Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 16 / Monday, January 26, 1998 /Rules and Regulations 3653

maximum, within 6 months of the date

of the audit report.

(c)(1) The identification and tracking

of contract audit reports under NASA

cognizance are accomplished in

cooperation with the DCAA.

(2) Identification and tracking of OMB

Circular No. A–133 audit reports are

accomplished in cooperation with the

NASA Office of the Inspector General

(OIG) by means of a transmittal

memorandum. A transmittal

memorandum is sent by the OIG to the

procurement officer of each NASA

Center having an award (contract, grant,

or other agreement) covered by the audit

report. The transmittal memorandum

will identify any significant audit

findings.

(d)(1) All reportable contract audit

reports are defined by Part 15, Section

6, of the DCAA Contract Audit Manual

(CAM) shall be reported quarterly to the

Headquarters Office of Procurement

(Code HC); and

(2) Only OMB Circular No. A–133

audit reports involving the following

shall be reported quarterly to Code HC:

(i) A significant management control

issue; or

(ii) Questioned costs of $10,000 or

more due to an audit finding (see

Subpart E-Auditor, paragraph 510 of

OMB Circular No. A–133).

(3) NASA contracting officers will

maintain a dialogue with DOD

Administrative Contracting Officers

(ACO) who have been delegated

activities on NASA contracts. A review

will be conducted no less frequently

than semiannually, and the status and

disposition of significant audit findings

will be documented in the contract file.

(e)(1) The terms ‘‘resolution’’ and

‘‘disposition’’ are defined in Appendix

A of NPG 1200.1.

(2) The resolution and disposition of

OMB Circular No. A–133 audits are

handled as follows:

(i) Audit findings pertaining to an

individual NASA award are the

responsibility of the procurement officer

administering that award.

(ii) Audit findings having a

Governmentwide impact are the

responsibility of the cognizant Federal

agency responsible for oversight. For

organizations subject to OMB Circular

No. A–133, there is either a cognizant

agency or an oversight agency. The

cognizant agency is the Federal agency

that provides the predominant amount

of direct funding to the recipient

organization unless OMB makes a

specific cognizant agency for audit

assignment. To provide for the

continuity of cognizance, the

determination of the predominant

amount of direct funding will be based

on the direct Federal awards expended

in the recipient’s fiscal years ending in

1995, 2000, 2005, and every fifth year

thereafter. When there is no direct

funding, the Federal agency with the

predominant indirect funding is to

assume the oversight responsibilities. In

cases where NASA is the cognizant or

oversight Federal agency, audit

resolution and disposition is the

responsibility of the procurement officer

for the Center having the largest amount

of direct funding, or, if there is no direct

funding, the largest amount of indirect

funding for the audited period. A copy

of the memorandum dispositioning the

findings shall be provided by each

Center having resolution responsibility

for the particular report to the

Headquarters OIG office and Code HC.

[FR Doc. 98–1753 Filed 1–23–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7510–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs

Administration

49 CFR Part 195

[Docket No. PS–121; Notice–3]

RIN 2137–AD 05

Pressure Testing Older Hazardous

Liquid and Carbon Dioxide Pipelines

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs

Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Confirmation of effective date of

Direct Final rule.

SUMMARY: This document confirms the

effective date of the amendments of the

direct final rule which extends the time

for compliance with the requirements

for pressure testing of older hazardous

liquid and carbon dioxide pipelines.

EFFECTIVE DATES: This document

confirms January 20, 1998 as the

effective date of the direct final rule,

published on October 21, 1997, at 62 FR

54591.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mike Israni, (202) 366–4571, e-mail:

mike.israni@rspa.dot.gov, regarding the

subject matter of this document, or the

Dockets Unit (202) 366–4453, for copies

of this document or other information in

the docket.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On October 21, 1997, RSPA published

a direct final rule (62 FR 54591) titled

‘‘Pressure Testing Older Hazardous

Liquid and Carbon Dioxide Pipelines.’’

In that rule, RSPA stated that if no

adverse comments were received by

December 22, 1997, it would publish a

confirmation notice in the Federal

Register by January 5, 1998, and if an

adverse comment was received, RSPA

would issue a notice to confirm that fact

and would withdraw the direct final

rule in whole or in part. The rule also

stated that RSPA might then incorporate

the adverse comment(s) into a

subsequent direct final rule or might

publish a notice of proposed

rulemaking.

The Technical Hazardous Liquid

Pipeline Safety Standards Committee

(THLPSSC) met on November 18, 1997,

in Houston, TX, to consider the

extension of the time for compliance

discussed in the October direct final

rule. (The THLPSSC was established by

statute to evaluate the technical

feasibility, reasonableness, and

practicability of proposed regulations.)

The consensus of the THLPSSC was to

support the direct final rule.

RSPA received one industry comment

supporting RSPA’s action on extension

of time for compliance. Therefore, this

document confirms new compliance

dates for pressure testing older

hazardous liquid and carbon dioxide

pipelines as amended in the direct final

rule effective January 20, 1998.

The new compliance dates are as

follows:

—Before December 7, 1998, plan and

schedule testing; or establish the

pipeline’s maximum operating

pressure under § 195.406 (a)(5).

—Before December 7, 2000, pressure

test each pipeline containing more

than 50 percent by mileage of electric

resistance welded pipe manufactured

before 1970; and at least 50 percent of

the mileage of all other pipelines; and

—Before December 7, 2003, pressure

test the remainder of the pipeline

mileage.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on January 21,

1998.

Richard B. Felder,

Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.

[FR Doc. 98–1747 Filed 1–23–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–60–P