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

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Requests (ICR) abstracted below will be forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. The ICRs describe the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on these collections of information was published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2010 [75 FR 82142] under Docket No. PHMSA-2010-0373 (Notice No. 10-10).

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.

PHMSA is notifying the public of our intent to extend the comment period by 30 days for a notice of proposed rulemaking published on January 27, 2011.

Pursuant to the Federal pipeline safety laws, PHMSA is publishing this notice of special permit requests we have received from several natural gas and hazardous liquid 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. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will evaluate the requests and determine whether to grant or deny a special permit.

PHMSA is notifying the public of the electronic availability of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XII (2010 Edition) and the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors' National Board Inspection Code (2007 Edition). Further, PHMSA is extending the comment period for the ANPRM published on December 23, 2010 (ANPRM; 75 FR 80765). The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XII is now available on PHMSA's Web site for public review at: https://phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat. In addition, the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors have voluntarily posted, for public review, the relevant parts of the National Board Inspection Code at https://www.nationalboard.org.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is prohibiting texting on electronic devices by drivers during the operation of a motor vehicle containing a quantity of hazardous materials requiring placarding or any quantity of a select agent or toxin listed in the Department of Health and Human Services ``Select Agents and Toxins'' regulations. Additionally, in accordance with requirements adopted on September 27, 2010 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), motor carriers are prohibited from requiring or allowing drivers of covered motor vehicles to engage in texting while driving. This rulemaking improves the health and safety on the Nation's highways by reducing the prevalence of distracted driving-related crashes, fatalities, and injuries involving drivers of commercial motor vehicles.

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 compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2010 (75 FR 76077) under Docket No. PHMSA-2010-0355. No comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to allow the public an additional 30 days to submit comments to OMB on the information collection described below.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on this ICR was published in the Federal Register on November 29, 2010 (75 FR 73160) under Docket No. PHMSA-2010-0354. No comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to allow the public an additional 30 days to submit comments to OMB on the information collection described below.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations by incorporating provisions contained in certain widely used or longstanding cargo tank special permits that are granted to multiple parties and have established safety records. Special permits allow a company or individual to package or ship a hazardous material in a manner that varies from the regulations provided an equivalent level of safety is maintained. The revisions are intended to provide wider access to the regulatory flexibility offered in the special permits and eliminate the need for numerous renewal requests, thereby facilitating commercial activity and reducing paperwork burdens while continuing to maintain an appropriate level of safety.

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 limited quantities, and vessel stowage requirements. These revisions are necessary to harmonize the Hazardous Materials Regulations with recent changes made to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, the International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, and the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous GoodsModel 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 (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 revising its procedures for applying for a special permit to require an applicant to provide sufficient information about its operations to enable the agency to evaluate the applicant's fitness and the safety impact of operations that would be authorized in the special permit. In addition, PHMSA is providing an on-line application option.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invites comments on certain information collections pertaining to hazardous materials transportation for which PHMSA intends to request renewal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

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.

PHMSA is seeking comment on its intent to clarify its fireworks approvals policy whereby the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS), Approvals and Permits Division will only accept fireworks approvals applications from manufacturers and grant approvals only to manufacturers of fireworks devices.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invites comments on a new information collection for the National Pipeline Registry. PHMSA is preparing to request Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a new information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invites comments on an information collection under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 2137-0618, titled ``Pipeline Safety: Periodic Underwater Inspection.'' PHMSA is preparing to request approval from OMB for a renewal of the current information collection.

This notice announces a public meeting of the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (THLPSSC). The committee will meet to consider and vote on a rulemaking to apply the Federal pipeline safety regulations to the remaining unregulated rural onshore hazardous liquid low-stress pipelines in accordance with current law.

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.

On September 17, 2010, PHMSA published a Control Room Management/Human Factors notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to expedite the program implementation deadlines to August 1, 2011, for most of the requirements, except for certain provisions regarding adequate information and alarm management, which would have a program implementation deadline of August 1, 2012. PHMSA has received a request to extend the comment period in order to have more time to evaluate the NPRM. PHMSA has concurred in part with this request and has extended the comment period from November 16, 2010, to December 3, 2010.

PHMSA is issuing an Advisory Bulletin to remind operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities that they must make their pipeline emergency response plans available to local emergency response officials. PHMSA recommends that operators provide their emergency response plans to officials through their required liaison and public awareness activities. PHMSA intends to evaluate the extent to which operators have provided their emergency plans to local emergency officials when PHMSA performs future inspections for compliance with liaison and public awareness code requirements.

Pursuant to the Federal Pipeline Safety Laws, PHMSA is publishing this notice of a special permit request we have received from Gulf South Pipeline Company, LP, a natural gas pipeline operator, seeking relief from compliance with certain requirements in the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations. This notice seeks public comments on this request, including comments on any safety or environmental impacts. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will evaluate the request and determine whether to grant or deny a special permit.

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 considering whether changes are needed to the regulations covering hazardous liquid onshore pipelines. In particular, PHMSA is seeking comment on whether it should extend regulation to certain pipelines currently exempt from regulation; whether other areas along a pipeline should either be identified for extra protection or be included as additional high consequence areas (HCAs) for Integrity management (IM) protection; whether to establish and/or adopt standards and procedures for minimum leak detection requirements for all pipelines; whether to require the installation of emergency flow restricting devices (EFRDs) in certain areas; whether revised valve spacing requirements are needed on new construction or existing pipelines; whether repair timeframes should be specified for pipeline segments in areas outside the HCAs that are assessed as part of the IM; and whether to establish and/or adopt standards and procedures for improving the methods of preventing, detecting, assessing and remediating stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in hazardous liquid pipeline systems. Comments should address the public safety and environmental aspects of new requirements, as well as the cost implications and regulatory burden.