83 FR 9574 - Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 44 (March 6, 2018)

This notice announces a public meeting of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC). The GPAC will meet to continue discussing topics and provisions for the proposed rule titled ``Safety of Gas Transmission and Gathering Pipelines.''

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9574-9575]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04520]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2016-0136]


Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee

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

ACTION: Notice of advisory committee meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a public meeting of the Technical 
Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline 
Advisory Committee (GPAC). The GPAC will meet to continue discussing 
topics and provisions for the proposed rule titled ``Safety of Gas 
Transmission and Gathering Pipelines.''

DATES: The committee will meet on Monday, March 26, 2018, from 1:00 
p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 27, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 
p.m., and on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. 
Members of the public who wish to participate are asked to register no 
later than March 16, 2018. Individuals requiring accommodations, such 
as sign language interpretation or other ancillary aids, may notify 
PHMSA by March 16, 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 
pipeline advisory committee meeting and registration page at: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/MtgHome.mtg?mtg=132.
    The meeting will not be webcast; however, presentations will be 
available on the meeting page and posted on the E-Gov website, http://www.regulations.gov, under docket number PHMSA-2016-0136 within 30 days 
following the meeting.

Public Participation

    This meeting will be open to the public. Members of the public who 
wish to participate are asked to register at the meeting link above no 
later than March 16, 2018, prior to the meeting. Anyone wishing to make 
a statement on the topics discussed during the meeting should send an 
email to [email protected]. Each statement should not exceed two 
minutes.
    Written comments: Persons who wish to submit written comments on 
the meeting may submit them to the docket in the following ways:
    E-Gov website: http://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-2016-0136 at the 
beginning of your comments. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to http://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 http://www.regulations.gov before submitting any such 
comments.
    Docket: For access to the docket or to read background documents or 
comments, go to http://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-2016-0136.'' 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), 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.
    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 meetings, 
contact Cheryl Whetsel by phone at 202-366-

[[Page 9575]]

4431 or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Meeting Details and Agenda

    The GPAC will be considering the proposed rule titled, ``Safety of 
Gas Transmission and Gathering Pipelines,'' which was published in the 
Federal Register on April 8, 2016, (81 FR 20722) and on the associated 
regulatory analysis. In the proposed rule, PHMSA proposed the following 
changes to Part 192:
     Require periodic assessments of pipelines in locations 
where persons are expected to be at risk that are not already covered 
under the integrity management (IM) program requirements.
     Modify the repair criteria, both inside and outside of 
high consequence areas.
     Require inspections of pipelines in areas affected by 
extreme weather, man-made and natural disasters, and other similar 
events.
     Provide additional specificity for in-line inspections, 
including explicit requirements to account for uncertainty of reported 
inspection data when evaluating in-line inspection data to identify 
anomalies.
     Expand integrity assessment methods to explicitly address 
guided wave ultrasonic inspection and excavation with direct in-situ 
examination.
     Provide clearer functional requirements for conducting 
risk assessments for IM, including addressing seismic risks.
     Expand the mandatory data collection and integration 
requirements for IM, including data validation and seismicity.
     Add requirements to address management of change.
     Repeal the use of API Recommended Practice 80 for 
gathering lines.
     Apply Type B requirements along with emergency 
requirements to newly regulated greater than 8-inch Type A gathering 
lines in Class 1 locations (GAO Recommendation 14-667).
     Extend the reporting requirements to all gathering lines.
     Expand requirements for corrosion protection to specify 
additional post-construction quality checks, and periodic operational 
and maintenance checks to address coating integrity, cathodic 
protection, and gas quality monitoring.
     Require operators to report maximum allowable operating 
pressure exceedances.
     Require safety features on in-line inspection tool 
launchers and receivers.
     Add certain types of roadways to the definition of 
``identified sites'' (NTSB P-14-1).
     Address grandfathered pipe and pipe with inadequate 
records.
    The GPAC meeting agenda will include a discussion and votes on the 
following topics as time permits:
     Issues not finalized during the March 2, 2018, meeting.
     MAOP Reconfirmation.
     Repair Criteria.
     Miscellaneous Issues and Definitions.
    In addition, PHMSA will use this meeting to discuss the strategy 
for addressing the issues relative to gas gathering pipelines in the 
proposed rule.

II. Committee Background

    The GPAC is a statutorily mandated advisory committee that advises 
PHMSA on proposed gas pipeline safety standards and their associated 
risk assessments. The committee is established in accordance with the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2, as amended) and 49 
U.S.C. 60115. The committee consists of 15 members with membership 
evenly divided among federal and state governments, the regulated 
industry, and the general public. The committee advises PHMSA on the 
technical feasibility, reasonableness, cost-effectiveness, and 
practicability of each proposed pipeline safety standard.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 1, 2018, under authority 
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2018-04520 Filed 3-5-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-60-P