401(b)(1) of the hazardous liquid pipeline safety
regulations states that ``[w]henever an operator discovers any
condition that could adversely affect the safe operation of its
pipeline system, it must correct the condition within a reasonable
time. However, if the condition is of such a nature that it presents an
immediate hazard to persons or property, the operator may not operate
the affected part of the system until it has corrected the unsafe
condition.'' Section 195.401(b)(2) further states that ``[w]hen an
operator discovers a condition on a pipeline covered under [the
integrity management requirements in] Sec. 195.452, the operator must
correct the condition as prescribed in Sec. 195.452(h).''
Operators of shallow-water gas and hazardous liquid pipelines in
the Gulf of Mexico and its inlets have a specific obligation to
``prepare and follow a procedure to identify [their] pipelines . . .
that are at risk of being an exposed underwater pipeline or a hazard to
navigation . . . [and to] conduct appropriate underwater inspections .
. . [of those pipelines] based on the identified risk[;]'' and upon
discovering that ``its pipeline is an exposed underwater pipeline or
poses a hazard to navigation,'' to promptly report the location of that
pipeline to the National Response Center, to mark its location, and to
ensure its reburial within a specified time. 49 CFR 192.612, 195.413.
Hurricanes can adversely affect the operation of a pipeline and
require corrective action under Sec. Sec. 192.613 and 195.401.
Hurricanes also increase the risk of underwater pipelines in the Gulf
of Mexico and its inlets becoming exposed or constituting a hazard to
navigation under Sec. Sec. 192.612 and 195.413. The concentration of
U.S. oil and gas production, processing, and transportation facilities
in the Gulf of Mexico and onshore Gulf Coast means that a significant
percentage of domestic oil and gas production and processing is prone
to disruption by hurricanes.
In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused significant damage to
the oil and gas production structures. The onshore damage caused a
significant impact in the ability of the oil and gas industry to
respond due to the lack of resources, personnel, and infrastructure, as
well as significant damage to onshore processing facilities and power
supplies. There were significant competing resource needs with the
impacts caused by the devastation of New Orleans and western Louisiana/
eastern Texas shore communities that normally provide the services and
supplies for the industry.
II. Advisory Bulletin (ADB-2015-02)
To: Owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline
systems.
Subject: Potential for damage to pipeline facilities caused by
hurricanes.
Advisory: All owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid
pipelines are reminded that pipeline safety problems can occur from the
passage of hurricanes. Pipeline operators are urged to take the
following actions to ensure pipeline safety:
1. Identify persons who normally engage in shallow-water commercial
fishing, shrimping, and other marine vessel operations and caution them
that underwater offshore pipelines may be exposed or constitute a
hazard to navigation. Marine vessels operating in water depths
comparable to a vessel's draft or when operating bottom dragging
equipment can be damaged and their crews endangered by an encounter
with an underwater pipeline.
2. Identify and caution marine vessel operators in offshore
shipping lanes and other offshore areas that deploying fishing nets or
anchors and conducting dredging operations may damage underwater
pipelines, their vessels, and endanger their crews.
3. After a disruption, operators need to bring offshore and inland
transmission facilities back online, check for structural damage to
piping, valves, emergency shutdown systems, risers and supporting
systems. Aerial inspections of pipeline routes should be conducted to
check for leaks in the transmission systems. In areas where floating
and jack-up rigs have moved and their path could have been over the
pipelines, review possible routes and check for sub-sea pipeline damage
where required.
4. Operators should take action to minimize and mitigate damages
caused by flooding to gas distribution systems, including the
prevention of overpressure of low pressure and high pressure
distribution systems.
PHMSA would appreciate receiving information about any damage to
pipeline facilities caused by hurricanes. The Federal pipeline safety
regulations require that operators report certain incidents and
accidents to PHMSA by specific methods. Damage not reported by these
methods may be reported to David Lehman, Director for Emergency Support
and Security, 202-366-4439 or by email at PHMSA.OPA90@dot.gov.
Chapter 601; 49 CFR 1.97.
[[Page 36044]]
Issued in Washington, DC, on June 18, 2015.
Jeffrey D. Wiese,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2015-15401 Filed 6-22-15; 08:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
