Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration August 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

PHMSA incorporates more than 80 voluntary, consensus, industry technical standards by reference within the Federal pipeline safety regulations (PSRs). This notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposes amendments that would incorporate by reference all or parts of updated editions of some of those standards. This NPRM also proposes non- substantive edits and clarifications to certain other provisions of the PSRs.

PHMSA is revising the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations to improve the safety of onshore gas transmission pipelines. This final rule addresses several lessons learned following the Pacific Gas and Electric Company incident that occurred in San Bruno, CA, on September 9, 2010, and responds to public input received as part of the rulemaking process. The amendments in this final rule clarify certain integrity management provisions, codify a management of change process, update and bolster gas transmission pipeline corrosion control requirements, require operators to inspect pipelines following extreme weather events, strengthen integrity management assessment requirements, adjust the repair criteria for high-consequence areas, create new repair criteria for non-high consequence areas, and revise or create specific definitions related to the above amendments.

PHMSA is publishing this notice to solicit public comments on a request for special permit received from Columbia Gulf Transmission, LLC (CGT). The special permit request is seeking relief from compliance with certain requirements of the Federal pipeline safety regulations. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will review the comments received from this notice as part of its evaluation to grant or deny the special permit request.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is correcting a final rule that was published in the Federal Register on July 26, 2022. The final rule was published 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.

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 is issuing this notice to serve process and inform all persons who currently hold explosive approvals for certain jet perforating guns of the process necessary for maintaining, modifying, upgrading/up-classing, or terminating these approvals.