Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration May 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces public meetings of Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (TPSSC) and Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (THLPSSC) to discuss various regulatory issues.

This document alerts pipeline operators about the need to preplan for emergency response with utilities whose proximity to the pipeline may impact the response. Coordination with electric and other utilities may be critical in responding to a pipeline emergency. Preplanning would facilitate actions that may be needed for safety, such as removing sources of ignition or reducing the amount of combustible material.

This notice is to advise interested persons that PHMSA will conduct public meetings in preparation for and to report the results of the 27th session of the United Nation's Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNSCOE) to be held July 4-8, 2005 in Geneva, Switzerland.

This Final Rule amends the requirements for pipeline operators to develop and implement public awareness (also known as public education) programs. The changes are part of PHMSA's \1\ Office of Pipeline Safety's (OPS) broad pipeline communications initiative to promote pipeline safety. Promoting pipeline safety requires enhanced communications (by pipeline operators) with the public to increase public awareness of pipeline operations and safety issues. The amendments for developing and implementing public awareness programs address the requirements of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act (PSIA) of 2002 \2\ and incorporate by reference the guidelines provided in the American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommended Practice (RP) 1162, ``Public Awareness Programs for Pipeline Operators.'' \3\

In accordance with theprocedures governing the application for, and the processing of, exemptions from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR part 107, subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. This notice is abbreviated to expedite docketing and public notice. Because the sections affected, modes of transportation, and the nature of application have been shown in earlier Federal Register publications, they are not repeated here. Request of modifications of exemptions (e.g., to provide for additional hazardous materials, packaging design changes, additional mode of transportation, etc.) are described in footnotes to the application number. Application numbers with the suffix ``M'' demote a modification request. Their applications have been separated from the new application for exemption to facilitate processing.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, exemptions from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR part 107, subpart B), notice is hereby given of the actions on exemption applications in October 2003 to December 2004. The mode of transportation involved are identified by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1-Motor vehicle, 2-Rail freight, 3-Cargo vessel, 4-Cargo aircraft only, 5-Passenger- carrying aircraft. Application numbers prefixed by the letters EE represent applications for Emergency Exemptions. It should be noted that some of the sections cited were those in effect at the time certain exemptions were issued.

In accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5117(c), PHMSA is publishing the following list of exemption applications that have been in process for 180 days or more. The reason(s) for delay and the expected completion date for action on each application is provided in association with each identified