[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 101 (Thursday, May 25, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27809-27810]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-12837]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Research and Special Programs Administration
[Docket No. P-94-1W; Notice 2]


Columbia Gulf Transmission Company; Transportation of Natural Gas 
by Pipeline, Grant of Waiver

    Columbia Gulf Transmission Company (Columbia Gulf) has petitioned 
the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) for a waiver 
from compliance with 49 CFR 192.612(b)(3), which requires that gas 
pipeline facilities in the Gulf of Mexico found to be exposed on the 
seabed or constituting a hazard to navigation be reburied so that the 
top of the pipe is 36 inches below the seabed for normal excavation or 
18 inches for rock excavation.
    During a DOT-required survey, Columbia Gulf discovered that a 260 
foot portion of the 36-inch Bluewater Mainline 200 did not meet the 12-
inch depth of cover requirements of Sec. 192.612. At the point where 
coverage is not sufficient, Columbia Gulf's pipeline crosses over a 
Trunkline Gas Company (Trunkline) 16-inch pipeline and an Amoco 
Production Company (AMOCO) abandoned 4-inch pipeline. Therefore, 
Columbia Gulf cannot comply with the lowering requirement without first 
lowering or crossing below the Trunkline and Amoco pipelines. This 
coincidental lowering would present the potential for damage to these 
lines which could cause environmental pollution.
    This waiver will allow Columbia Gulf to cover 813 feet along the 
subject pipeline segment with a concrete mesh blanket alternative to 
the 36-inch depth of cover requirement. The waiver will also extend the 
time limitation required for compliance with Sec. 192.612 until 
November 30, 1995, to allow for completion of the work.
    A ``concrete mesh blanket'' unit is an 8 foot x 20 foot section 
constructed from 160 individually cast 17 inch x 17 inch x 9 inch 
beveled concrete briquettes inter-connected with \3/4\ inch 
polypropelene UV stabilized line. A total of 41 (8 foot x 20 foot x 9 
inch) units of ``concrete mesh blanket'' will be required to cover the 
813 feet of affected pipeline. Each of the 41 units will be hydrojetted 
flush with the seabed and permanently anchored with six screw anchors.
    The top of the 12-inch pipeline the mesh blanket is intended to 
cover is presently buried 6 inches below unconsolidated bottom in the 
Gulf of Mexico from Lat. 29 deg.30'21.46'', Long. 92 deg.22'54.08'' to 
Lat. 29 deg.30'13.4'', Long. 92 deg.22'53.98''; Block 15, Vermillion 
area, approximately 8 miles South of Pecan Island, LA. The pipeline is 
coated with concrete.
    The use of the proposed blanket will effectively cover the pipeline 
to 15 inches (9'' blanket + 6'' cover). The required reburial is to 36 
inches below the bottom or 18 inches below a rock bottom. Therefore 
this waiver is necessary to allow for the use of the concrete mesh 
blanket.
    Columbia Gulf will also install a rock shield over the pipeline 
before installation of the blanket. The rock shield must be of at least 
\3/8\ inches of thickness constructed of an appropriate material, such 
as ``Tuff N Nuff'' manufactured by Submar.
    In response to this petition and the justification contained 
therein, RSPA issued a notice of petition for waiver inviting 
interested parties to comment (Notice 1)(60 FR 10893, Feb. 28, 1995). 
In that notice, RSPA explained why granting a waiver from the 
requirements of Sec. 192.612 to allow placement of the concrete mesh 
blanket would not have a deleterious impact on safety. Comments were 
received from three pipeline operators and one interstate pipeline 
association. Each commentor endorsed the petition and recommended 
granting the waiver.
    One commentor further recommended that RSPA also require Columbia 
Gulf to notify Trunkline at least 48 hours in advance so as to allow a 
Trunkline inspector to be present while work is in progress in the 
vicinity of its pipeline. RSPA agrees, and hereby requires Columbia 
Gulf to notify Trunkline as described.
    In view of these reasons and those stated in the foregoing 
discussion, RSPA, by this order, finds that a waiver of compliance with 
Sec. 192.612(c)(3) is consistent with pipeline safety. Accordingly, 
Columbia Gulf Transmission Company's petition from compliance with 
Sec. 192.612(b)(3) is granted.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 1672(d); Sec. 1.53, and appendix A of part 
106.

    [[Page 27810]] Issued in Washington, D.C. on May 19, 1995.
Cesar De Leon,
Acting Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 95-12837 Filed 5-24-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P