82 FR 48655 - Pipeline Safety: Safety of Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 201 (October 19, 2017)

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is announcing an additional opportunity for the public to comment on an interim final rule (IFR) titled: ``Pipeline Safety: Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities.'' PHMSA is reopening the comment period in response to a petition for reconsideration filed jointly by the American Gas Association, American Petroleum Institute, and the American Public Gas Association. By reopening the comment period, PHMSA is providing all interested parties with the opportunity to comment on the IFR and the merits and claims of the petition. PHMSA will consider all public comments and address the petition for reconsideration in the final rule.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 201 (Thursday, October 19, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 48655]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-22553]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

49 CFR Parts 191 and 192

[Docket No. PHMSA-2016-0016; Amdt. Nos. 191-24; 192-122]
RIN 2137-AF22


Pipeline Safety: Safety of Underground Natural Gas Storage 
Facilities

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA); 
DOT.

ACTION: Interim final rule; reopening comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration 
(PHMSA) is announcing an additional opportunity for the public to 
comment on an interim final rule (IFR) titled: ``Pipeline Safety: 
Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities.'' PHMSA is reopening the 
comment period in response to a petition for reconsideration filed 
jointly by the American Gas Association, American Petroleum Institute, 
and the American Public Gas Association. By reopening the comment 
period, PHMSA is providing all interested parties with the opportunity 
to comment on the IFR and the merits and claims of the petition. PHMSA 
will consider all public comments and address the petition for 
reconsideration in the final rule.

DATES: The comment period for the interim final rule published on 
December 19, 2016 (81 FR 91860), is reopened. Comments must be received 
by November 20, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the docket number 
PHMSA-2016-0016 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Hand Delivery: U.S. DOT Docket Management System, 
West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Instructions: If you submit your comments by mail, submit two 
copies. To receive confirmation that PHMSA received your comments, 
include a self-addressed stamped postcard.

    Note: Comments are posted without changes or edits to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. 
There is a privacy statement published on http://www.regulations.gov.

Privacy Act Statement

    In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the 
public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these 
comments, without edit, including any personal information the 
commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system 
of records notice (DOT/ALL- 14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at 
www.dot.gov/privacy.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Byron Coy, Senior Technical Advisor, 
Pipeline Safety Policy and Programs, by telephone at 609-771-7810 or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In December 2016, PHMSA issued an interim 
final rule (IFR) titled: ``Pipeline Safety: Underground Natural Gas 
Storage Facilities'' (81 FR 91860). In the IFR, PHMSA established 
minimum federal safety standards for intrastate and interstate 
underground natural gas storage facilities under its regulatory 
authority at 49 U.S.C. 60101 and 60102 and as directed by section 12 of 
the ``Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety 
Act of 2016.'' On January 18, 2017, the American Gas Association, the 
American Petroleum Institute, the American Public Gas Association, and 
the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) jointly 
submitted a petition seeking reconsideration of certain provisions of 
the IFR. (INGAA has since withdrawn from the petition.)
    Recognizing that the IFR set certain deadlines by which the 
operators of underground natural gas storage facilities must act but 
that would occur before PHMSA could adopt a final rule, PHMSA published 
a notice on June 20, 2017, in the Federal Register (82 FR 28224), 
announcing that (1) the agency would not issue enforcement citations to 
operators for non-compliance with certain provisions of the IFR for a 
period of one year after publication of the final rule, and (2) it 
intended to address the issues raised by the petitioners in the final 
rule. For these reasons, PHMSA is now providing the public with an 
additional opportunity to comment on the IFR and an opportunity to 
comment on the issues raised in the petition. PHMSA is therefore 
reopening the comment period for this IFR until November 20, 2017. All 
documents and comments related to this matter are available for review 
at http://www.regulations.gov in docket number PHMSA-2016-0016.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on October 11, 2017, under authority 
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2017-22553 Filed 10-18-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P