Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In this final rule, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), is adopting requirements designed to reduce the consequences and, in some instances, reduce the probability of accidents involving trains transporting large quantities of flammable liquids. The final rule defines certain trains transporting large volumes of flammable liquids as ``high-hazard flammable trains'' (HHFT) and regulates their operation in terms of speed restrictions, braking systems, and routing. The final rule also adopts safety improvements in tank car design standards, a sampling and classification program for unrefined petroleum-based products, and notification requirements. These operational and safety improvements are necessary to address the unique risks associated with the growing reliance on trains to transport large quantities of flammable liquids. They incorporate recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and from the public comments, and are supported by a robust economic impact analysis.

PHMSA is issuing this safety advisory to notify the public that Liberty Industrial Gases and Welding Supplies Inc., located at 600 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231, also known as Liberty Industrial Gases and Welding Supply, Inc., marked ICC, DOT-Specification, and DOT- Special Permit high pressure compressed gas cylinders as authorized for hazardous materials transportation without properly testing the cylinders and without authorization to do so.

On February 4, 2015, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a notice in the Federal Register (80 FR 6172) inviting comments on an information collection titled ``Transportation of Hazardous Liquids by Pipeline: Recordkeeping and Accident Reporting'' identified by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 2137-0047. This information collection will be expiring on July 31, 2015. PHMSA will request an extension with a minor revision for this information collection. During the 60-day comment period, PHMSA received no comments in response to this collection. PHMSA is publishing this notice to provide the public with an additional 30 days to comment on the renewal of this information collection and announce that the information collection will be submitted to OMB for approval.

In accordance with statutory requirements, PHMSA is publishing a notice of delay in processing the American Trucking Associations, Inc.'s (ATA) application for a preemption determination concerning requirements of the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a permit to transport hazardous materials by motor vehicle and the fee to obtain the permit. PHMSA is conducting fact-finding and legal analysis in response to the request, and is delaying issuance of its determination in order to allow time for appropriate consideration of the issues raised by the application.

PHMSA is issuing this notice to remind hazardous materials shippers and carriers of their responsibility to ensure that current, accurate and timely emergency response information is immediately available to emergency response officials for shipments of hazardous materials, and such information is maintained on a regular basis.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR part 107, subpart B), notice is hereby given of the actions on special permits applications in (October to October 2014). The mode of transportation involved are identified by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft. Application numbers prefixed by the letters EE represent applications for Emergency Special Permits. It should be noted that some of the sections cited were those in effect at the time certain special permits were issued.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits 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. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.

PHMSA proposes to terminate the explosive approvals listed herein. PHMSA attempted to contact all of the below listed approval holders during the month of October 2014 via certified mail utilizing the addresses on file. The certified letters were returned by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as ``undeliverable.'' With the failure of the explosive approval holders to provide PHMSA with a valid company name and mailing address, the approvals listed below will be terminated 30 days after this notice is published in the Federal Register.

PHMSA is issuing this updated advisory bulletin to all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines to communicate the potential for damage to pipeline facilities caused by severe flooding. This advisory includes actions that operators should consider taking to ensure the integrity of pipelines in the event of flooding, river scour, and river channel migration.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA), Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS), is revising its application-approval procedures for previously approved firework designs and clarifying requirements for assigning Explosives (EX) Approval or Fireworks Certification (FC) numbers. It is not required or necessary for a firework manufacturer, or designated agent, to submit a new EX Approval application each time an additional item name is associated with a firework design type (described under UN0336, UN0335, and UN0431). PHMSA will no longer process additional item name EX Approval applications, effective immediately.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits 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 applications 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. Requests for modification of special permits (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'' denote a modification request. These applications have been separated from the new application for special permits to facilitate processing.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits 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. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.

PHMSA is amending the pipeline safety regulations to make miscellaneous changes that update and clarify certain regulatory requirements. These amendments address several subject matter areas including the performance of post-construction inspections, leak surveys of Type B onshore gas gathering lines, qualifying plastic pipe joiners, regulation of ethanol, transportation of pipe, filing of offshore pipeline condition reports, and calculation of pressure reductions for hazardous liquid pipeline anomalies. The changes are addressed on an individual basis and, where appropriate, made applicable to the safety standards for both gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. Editorial changes are also included.

This notice is to advise interested persons that PHMSA will host a Research and Development Forum on Thursday, April 16, 2015, in Washington, DC. PHMSA will use the forum to present the results of recently completed research projects and to discuss current and future research projects. PHMSA will also be soliciting comments on new research projects which may be considered for inclusion in its strategic plan.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits 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. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated 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.

In accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5117(c), PHMSA is publishing the following list of special permit 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 application.

This notice is to advise interested persons that on Tuesday, February 24, 2015, PHMSA will conduct a public meeting seeking comments on issues or problems concerning requirements in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (referred to as SSR-6). The IAEA is considering revisions to the SSR-6 regulations as part of its periodic two-year review cycle which may lead to a revised 2017 Edition.

Pursuant to the Federal pipeline safety laws, PHMSA is publishing this notice of multiple special permit renewal requests that we have received from two natural gas transmission pipeline operators, seeking relief from compliance with certain requirements in the Federal pipeline safety regulations. This notice seeks public comments on these requests, including comments on any safety or environmental impacts the renewal of these special permits would have. For each listed Special Permit renewal request, an Environmental Assessment is available for review and comment in the respective dockets. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will evaluate the comments received and the technical analysis of the renewal requests to determine whether to grant or deny the renewal requests.

As required by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is proposing to amend the Hazardous Materials Regulations to adopt provisions contained in certain widely-used or long-standing special permits that have an established safety record. The proposed revisions are intended to provide wider access to the regulatory flexibility offered in special permits and eliminate the need for numerous renewal requests, thus reducing paperwork burdens and facilitating commerce while maintaining an appropriate level of safety. PHMSA conducted an extensive analysis of all active special permits and, in this rulemaking, those special permits deemed suitable are being proposed for adoption. PHMSA is inviting all interested persons to provide comments on both those special permits deemed suitable and proposed to be adopted into the HMR and those that are deemed not suitable for adoption. In addition, PHMSA is also requesting comments on a proposed requirement for special permit applicants to include regulatory text in their applications, when appropriate.

On October 28, 2014, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a notice in the Federal Register (79 FR 64249) inviting comments on two information collections that will be expiring on May 31, 2015. PHMSA will request an extension with no change for the information collections identified by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control numbers 2137-0049 and 2137-0594. PHMSA received one comment in response to that notice. PHMSA is publishing this notice to provide the public with an additional 30 days to comment on the renewal of the information collections referenced above and announce that the Information Collections will be submitted to OMB for approval.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR part 107, subpart B), notice is hereby given of the actions on special permits applications in (October to October 2014). 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 Special Permits. It should be noted that some of the sections cited were those in effect at the time certain special permits were issued.

In accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5117(c), PHMSA is publishing the following list of special permit 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 application.

PHMSA is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations to maintain alignment with international standards by incorporating various amendments, including changes to proper shipping names, hazard classes, packing groups, special provisions, packaging authorizations, air transport quantity limitations, and vessel stowage requirements. These revisions are necessary to harmonize the Hazardous Materials Regulations with recent changes made to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, the International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions (ICAO TI) for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UN Model Regulations) and subsequently address three petitions for rulemaking.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits 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 applications 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. Requests for modification of special permits (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'' denote a modification request. These applications have been separated from the new application for special permits to facilitate processing.

In accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5117(c), PHMSA is publishing the following list of special permit 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 application.