[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 42 (Thursday, March 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11853-11855]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4708]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2011-0027]


Pipeline Safety: Request for Special Permit

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal pipeline safety laws, PHMSA is 
publishing this notice of special permit requests we have received from 
several natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline operators, seeking 
relief from compliance with certain requirements in the Federal 
pipeline safety regulations. This notice seeks public comments on these 
requests, including comments on any safety or environmental impacts. At 
the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will evaluate the 
requests and determine whether to grant or deny a special permit.

DATES: Submit any comments regarding these special permit requests by 
April 4, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Comments should reference the docket numbers for the 
specific special permit request and may be submitted in the following 
ways:
    <bullet> E-Gov Web Site: http://www.Regulations.gov. This site 
allows the public to enter comments on any Federal Register notice 
issued by any agency.
    <bullet> Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery: DOT 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 a.m. and 5 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: 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.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    General: Dana Register by telephone at 202-366-0490 or e-mail at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#294d484748075b4c4e405a5d4c5b694d465d074e465f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1f7b7e717e316d7a78766c6b7a6d5f7b706b31787069">[email protected]</span></a>.
    Technical: Steve Nanney by telephone at 713-272-2855 or e-mail at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#92e1e6f7e4f7bcfcf3fcfcf7ebd2f6fde6bcf5fde4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f68582938093d898979898938fb6929982d8919980">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PHMSA has received requests for special 
permits from pipeline operators who seek relief from compliance with 
certain pipeline safety regulations. Each request includes a technical 
analysis provided by the respective operator. Each request is filed at 
http://www.Regulations.gov, and has been assigned a separate docket 
number. We invite interested persons to participate by reviewing these 
special permit requests at http://www.Regulations.gov, and by 
submitting written comments, data or other views. Please include any 
comments on potential environmental impacts that may result if these 
special permits are granted or denied.
    Before acting on these special permit requests, PHMSA will evaluate 
all comments received on or before the comments closing date. Comments 
will be evaluated after this date if it is possible to do so without 
incurring additional expense or delay. PHMSA will consider each 
relevant comment we receive in making our decision to grant or deny a 
request.
    PHMSA has received the following special permit requests:

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            Docket No.                   Requester          Regulation(s)          Nature of special permit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHMSA-RSPA-2003-15733............  TransCanada           49 CFR 192.611(a)..  TCPL petitions PHMSA for
                                    Pipelines Limited                          modification of an existing
                                    (TCPL) (Operator of                        special permit, PHMSA-RSPA-2003-
                                    Portland Natural                           15733, issued to PNGTS on March
                                    Gas Transmission                           4, 2004. TCPL proposes
                                    System (PNGTS).                            modification of special permit
                                                                               conditions (1) through (6) with
                                                                               alternative special permit
                                                                               conditions. The special permit
                                                                               area of PHMSA-RSPA-2003-15733 is
                                                                               located in Coos County, New
                                                                               Hampshire and is a 24-inch
                                                                               mainline natural gas pipeline,
                                                                               595 feet in length. The first
                                                                               segment of the special permit
                                                                               area is located at Survey Station
                                                                               148+52 feet (Mile Post 2.81) to
                                                                               Survey Station 152+92 feet (Mile
                                                                               Post 2.90). The second special
                                                                               permit segment is located at
                                                                               Survey Station 174 + 25 feet
                                                                               (Mile Post 3.30) to Survey
                                                                               Station 175+80 feet (Mile Post
                                                                               3.33). Both special permit
                                                                               segments are located in Coos
                                                                               County, New Hampshire. Proposed
                                                                               new special permit segment 3 (new
                                                                               segment application on June 9,
                                                                               2010) is defined as the PNGTS 24-
                                                                               inch Mainline pipeline beginning
                                                                               at Survey Station 171+17 feet
                                                                               (Mile Post 3.24). The special
                                                                               permit segment extends for 308
                                                                               feet along the PNGTS 24-inch
                                                                               Mainline and concludes at Survey
                                                                               Station 174 + 25 feet (Mile Post
                                                                               3.30). The special permit segment
                                                                               3 is located in Coos County, New
                                                                               Hampshire.
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[[Page 11854]]

 
PHMSA-2010-0148..................  TCPL (Operator of     49 CFR 192.611(a)..  To authorize TCPL to engage in an
                                    PNGTS).                                    alternative approach to conduct
                                                                               risk control activities based on
                                                                               Integrity Management Program
                                                                               principles rather than lowering
                                                                               the Maximum Allowable Operating
                                                                               Pressure (MAOP) or replacing the
                                                                               subject pipe segment. This
                                                                               application is for one segment of
                                                                               the PNGTS natural gas mainline in
                                                                               Coos County, New Hampshire. This
                                                                               segment has changed from a Class
                                                                               2 location (original Class 1
                                                                               location) to a Class 3 location
                                                                               due to construction of new single
                                                                               family homes within 660 feet of
                                                                               the pipeline. The pipeline is 24
                                                                               inches in diameter and has a MAOP
                                                                               of 1,440 psig. The segment that
                                                                               has changed class location is 114
                                                                               feet in length and is located
                                                                               from Survey Station 3705 + 59
                                                                               feet (Mile Post 70.18), to Survey
                                                                               Station 3706 + 73 feet (Mile Post
                                                                               70.20).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHMSA-2010-0261..................  Buckeye Partners,     49 CFR               To authorize Buckeye a waiver from
                                    L.P. (Buckeye).       195.452(h)(4)        the Federal regulations to repair
                                                          (i)(D).              requirements for a dent on the
                                                                               top of pipe greater than 6% of
                                                                               the nominal pipe diameter. The
                                                                               8.2 percent deep dent (5.3 inches
                                                                               long by 7 inches wide at the
                                                                               12:45 o'clock position) is
                                                                               located 75 feet off the north
                                                                               bank of the Delaware River. The
                                                                               8.625-inch diameter pipe is
                                                                               installed in a 12-inch casing
                                                                               pipe. This request is for the
                                                                               2.64 miles long, 8-inch PY742PL
                                                                               pipeline that connects from the
                                                                               Paulsboro refinery in New Jersey
                                                                               to the Philadelphia Airport. The
                                                                               pipeline is operated to a MAOP of
                                                                               274 psig. This 8.625-inch
                                                                               diameter by 0.322-inch pipeline
                                                                               transports jet fuel.
PHMSA-2010-0262..................  Wyoming Interstate    49 CFR 192.11        To authorize WIC to operate 60.23
                                    Company (WIC).        (c)(1), 192.112(c)   miles of the 24-inch 123.9 miles
                                                          (2),                 Kanda Lateral at an alternate
                                                          192.620(a)(2)(ii).   MAOP. The request is to operate
                                                                               32.85 miles at 77.7% of specified
                                                                               maximum yield strength (SMYS) and
                                                                               to operate 27.38 miles at 75.2%
                                                                               SMYS. The entire length of the
                                                                               pipeline is in a Class 1 location
                                                                               with seven dwellings intended for
                                                                               human occupancy, located within
                                                                               660 feet of the existing pipeline
                                                                               route. Presently, 49 CFR Part 192
                                                                               limits this pipeline to an
                                                                               operating stress of 72% SMYS in
                                                                               Class 1 locations. The Kanda
                                                                               Lateral begins in Uintah County,
                                                                               Utah with a northerly route into
                                                                               Southwestern Wyoming and
                                                                               terminates in Sweetwater County,
                                                                               Wyoming. The pipeline was
                                                                               constructed and placed into
                                                                               service in 2007.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHMSA-2010-0041..................  Williams Gas          49 CFR 192.150.....  WGP has petitioned PHMSA for
                                    Pipeline (WGP),                            relief from the Federal pipeline
                                    owner and operator                         safety regulations in 49 CFR Sec.
                                    of the                                       192.150 for one 2,100-foot 30-
                                    Transcontinental                           inch segment of the Transco
                                    Gas Pipeline                               natural gas system where a
                                    (Transco).                                 portion of Mainline ``A'' is
                                                                               currently unable to pass internal
                                                                               inspection devices. This is due
                                                                               to WGP's inability to replace the
                                                                               2,100-foot 30-inch section of the
                                                                               Transco pipeline crossing the
                                                                               Brandywine Creek with 42-inch
                                                                               pipe. This 2,100-foot segment of
                                                                               30-inch pipeline is part of the
                                                                               Downingtown Replacement Project
                                                                               and is located from Mile Post
                                                                               1715.62 (Survey Station 2274 +
                                                                               55) to Mile Post 1716.03 (Survey
                                                                               Station 2296+06) in Chester
                                                                               County, Pennsylvania. The
                                                                               Downingtown Replacement Project
                                                                               included the replacement of a
                                                                               total of approximately 7.15 miles
                                                                               of 30-inch pipe with 42-inch pipe
                                                                               on the Transco Mainline ``A''
                                                                               from Mile Post 1715.09
                                                                               (Downingtown Meter Station) to
                                                                               Mile Post 1722.24 (Compressor
                                                                               Station 200) located in Chester
                                                                               County, Pennsylvania. WGP
                                                                               proposes to use alternative
                                                                               integrity management methods to
                                                                               provide a level of safety
                                                                               equivalent to those provided by
                                                                               Federal safety regulations for
                                                                               this 2,100-foot section of 30-
                                                                               inch pipeline, until it can be
                                                                               replaced with 42-inch pipe. To
                                                                               confirm the integrity of the 30-
                                                                               inch pipeline, WGP has
                                                                               hydrostatically retested the
                                                                               existing 30-inch pipeline from
                                                                               Mile Post 1715.62 to Mile Post
                                                                               1716.03 for eight hours at 910
                                                                               psig.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHMSA-2010-0192..................  TCPL-American         49 CFR 192.611(a)..  To authorize TCPL-ANR to engage in
                                    Natural Resources                          an alternative approach to
                                    (ANR).                                     conduct risk control activities
                                                                               based on Integrity Management
                                                                               Program principles rather than
                                                                               lowering the MAOP or replacing
                                                                               the subject pipe segment. This
                                                                               application is for one segment of
                                                                               the TCPL-ANR Lateral Loop 2-716
                                                                               located in St. Martin Parish,
                                                                               Louisiana. This segment has
                                                                               changed from a Class 2 location
                                                                               (original Class 1 location) to a
                                                                               Class 3 location due to new
                                                                               single family dwellings built
                                                                               within 660 feet of the pipeline.
                                                                               The pipeline is 30 inches in
                                                                               diameter and has a MAOP of 1,050
                                                                               psig. The segment that has
                                                                               changed class location is 3,149
                                                                               feet in length and is located at
                                                                               Station 584 + 66 feet to Station
                                                                               616+15 feet in St. Martin Parish,
                                                                               Louisiana.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



[[Page 11855]]

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 60118 (c)(1) and 49 CFR 1.53.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2011.
Jeffrey D. Wiese,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2011-4708 Filed 3-2-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P


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