Pipeline Safety: Safety of Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities; Petition for Reconsideration, 28224-28225 [2017-12806]

Download as PDF 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 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 117 / Tuesday, June 20, 2017 / Notices sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES In the meantime, PHMSA will not issue any enforcement citations to operators for non-compliance with any provisions that are non-mandatory in the RPs until at least one year following publication of a final rule. During the same time period, PHMSA will not issue enforcement citations to operators for non-compliance with the requirement to justify and document deviations from the non-mandatory provisions. PHMSA does intend, however, to retain and enforce the other compliance deadlines in the IFR, including the requirement that operators of existing underground gas storage facilities develop, by January 18, 2018, policies and procedures to implement those sections of the RPs that are identified as mandatory in the actual RPs. Notwithstanding this stay of enforcement, nothing in this Notice is intended to prevent or discourage an operator from carrying out any recommended practice that is nonmandatory in the RPs if the operator determines that the recommended practice needs to be followed to ensure the safe operation of its facilities. Finally, PHMSA reserves the right to exercise its authorities separate and apart from the IFR, if necessary, to address any pipeline facility, including any underground gas storage facility, found to be an imminent hazard under 49 U.S.C. 60117(o) or to order corrective actions where the operation of such facility is or would be hazardous to life, property, or the environment under 49 U.S.C. 60112. This exercise of PHMSA’s enforcement discretion does not affect any other obligations that operators may have under the pipeline safety regulations or any other applicable law. Regarding the implementation periods discussed above, PHMSA has recently published informal guidance in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which can be found at https:// primis.phmsa.dot.gov/ung/faqs.htm. The FAQs explain PHMSA’s expectations for the timing of implementing the RPs. 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. 2017–12806 Filed 6–19–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–60–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:01 Jun 19, 2017 Jkt 241001 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions Actions Pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act or Executive Order 12978 Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is publishing the names of persons whose property and interests in property have been unblocked pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) or Executive Order 12978 of October 21, 1995, ‘‘Blocking Assets and Prohibiting Transactions With Significant Narcotics Traffickers’’. Additionally, OFAC is publishing an update to the identifying information of persons currently included in the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List). DATES: OFAC’s actions described in this notice were effective on June 14, 2017. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: OFAC: Associate Director for Global Targeting, tel: 202–622–2420; Assistant Director for Licensing, tel.: 202–622– 2480, Assistant Director for Regulatory Affairs, tel.: 202–622–4855, Assistant Director for Sanctions Compliance & Evaluation, tel.: 202–622–2490; or the Department of the Treasury’s Office of the General Counsel: Office of the Chief Counsel (Foreign Assets Control), tel.: 202–622–2410. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: Electronic Availability The list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List) and additional information concerning OFAC sanctions programs are available on OFAC’s Web site at https://www.treasury.gov/ofac. Notice of OFAC Actions On June 14, 2017, OFAC removed from the SDN List the persons listed below, whose property and interests in property were blocked pursuant to the Kingpin Act or Executive Order 12978. Individuals 1. SABOGAL ZULUAGA, Orlando (a.k.a. CONTRERAS VIVAS, Juan Pablo; a.k.a. GUILLEN JIMENEZ, Carlos Alberto; a.k.a. SABOGAL, Alberto; a.k.a. SALAZAR QUINTERO, Carlos Alberto; a.k.a. ‘‘CAREQUESO’’; a.k.a. ‘‘EL MONO SABOGAL’’), c/o ORLANDO SABOGAL ZULUAGA E HIJOS & CIA S EN C, Colombia; Calle 18 No. 5N–21, Apt. 302, PO 00000 Frm 00183 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 28225 Cartago, Colombia; Paseo 5 de Julio, Barrio Libertad, Municipio Bolivar, Tachira, Venezuela; Caracas, Venezuela; Paseo 5 de Julio, Barrio Libertad, San Antonio, Tachira, Venezuela; Calle 30 No. 3B–45, La Campina, Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia; Calle 14 No. 30– 153, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia; DOB 22 Feb 1966; alt. DOB 16 Sep 1965; POB Toro, Valle, Colombia; Cedula No. 18505378 (Colombia); alt. Cedula No. 21171060 (Venezuela); alt. Cedula No. 12773520 (Venezuela); alt. Cedula No. 94318435 (Colombia); Passport AE533626 (Colombia); alt. Passport AG496255 (Colombia); alt. Passport 18505378 (Colombia); alt. Passport AC635727 (Colombia) (individual) [SDNT]. 2. CALLE QUIROS, Luis Santiago, Madrid, Spain; Lima, Peru; DOB 22 Jul 1965; POB Madrid, Spain; citizen Spain; alt. citizen Peru; D.N.I. 01927713–Z (Spain); alt. D.N.I. 10831176–8 (Peru) (individual) [SDNTK] (Linked To: TEXTIMAX SPAIN S.L.; Linked To: CASTIZAL MADRILENA S.L.; Linked To: INMOBILIARIA CASTIZAL S.A.C.; Linked To: UCALSA PERU S.A.). 3. JIMENEZ URREGO, Luz Marina, c/ o C.I. STONES AND BYPRODUCTS TRADING S.A., Bogota, Colombia; c/o C.I. AGROINDUSTRIAL DE MATERIAS PRIMAS ORGANICAS LTDA, Bogota, Colombia; c/o MERCADO DE VALORES INTEGRADOS LTDA, Bogota, Colombia; c/o JUAN SEBASTIAN Y CAMILA ANDREA JIMENEZ RAMIREZ Y CIA S.C.S., Bogota, Colombia; c/o COMUNICACIONES ELYON, Bogota, Colombia; DOB 05 Feb 1962; citizen Colombia; Cedula No. 39526273 (Colombia); Passport AJ582409 (Colombia) (individual) [SDNTK]. 4. FAJARDO HERNANDEZ, Gloria Elena, c/o AGROPECUARIA EL NILO S.A., La Union, Valle, Colombia; c/o INDUSTRIAS DEL ESPIRITU SANTO S.A., Malambo, Atlantico, Colombia; c/ o DOXA S.A., La Union, Valle, Colombia; c/o FUNDACION CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION HORTIFRUTICOLA DE COLOMBIA, La Union, Valle, Colombia; Cedula No. 29926353 (Colombia) (individual) [SDNT]. 5. GALLEGO ORREGO, Margarita Zulay; DOB 18 Oct 1953; POB Yolombo, Antioquia, Colombia; citizen Colombia; Cedula No. 32334460 (Colombia) (individual) [SDNTK] (Linked To: ENVIGADO FUTBOL CLUB S.A.; Linked To: CAFETERIA ENVICENTRO; Linked To: TIENDAS MARGOS). Entities 1. C.I. AGROINDUSTRIAL DE MATERIAS PRIMAS ORGANICAS LTDA (a.k.a. C.I. PRORGANICAS E:\FR\FM\20JNN1.SGM 20JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28224-28225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12806]


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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

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

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: 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 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 
Solution-mined 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 non-mandatory sections of the RPs 
were made mandatory by the IFR, the petitioners expressed concern that, 
in certain instances, treating non-mandatory 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 non-mandatory provisions as 
mandatory and will respond to these points in a final rule.

[[Page 28225]]

    In the meantime, PHMSA will not issue any enforcement citations to 
operators for non-compliance with any provisions that are non-mandatory 
in the RPs until at least one year following publication of a final 
rule. During the same time period, PHMSA will not issue enforcement 
citations to operators for non-compliance with the requirement to 
justify and document deviations from the non-mandatory provisions. 
PHMSA does intend, however, to retain and enforce the other compliance 
deadlines in the IFR, including the requirement that operators of 
existing underground gas storage facilities develop, by January 18, 
2018, policies and procedures to implement those sections of the RPs 
that are identified as mandatory in the actual RPs.
    Notwithstanding this stay of enforcement, nothing in this Notice is 
intended to prevent or discourage an operator from carrying out any 
recommended practice that is non-mandatory in the RPs if the operator 
determines that the recommended practice needs to be followed to ensure 
the safe operation of its facilities.
    Finally, PHMSA reserves the right to exercise its authorities 
separate and apart from the IFR, if necessary, to address any pipeline 
facility, including any underground gas storage facility, found to be 
an imminent hazard under 49 U.S.C. 60117(o) or to order corrective 
actions where the operation of such facility is or would be hazardous 
to life, property, or the environment under 49 U.S.C. 60112. This 
exercise of PHMSA's enforcement discretion does not affect any other 
obligations that operators may have under the pipeline safety 
regulations or any other applicable law.
    Regarding the implementation periods discussed above, PHMSA has 
recently published informal guidance in the form of Frequently Asked 
Questions (FAQs) which can be found at https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/ung/faqs.htm. The FAQs explain PHMSA's expectations for the timing of 
implementing the RPs.

    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. 2017-12806 Filed 6-19-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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