Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 220 / Tuesday, November 16, 2004 / Notices 67213

comments were received in response to 

this Notice. 

Findings and Grant of Waiver 

RSPA/OPS finds that Alyeska’s 

requested waiver from § 195.424 (a) is 

not inconsistent with pipeline safety for 

the following reasons: 

1. Because of its unique design, the 

aboveground portion of TAPS behaves 

differently from conventionally buried 

pipelines. Moving a buried pipeline 

during maintenance activities may 

impose additional stresses on the pipe. 

Thus, lowering the pipeline pressure 

prior to movement provides a safety 

factor and reduces the possibility of 

pipeline failure from overstressing the 

pipe. In contrast, TAPS’ aboveground 

pipeline is placed on support structures 

that allow the pipeline to move freely 

within a design range without imposing 

additional stresses on the pipeline. This 

design feature eliminates or reduces 

stresses imposed on the pipeline due to 

thermal expansion, seismic events, or 

settlement of the support structures and 

reduces the need to reduce pressure on 

the pipeline. 

2. The TAPS pipeline is fully 

restrained where it transitions between 

underground and aboveground sections. 

The point of restraint is located 

approximately 1,000–1,500 feet away 

from the transition. This is point where 

the pipeline begins to behave as a fully 

restrained underground structure. 

Aboveground piping is more easily 

monitored and is much less restrained 

than underground pipe. Stresses 

imposed on aboveground pipe in the 

TAPS system are resolved by allowing 

movement of the pipe on support 

structures. Therefore, it is not necessary 

to reduce operating pressure on 

aboveground sections of the TAPS 

pipeline during routine maintenance 

activities. 

3. Alyeska has established 

maintenance procedures to ensure the 

safety of the aboveground portion of this 

pipeline. These maintenance procedures 

ensure that the pipeline is maintained 

within its safe operating design limits. 

Alyeska has procedures to: 

• Install temporary support brackets 

to lift and replace the pipeline’s vertical 

support members (VSMs); 

• Calibrate the spring hangers and 

balance the load across the VSM; 

• Adjust the brackets and re-level the 

anchor platforms whenever the anchor 

platform exceeds 2 percent; 

• Reposition the anchor slide plate to 

return the anchor to its proper 

alignment; and 

• Adjust the elevation of the pipe 

shoes to increase the flexibility of the 

pipeline during pipe movement. 

Many of these maintenance 

procedures are considered ‘‘covered 

tasks’’ under 49 CFR 195.501, 

Qualification of Pipeline Personnel. All 

steps of a procedure are mandatory and 

must be followed by pipeline 

maintenance personnel. Maintenance 

crew members must be qualified on the 

method of applying a procedure and on 

how to provide notification to the 

Operations Control Center, the local 

Maintenance Coordinator, the Control 

Room Operator, and the nearest 

upstream pump station prior to 

performing a procedure. 

Based on these findings, RSPA/OPS 

grants Alyeska’s request for a waiver of 

the requirements of § 195.424(a) for the 

aboveground portion of TAPS. The grant 

of this waiver is conditioned on the 

following items. Alyeska must—

• Apply this waiver only to the 

aboveground portions of TAPS; 

• Apply this waiver during instances 

of routine pipe movement provided the 

pipe movement does not increase the 

stresses on the pipe; 

• Not apply this waiver during 

instances where the pipe has fallen off 

the pipe supports due to seismic or 

hydraulic events, frost jacking, or 

dilapidated support structures; and 

• Apply this waiver only during 

instances whenever routine 

maintenance necessitates the 

aboveground pipe be moved laterally, 

longitudinally or vertically, to relieve 

pipe stresses and restore the pipe to its 

intended position. 

If Alyeska does not comply with any 

of these requirements, or if 

circumstances indicate that the waiver 

compromises the safety of the pipeline 

or of people or property, RSPA/OPS 

reserves the right to terminate the 

waiver.

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

1.53.

Issued in Washington, DC on November 10, 

2004. 

Stacey L. Gerard, 

Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.

[FR Doc. 04–25427 Filed 11–15–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–60–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service 

Proposed Collection; Comment 

Request for Forms 9460 and 9477

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 

Treasury.

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Department of the 

Treasury, as part of its continuing effort 

to reduce paperwork and respondent 

burden, invites the general public and 

other Federal agencies to take this 

opportunity to comment on proposed 

and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is 

soliciting comments concerning Forms 

9460 and 9477, Tax Forms Inventory 

Report.

DATES: Written comments should be 

received on or before January 18, 2005, 

to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to R. Joseph Durbala, Internal Revenue 

Service, room 6516, 1111 Constitution 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20224.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the forms and instructions 

should be directed to Carol Savage at 

Internal Revenue Service, room 6516, 

1111 Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC 20224, or at (202) 622–

3945, or through the Internet at 

CAROL.A.SAVAGE@irs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Tax Forms Inventory Report. 

OMB Number: 1545–1739. 

Forms Numbers: 9460 and 9477. 

Abstract: Forms 9460 and 9477 are 

designed to collect tax forms inventory 

information from banks, post offices, 

and libraries that distribute federal tax 

forms. Data is collected detailing the 

quantities and types of tax forms 

remaining at the end of the filing 

season. The data is combined with the 

shipment date for each account and 

used to establish forms distribution 

guidelines for the following year. Form 

9460 is used for accounts who order 

forms in carton quantities, and Form 

9477 is used for those who order forms 

in less than carton quantities. 

Current Actions: There are no changes 

being made to the forms at this time. 

Type of Review: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations, not-for-profit 

institutions, and the Federal 

government. 

Estimated Number of Respondents:

14,000. 

Estimated Time Per Respondent: 14 

minutes. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 3,417. 

The following paragraph applies to all 

of the collections of information covered 

by this notice: 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor, and a person is not required to 

67214 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 220 / Tuesday, November 16, 2004 / Notices 

respond to, a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a valid OMB control number. 

Books or records relating to a collection 

of information must be retained as long 

as their contents may become material 

in the administration of any internal 

revenue law. Generally, tax returns and 

tax return information are confidential, 

as required by 26 U.S.C. 6103. 

Request for Comments 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and/or 

included in the request for OMB 

approval. All comments will become a 

matter of public record. Comments are 

invited on: (a) Whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information shall have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of the burden of the collection of 

information; (c) ways to enhance the 

quality, utility, and clarity of the 

information to be collected; (d) ways to 

minimize the burden of the collection of 

information on respondents, including 

through the use of automated collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology; and (e) estimates of capital 

or start-up costs and costs of operation, 

maintenance, and purchase of services 

to provide information.

Approved: November 8, 2004. 

R. Joseph Durbala, 

IRS Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 04–25326 Filed 11–15–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4830–01–P