Document

Pipeline Safety: Request for Special Permit; Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (TGT)

PHMSA is publishing this notice to solicit public comments on a request for a special permit submitted by Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (TGT), a subsidiary of Boardwalk Pipelines,...

PDF version FederalRegister.gov

Department of Transportation

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2026-0067]

AGENCY:

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA); U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

PHMSA is publishing this notice to solicit public comments on a request for a special permit submitted by Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (TGT), a subsidiary of Boardwalk Pipelines, LP. TGT is seeking relief from compliance with certain requirements in the Federal pipeline safety regulations. PHMSA has proposed conditions to ensure that the special permit is not inconsistent with pipeline safety. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will review the comments received in response to this notice in determining whether to grant or deny the special permit request.

DATES:

Submit any comments regarding this special permit request by May 26, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

Comments should reference the docket number for this special permit request and may be submitted 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.
Mail: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
Hand Delivery: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Instructions: You should identify the docket number for the special permit request you are commenting on at the beginning of your comments. If you submit your comments by mail, please submit two copies. To receive confirmation that PHMSA has received your comments, please include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Internet users may submit comments at http://www.regulations.gov.

Note:

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

Confidential Business Information: Confidential Business Information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 United States Code § 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to this notice contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to this notice, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Pursuant to 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 190.343, you may ask PHMSA to give confidential treatment to information you give to the agency by taking the following steps: (1) mark each page of the original document submission containing CBI as “Confidential”; (2) send PHMSA, along with the original document, a second copy of the original document with the CBI deleted; and (3) explain why the information you are submitting is CBI. Unless you are notified otherwise, PHMSA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public docket of this notice. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Lee Cooper, DOT, PHMSA-PHP-80, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001. Any commentary PHMSA receives that is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this matter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

General: Mr. Lee Cooper by email at lee.cooper@dot.gov.

Technical: Ms. Stephanie Zuehlke by e-mail at stephanie.zuehlke@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On January 27, 2026, PHMSA received a special permit request from TGT. The request asks PHMSA to waive the odorization requirements in the Federal pipeline safety regulations in 49 CFR 192.625(b) for 14 special permit segments. The segments extend approximately 0.72 miles (3,787 feet) in total length and are part of a 16-inch diameter steel natural gas transmission pipeline. The transmission line, known as TGT SPL 20-1TT, is located in DeSoto County, Mississippi. Twelve of the special permit segments, totaling 0.56 miles (2,983 feet) in length, are in Class 3 locations. Two of the special ( printed page 22224) permit segments, totaling 0.15 miles (804 feet) in length, are in Class 2 locations.

TGT SPL 20-1TT delivers un-odorized natural gas to a power plant. Odorizing the gas will adversely impact the performance and efficiency of the power plant. To avoid these impacts, TGT asks PHMSA to waive the requirement of 49 CFR 192.625(b), which requires the odorization of a combustible gas in a transmission line in a Class 3 location so that a concentration in air of one-fifth of the lower explosive limit is readily detectable by a person with a normal sense of smell.

The draft conditions were preliminarily determined to ensure that the special permit is not inconsistent with pipeline safety. The requested special permit segments are as follows:

Operator SPS No.	County, state	Class location	Outside diameter (inches)	Line name	Length (feet)	Year installed
1	DeSoto, MS	3	16	SPL 20-1TT	1,089	2002
2	DeSoto, MS	2	16	SPL 20-1TT	294	2002
3	DeSoto, MS	3	16	SPL 20-1TT	513	2002
4	DeSoto, MS	2	16	SPL 20-1TT	510	2002
5	DeSoto, MS	3	16	SPL 20-1TT	1,366	2002
6	DeSoto, MS	3	16	SPL 20-1TT	20	2002
7	DeSoto, MS	3	16	SPL 20-1TT	772	2002
8	DeSoto, MS	3	16	SPL 20-1TT	15	2023
9	DeSoto, MS	3	16	SPL 20-1TT	186	2002
10	DeSoto, MS	3	16	SPL 20-1TT	16	2002
11	DeSoto, MS	3	16	SPL 20-1TT	210	2002
12	DeSoto, MS	3	16	SPL 20-1TT	16	2002
13	DeSoto, MS	3	16	SPL 20-1TT	66	2002
14	DeSoto, MS	3	16	SPL 20-1TT	4	2002

PHMSA has incorporated and implemented the following categorical exclusion (CE) into its procedures:

1. Granting, renewing, or denying a special permit related to waiving class location or odorization requirements, following the procedures set forth in 49 CFR 190.341, including the identification of any enforceable conditions, imposed pursuant to 49 CFR 190.341(d)(2), that are required to prevent and address pipeline safety and environmental risk (DOT 5610.1D).

Environmental Protection Specialists from PHMSA independently reviewed the special permit request for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Based on the scope of the action, PHMSA has further determined there are no extraordinary circumstances that would preclude application of the CE to this special permit. To ensure continued human and environmental safety, the operator must fulfill the conditions of the special permit; continue to employ good operating practices; and continue to follow any additional applicable permitting requirements, State laws, or Federal requirements related to environmental protection. Should conditions change, or should extraordinary circumstances materialize, the operator must contact PHMSA for reevaluation. The proposed action is hereby categorically excluded from further NEPA review. The final CE will be published at https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/planning-and-analytics/environmental-analysis-and-compliance/implementing-procedures.

The special permit request, draft proposed special permit with conditions, and CE for the above-described TGT pipeline segments are available for review and public comment in Docket No. PHMSA-2026-0067. Please submit comments on any potential safety, environmental, and other relevant considerations implicated by the special permit request. Comments may include relevant data to be considered.

Before issuing a decision on the special permit request, PHMSA will evaluate all comments received on or before the comment closing date. PHMSA will consider each relevant comment it receives in making its decision to grant or deny this special permit request.

Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.

Linda Daugherty,

Acting Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.

[FR Doc. 2026-07992 Filed 4-23-26; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-60-P

Legal Citation

Federal Register Citation

Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.

91 FR 22223

Web Citation

Suggested Web Citation

Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.

“Pipeline Safety: Request for Special Permit; Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (TGT),” thefederalregister.org (April 24, 2026), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2026-07992/pipeline-safety-request-for-special-permit-texas-gas-transmission-llc-tgt.