[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 167 (Monday, August 30, 1999)] [Notices] [Pages 47228-47229] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 99-22332] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Research and Special Programs Administration [Docket No. RSPA-99-6157] Pipeline Safety: Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Oil Pollution Act Facility Response Plans
Agency
Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.
Action
Availability of the environmental assessment for the Office of Pipeline Safety's Response Plan Review and Exercise Program.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary
Pursuant to Council on Environmental Quality regulations and Department of Transportation policy, the Research and Special Programs Administration announces the availability of an Environmental Assessment for the Office of Pipeline Safety's (OPS) Response Plan Review and Exercise Program. The Environmental Assessment examines the effects of the program on the environment and on pipeline operators' ability to respond to oil spills affecting waters of the United States. The Research and Special Programs Administration is soliciting comments on this Environmental Assessment. These comments will be considered in evaluating it and in making decisions pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Addresses
Comments on the Environmental Assessment should be submitted to: Jim Taylor, Response Plans Officer, US Department of Transportation, Research and Special Programs Administration, Office of Pipeline Safety, Room 7128, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590 or email jim.taylor@rspa.dot.gov. A limited number of copies of the Environmental Assessment are available on request. Public reading copies of the Environmental Assessment will be available at the Department of Transportation Docket Center, Room PL-401, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington DC, 20590. The Dockets Facility is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Dates
The Environmental Assessment will remain available for public comment through September 29, 1999. Written comments should be received no later than September 29, 1999. Late comments will be considered so far as practicable.
For Further Information Contact
Persons with questions about the Environmental Assessment may contact Jim Taylor at (202) 366-8860 or email jim.taylor@rspa.dot.gov. Persons with questions about viewing the Environmental Assessment in the DOT Docket Center may contact Dorothy Walker at (202) 366-9329 or email dorothy.walker@tasc.dot.gov.
Supplementary Information
In 1990, the United States Congress passed Public Law 101-380, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), to improve the nation's ability to respond to, and limit the economic and environmental impact from, marine spills of oil and other pollutants. Section 4202 of the OPA modifies the planning and response system created under the authority of Section 311(j) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (also known as the Clean Water Act). OPA required response plans for vessels and facilities that produce, store, transport, refine, and market oil. Just as oil tankers are required to submit oil spill response plans to the Coast Guard and refineries are required to submit such plans to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), oil pipelines are required to submit their facility response plans (FRP) to OPS for review and approval. To date, more than 1300 facility response plans have been submitted to OPS. They represent some 200 oil pipeline operators, and lines that vary from 3-inch gathering systems to 36-inch product lines to the 48-inch Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. OPS conducts a thorough review of the plans, with particular emphasis on the adequacy of the pipeline operator's response resources, incident command system, and ability to protect environmentally sensitive areas from harm. OPS also makes sure that pipeline operators' plans are consistent with both the National Contingency Plan and the local Area Contingency Plan, which are developed by the Coast Guard and EPA. In addition to reviewing operators' plans, OPS conducts exercises to test pipeline operators' ability to implement their facility response plans. To date, OPS has conducted sixty-nine Tabletop Exercises, scenario-driven discussions in which operators explain how they would implement their plans to respond to a worst-case spill. OPS has also conducted nine full-scale Area Exercises with pipeline operators in which they deploy people and equipment to the field in response to a simulated spill. In both Tabletop and Area Exercises, OPS makes every effort to have other Federal, State, and local environmental and emergency response agencies participate. Their participation makes exercises more realistic, and builds relationships between industry and public sector responders that make the response to real spills go more smoothly. The Environmental Assessment concisely describes OPS's recent review of the effectiveness of its Response Plan Review and Exercise Program, its proposed action to continue implementation of the current program, the alternative programmatic approaches considered, the environment affected by this action, the consequences to the environment of the alternatives considered, and a list of the agencies and organizations consulted.
Issued in Washington, DC, on August 24, 1999. Richard B. Felder, Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety. [FR Doc. 99-22332 Filed 8-27-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-60-P