83 FR 3866 - Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Voluntary Information-Sharing System Working Group

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 18 (January 26, 2018)

This notice announces a public meeting of the Voluntary Information-Sharing System (VIS) Working Group. The VIS Working Group will convene to discuss and identify recommendations to establish a voluntary information-sharing system.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 18 (Friday, January 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3866-3867]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01476]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2016-0128]


Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Voluntary Information-Sharing 
System Working Group

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a public meeting of the Voluntary 
Information-Sharing System (VIS) Working Group. The VIS Working Group 
will convene to discuss and identify recommendations to establish a 
voluntary information-sharing system.

DATES: The meeting will be held on February 28, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 
5:00 p.m. ET. Members of the public who wish to attend in person should 
register no later than February 23, 2018. Individuals requiring 
accommodations, such as sign language interpretation or other ancillary 
aids, may notify PHMSA by February 23, 2018. For additional 
information, see the ADDRESSES section.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at a location yet to be determined 
in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. The meeting location, agenda 
and any additional information will be published on the following VIS 
Working Group and registration page at: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/MtgHome.mtg?mtg=130. The meetings will not be webcast; 
however, presentations will be available on the meeting website and 
posted on the E-Gov website, https://www.regulations.gov/, under docket 
number PHMSA-2016-0128 within 30 days following the meeting.
    Public Participation: These meetings will be open to the public. 
Members of the public who attend in person will also be provided an 
opportunity to make a statement during the meetings.
    Written comments: Persons who wish to submit written comments on 
the meetings may submit them to the docket in the following ways:
    E-Gov website: https://www.regulations.gov. This site allows the 
public to enter comments on any Federal Register notice issued by any 
agency.
    Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation 
(DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the ground level of the DOT West 
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m. 
and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.
    Instructions: Identify the docket number PHMSA-2016-0128 at the 
beginning of your comments. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided.
    Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments received into 
any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment 
(or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). Therefore, consider reviewing DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000, (65 FR 19477), or view the Privacy Notice at https://www.regulations.gov before submitting comments.
    Docket: For docket access or to read background documents or 
comments, go to https://www.regulations.gov at any time or to Room W12-
140 on the ground level of the DOT West Building, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    If you wish to receive confirmation of receipt of your written 
comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard with the 
following statement: ``Comments on PHMSA-2016-0128.'' The docket clerk 
will date stamp the postcard prior to returning it to you via the U.S. 
mail.

Privacy Act Statement

    In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), the DOT solicits comments from 
the public to better inform its rulemaking process. The DOT posts these

[[Page 3867]]

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.
    Services for Individuals with Disabilities: The public meeting will 
be physically accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals 
requiring accommodations, such as sign language interpretation or other 
ancillary aids, are asked to notify Cheryl Whetsel at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the meeting, 
contact Cheryl Whetsel by phone at 202-366-4431 or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    The VIS Working Group is a recently created advisory committee 
established in accordance with Section 10 of the Protecting our 
Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2016 (Pub. L. 
114-183), the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., App. 2, 
as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.50(a).

II. Meeting Details and Agenda

    The VIS Working Group agenda will include briefings on topics such 
as mandate requirements, integrity management, data types and tools, 
in-line inspection repair and other direct assessment methods, 
geographic information system implementation, subcommittee 
considerations, lessons learned, examples of existing information-
sharing systems, safety management systems, and more. As part of its 
work, the committee will ultimately provide recommendations to the 
Secretary, as required and specifically outlined in Section 10 of 
Public Law 114-183, addressing:
    (a) The need for, and the identification of, a system to ensure 
that dig verification data are shared with in-line inspection operators 
to the extent consistent with the need to maintain proprietary and 
security-sensitive data in a confidential manner to improve pipeline 
safety and inspection technology;
    (b) Ways to encourage the exchange of pipeline inspection 
information and the development of advanced pipeline inspection 
technologies and enhanced risk analysis;
    (c) Opportunities to share data, including dig verification data 
between operators of pipeline facilities and in-line inspector vendors 
to expand knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of the 
different types of in-line inspection technology and methodologies;
    (d) Options to create a secure system that protects proprietary 
data while encouraging the exchange of pipeline inspection information 
and the development of advanced pipeline inspection technologies and 
enhanced risk analysis;
    (e) Means and best practices for the protection of safety and 
security-sensitive information and proprietary information; and
    (f) Regulatory, funding, and legal barriers to sharing the 
information described in paragraphs (a) through (d).
    The Secretary will publish the VIS Working Group's recommendations 
on a publicly available DOT website and in the docket. The VIS Working 
Group will fulfill its purpose once its recommendations are published 
online. PHMSA will publish the agenda on the PHMSA meeting page https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/MtgHome.mtg?mtg=130, once it is 
finalized.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 23, 2018, under authority 
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2018-01476 Filed 1-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-60-P