Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration October 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice is to inform interested persons that PHMSA will conduct a public meeting on Tuesday, November 15, 2016, in preparation for the 50th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNSCOE TDG) to be held in Geneva, Switzerland from November 28 to December 6, 2016. During this public meeting, PHMSA will be requesting comments relative to potential new work items that may be considered for inclusion in the international agenda.

This interim final rule (IFR) establishes regulations implementing the emergency order authority conferred on the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) by the ``Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2016'' (PIPES Act). These regulations are mandated by the PIPES Act and, in accordance with the Act, PHMSA is establishing procedures for the issuance of emergency orders that will be used to address an unsafe condition or practice, or combination of unsafe conditions or practices, that pose an imminent hazard to public health and safety or the environment. By implementing this statutory mandate, PHMSA will enhance its existing enforcement authority to respond immediately to conditions or practices that exist in a subset of, or across, the pipeline industry. This IFR solely affects agency enforcement procedures to implement the emergency order provisions of the law and; therefore, this rulemaking results in no additional burden or compliance costs to industry. PHMSA is issuing this IFR because the PIPES Act directs PHMSA to first issue temporary regulations. However, the agency invites comments and will, if appropriate, make changes to the IFR prior to the issuance of a final rule, which the agency must issue, by statute, no later than 270 days following enactment of the PIPES Act.

PHMSA proposes to terminate EX classification approval EX1987030326, issued to BHT Products, Inc. for a Division 4.1 classification. In January and May 2016, PHMSA attempted to contact BHT Products, Inc. via letters delivered by certified mail. These letters requested that BHT Products, Inc. provide PHMSA with background information, such as a copy of the existing lab report and test data to support the classification issued under EX1987030326. To date, PHMSA has not received any correspondence from BHT Products, Inc. concerning EX1987030326.