Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 101 / Thursday, May 25, 1995 / Notices 27809

Lower extremity injury research,

Thorax injury research,

Human injury simulation and analysis,

Crash test dummy component

development,

Vehicle aggressivity and fleet

compatibility,

Upgrade side crash protection,

Upgrade seat and occupant restraint

systems,

Child safety research, and

Electric and alternate fuel vehicle safety.

Specific Crash Avoidance R&D topics

are:

Truck crashworthiness/occupant

protection,

Truck tire traction,

Portable data acquisition system for

crash avoidance research,

Systems to enhance EMS response

(automatic collision notification)

Vehicle motion environment,

Crash causal analysis,

Human factors guidelines for crash

avoidance warning devices,

Longer combination vehicle safety,

Drowsy driver monitoring

Driver workload assessment, and

Performance guidelines for IVHS

systems (approach).

Questions regarding research projects

that have been submitted in writing not

later than close of business on June 19,

1995, will be answered as time permits.

Beginning with this tenth meeting, the

time allotted to answering questions has

been increased. A transcript of the

meeting, copies of materials handed out

at the meeting, and copies of the

suggestions offered by commenters will

be available for public inspection in the

NHTSA’s Technical Reference Section,

Room 5108, 400 Seventh St., SW,

Washington, DC 20590. Copies of the

transcript will then be available at 10

cents a page, upon request to NHTSA’s

Technical Reference Section. The

Technical Reference Section is open to

the public from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

NHTSA will provide technical aids to

participants as necessary, during the

Research and Development Programs

Meeting. Thus, any person desiring the

assistance of ‘‘auxiliary aids’’ (e.g., signlanguage interpreter, telecommunication

devices for deaf persons (TTDs), readers,

taped texts, braille materials, or large

print materials and/or a magnifying

device), please contact Rita Gibbons on

202–366–4862 by close of business June

21, 1995.

FOR FUTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rita

Gibbons, Administrative Staff Assistant,

Office of research and Development, 400

Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC

20590. Telephone 202–366–4862. Fax

number: 202–366–5930.

Issued: May 19, 1995.

George L. Parker,

Associate Administrator for Research and

Development.

[FR Doc. 95–12832 Filed 5–24–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–M

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

§ 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 § 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°30′21.46′′, Long.

92°22′54.08′′ to Lat. 29°30′13.4′′, Long.

92°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 § 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 § 192.612(c)(3) is

consistent with pipeline safety.

Accordingly, Columbia Gulf

Transmission Company’s petition from

compliance with § 192.612(b)(3) is

granted.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 1672(d); § 1.53, and

appendix A of part 106.
27810 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 101 / Thursday, May 25, 1995 / Notices

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