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

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is adopting a categorical exclusion (CE) established by the Department of Energy (DOE) that covers a category of actions that PHMSA proposes to take. This notice identifies the DOE CE and PHMSA's category of proposed actions for which it intends to use DOE's CE, describes the consultation between the agencies, and how PHMSA will apply and notify the public of its use.

In response to a Petition for Reconsideration of an August 1, 2023, technical correction rule, PHMSA is issuing additional corrections codifying a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) regarding the final rule titled "Pipeline Safety: Requirement of Valve Installation and Minimum Rupture Detection Standards."

PHMSA is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations to require railroads that carry hazardous materials to generate in electronic form, maintain, and provide to first responders, emergency response officials, and law enforcement personnel, certain information regarding hazardous materials in rail transportation to enhance emergency response and investigative efforts. The amendments in this final rule address a safety recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board and statutory mandates in The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, as amended by the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act, and complement existing regulatory requirements pertaining to the generation, maintenance, and provision of similar information in hard copy form, as well as other hazard communication requirements.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is publishing this notice to solicit information pertaining to the current tare weight, mass weight, and water capacity marking requirements for compressed gas cylinders.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invites comments on three Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control numbers pertaining to hazardous materials transportation. PHMSA intends to request renewal and extension for these three control numbers from OMB.

On March 25, 2024, PHMSA published a notice in the Federal Register inviting public comments on its intent to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of changes to PHMSA forms to collect data on the use of rupture mitigation valves, or alternative equivalent technologies, and the blending of hydrogen gas with other natural gases within gas pipelines. In response to a petition, PHMSA is extending the deadline to submit comments.

This notice announces that PHMSA's Office of Hazardous Materials Safety will host three public meetings during 2024 in advance of certain international meetings. The first meeting will be held in preparation of the 64th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNSCOE TDG) scheduled for June 24-July 3, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland. The second meeting will be held in preparation of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Dangerous Goods Panel (DGP) Working Group 24 (WG/ 24) tentatively scheduled for October 2024 in Montreal, Canada. The third meeting will be held in preparation of the 65th session of the UNSCOE TDG scheduled for November 25-December 3, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland. For each of these meetings, PHMSA will solicit public input on current proposals. Time and Location: Each public meeting will take place approximately two weeks preceding the international meeting at DOT Headquarters, West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001. A remote participation option will also be available. Specific information for each meeting will be posted when available on the PHMSA website at www.phmsa.dot.gov/international-program/ international-program-overview under "Upcoming Events." This information will include the public meeting date, time, remote access login, conference dial-in number, and details for advance registration.

On February 20, 2024, PHMSA published a Federal Register notice titled: "Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee," which provided an opportunity for public comment by April 29, 2024, on the proceedings of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC) meeting related to the notices of proposed rulemakings (NPRMs) titled "Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair" (LDAR) and "Class Location Change Requirements" (Class Location). PHMSA received a request to extend the comment period for stakeholders to have more time to provide comments on the topics of discussion. PHMSA is denying the request to extend the comment period for the GPAC proceedings related to the LDAR NPRM, but PHMSA is granting the request to extend the comment period for the GPAC proceedings related to the Class Location NPRM to August 27, 2024.

PHMSA is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to maintain alignment with international regulations and standards by adopting various amendments, including changes to proper shipping names, hazard classes, packing groups, special provisions, packaging authorizations, air transport quantity limitations, and vessel stowage requirements. PHMSA is also withdrawing the unpublished November 28, 2022, Notice of Enforcement Policy Regarding International Standards on the use of select updated international standards in complying with the HMR during the pendency of this 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, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein.

This notice announces a meeting of the Lithium Battery Air Safety Advisory Committee (Committee).

PHMSA is publishing this notice to inform interested parties on how PHMSA evaluates and determines whether a special permit can be considered consistent with the public interest. This notice outlines the criteria PHMSA used to evaluate special permit applications on the basis of public interest.

PHMSA and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are jointly seeking comments on issues concerning requirements in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations for the safe transport of radioactive materials. The IAEA is considering revisions to their regulations as part of its periodic review cycle for a new edition of those regulations.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein.

PHMSA amends the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to update, clarify, improve the safety of, or streamline various regulatory requirements. Specifically, this rulemaking responds to 18 petitions for rulemaking submitted by the regulated community between May 2018 and October 2020 that requests PHMSA address a variety of provisions, including but not limited to those addressing packaging, hazard communication, and the incorporation by reference of certain documents. These revisions maintain or enhance the existing high level of safety under the HMR while providing clarity and appropriate regulatory flexibility in the transport of hazardous materials.

This notice announces a public meeting of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC), to complete discussion of the notices of proposed rulemakings (NPRMs) titled ``Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair'' and ``Class Location Change Requirements.''

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein.

This final rule provides the statutorily prescribed 2024 adjustment to civil penalty amounts that may be imposed for violations of certain DOT regulations.

PHMSA has determined that the minimum random drug testing rate for covered employees will remain at 25 percent during calendar year 2024. For calendar year 2023 reporting, DOT is introducing MFA login procedures for submitting D&A testing data into the DAMIS database. This notice also explains how pipeline operators and contractors will obtain MFA login information.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein.