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

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 PHMSA is also withdrawing the unpublished November 28, 2022, Notice of Enforcement Policy Regarding International Standards on the use of select updated international standards in complying with the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.

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's (PHMSA) Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS) will hold a public Research, Development & Technology Virtual Forum on Zoom Webinar on November 28, 2023. During this one-day event, OHMS will present the results of recently completed projects; brief attendees on new project plans; and obtain stakeholder input on the direction of current and future research topics, including mitigation of climate change, risk management and mitigation, packaging integrity, emerging technology, and technical analysis to aid risk assessment. The forum will enable OHMS to solicit comments related to new research topics that may be considered for inclusion in its future work. OHMS is particularly interested in the research gaps associated with energetic materials (explosives) characterization and transportation; safe transportation of energy products (e.g., crude oil); safe containment and transportation of compressed gases; and safe packaging and transportation of charge storage devices (e.g., lithium- ion batteries) and how these might aid in mitigation of climate change. The forum will also provide opportunities for stakeholder input to identify other research gaps related to the transportation of hazardous materials.

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 two information collections pertaining to hazardous materials transportation for which PHMSA intends to request renewal from the Office of Management and Budget.

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.

On July 5, 2023, PHMSA published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, titled ``Hazardous Materials: Modernizing Regulations to Improve Safety and Efficiency (HM-265A),'' seeking comment of 46 topics related to modernizing the hazardous materials regulations to increase efficiency while maintaining and improving safety. In response to a request for an extension of the comment period submitted by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, PHMSA is extending the comment period for the HM-265A notice for an additional 60 days. Comments to the HM-265A notice will now be due by December 4, 2023.

PHMSA proposes revisions to the pipeline safety regulations to require operators of gas distribution pipelines to update their distribution integrity management programs (DIMP), emergency response plans, operations and maintenance manuals, and other safety practices. These proposals implement provisions of the Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Actpart of the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2020and a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation directed toward preventing catastrophic incidents resulting from overpressurization of low-pressure gas distribution systems similar to that which occurred on a gas distribution pipeline system in Merrimack Valley on September 13, 2018. PHMSA also proposes to codify use of its State Inspection Calculation Tool, which is used to help states determine the base-level amount of time needed for inspections to maintain an adequate pipeline safety program. Further, PHMSA proposes other pipeline safety initiatives for all part 192-regulated pipelines, including gas transmission and gathering pipelines, such as updating emergency response plans and inspection requirements. Finally, PHMSA proposes to apply annual reporting requirements to small, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) operators in lieu of DIMP requirements.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invites comments on information collections pertaining to hazardous materials transportation for which PHMSA intends to request renewal and extension from the Office of Management and Budget. PHMSA published a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on these information collections in the Federal Register on March 22, 2023, and did not receive any comments.

On June 27, 2023, PHMSA published a notice of proposed rulemaking, titled ``Hazardous Materials: FAST Act Requirements for Real-Time Train Consist Information (HM-263),'' proposing amendments to the Hazardous Materials Regulations to require all railroads 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. In response to a request for an extension of the comment period submitted by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), PHMSA is extending the comment period for the HM-263 notice by an additional 60 days. Comments to the HM-263 notice will now be due by October 27, 2023.

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.