31002 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 110 / Thursday, June 10, 2021 / Notices 

1 ‘‘Understanding Global Warming Potentials,’’ 

U.S. EPA, available at https://www.epa.gov/ 

ghgemissions/understanding-global-warmingpotentials. 

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 

National Small Business Development 

Center Advisory Board 

AGENCY: Small Business Administration. 

ACTION: Notice of open Federal Advisory 

Committee meeting. 

SUMMARY: The SBA is issuing this notice 

to announce the date, time and agenda 

for a meeting of the National Small 

Business Development Center Advisory 

Board. The meeting will be open to the 

public; however, advance notice of 

attendance is required. 

DATES: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 2:00 

p.m. EDT. 

ADDRESSES: Meeting will be held via 

Microsoft Teams. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Rachel Karton, Office of Small Business 

Development Centers, U.S. Small 

Business Administration, 409 Third 

Street SW, Washington, DC 20416; 

Rachel.newman-karton@sba.gov; 202– 

619–1816. 

If anyone wishes to be a listening 

participant or would like to request 

accommodations, please contact Rachel 

Karton at the information above. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), 

the SBA announces the meetings of the 

National SBDC Advisory Board. This 

Board provides advice and counsel to 

the SBA Administrator and Associate 

Administrator for Small Business 

Development Centers. 

Purpose 

The purpose of the meeting is to 

discuss the following issues pertaining 

to the SBDC Program: 

• Cybersecurity 

• Outreach to underserved communities 

• Strategies for getting Small Business 

back to normal 

Andrienne Johnson, 

Committee Management Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2021–12222 Filed 6–9–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 

Safety Administration 

[Docket No. PHMSA–2021–0050] 

Pipeline Safety: Statutory Mandate To 

Update Inspection and Maintenance 

Plans To Address Eliminating 

Hazardous Leaks and Minimizing 

Releases of Natural Gas From Pipeline 

Facilities 

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous 

Materials Safety Administration 

(PHMSA); DOT. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of advisory 

bulletin. 

SUMMARY: PHMSA is issuing this 

advisory bulletin to remind each owner 

and operator of a pipeline facility that 

the ‘‘Protecting our Infrastructure of 

Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 

2020’’ (PIPES Act of 2020) contains a 

self-executing mandate requiring 

operators to update their inspection and 

maintenance plans to address 

eliminating hazardous leaks and 

minimizing releases of natural gas 

(including intentional venting during 

normal operations) from their pipeline 

facilities. Operators must also revise 

their plans to address the replacement 

or remediation of pipeline facilities that 

are known to leak based on their 

material, design, or past operating and 

maintenance history. The statute 

requires pipeline operators to complete 

these updates by December 27, 2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sayler Palabrica, by phone at 202–366– 

0559 or by email at Sayler.Palabrica@

dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Natural 

gas is composed primarily of methane, 

therefore leaks and other releases of 

natural gas emit methane gas into the 

atmosphere. According to the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA), methane is a potent greenhouse 

gas with a global warming potential 

(GWP) of 28–36 over 100 years.1

Compared to carbon dioxide, methane 

gas has a stronger warming effect, but a 

shorter lifespan in the atmosphere. Due 

to the high GWP and short lifespan of 

methane gas in the atmosphere, 

minimizing releases of natural gas (both 

fugitive and vented emissions) has 

relatively near-term benefits to 

mitigating the consequences of climate 

change. Likewise, remediation or 

replacement of pipeline facilities that 

are known to leak based on material, 

design or past operating and 

maintenance history can result in 

enhanced public safety, environmental 

protection, and economic benefits. 

The ‘‘Protecting our Infrastructure of 

Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 

2020’’ (Pub. L. 116–260, Division R; 

‘‘PIPES Act of 2020’’) was signed into 

law on December 27, 2020. This law 

contains several provisions that 

specifically address the elimination of 

hazardous leaks and minimization of 

releases of natural gas from pipeline 

facilities. Section 114(b) of the PIPES 

Act of 2020 contains self-executing 

provisions that apply directly to 

pipeline operators. This section requires 

each pipeline operator to update its 

inspection and maintenance plan 

required under 49 U.S.C. 60108(a) no 

later than one year after the date of 

enactment of the PIPES Act of 2020 (i.e., 

by December 27, 2021) to address the 

elimination of hazardous leaks and 

minimization of releases of natural gas 

(including, and not limited to, 

intentional venting during normal 

operations) from the operators’ pipeline 

facilities (49 U.S.C. 60108(a)(2)(D)). The 

PIPES Act of 2020 also requires those 

plans to address the replacement or 

remediation of pipelines that are known 

to leak due to their material (including 

cast iron, unprotected steel, wrought 

iron, and historic plastics with known 

issues), design, or past operating and 

maintenance history (49 U.S.C. 

60108(a)(2)(E)). In addition, 49 U.S.C. 

60108(a)(2) requires that operators 

continue updating these plans to meet 

the requirements of any future 

regulations related to leak detection and 

repair that are promulgated under 49 

U.S.C. 60102(q). 

Advisory Bulletin (ADB–2021–01) 

To: Owners and Operators of Gas and 

Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Facilities. 

Subject: Statutory Mandate to Update 

Inspection and Maintenance Plans to 

Address Eliminating Hazardous Leaks 

and Minimizing Releases of Natural Gas 

from Pipeline Facilities. 

Advisory: The PIPES Act of 2020 

contains self-executing provisions 

requiring pipeline facility operators to 

update their inspection and 

maintenance plans to address the 

elimination of hazardous leaks and 

minimization of releases of natural gas 

(including, and not limited to, 

intentional venting during normal 

operations) from their systems before 

December 27, 2021. PHMSA expects 

that operators will comply with the 

inspection and maintenance plan 

revisions required in the PIPES Act of 

2020 by revising their operations and 


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 110 / Thursday, June 10, 2021 / Notices 31003 

maintenance (O&M) plans required 

under 49 CFR 192.605, 193.2017, and 

195.402, to address the elimination of 

hazardous leaks and minimize releases 

of natural gas from pipeline facilities. 

The plans must also address the 

replacement or remediation of pipelines 

that are known to leak due to their 

material (including cast iron, 

unprotected steel, wrought iron, and 

historic plastics with known issues), 

design, or past O&M history. The plans 

must in be in writing, tailored to the 

operator’s pipeline facilities, supported 

by technical analysis where necessary, 

and sufficiently detailed to clearly 

describe the manner in which each 

requirement is met. For additional 

guidance on O&M plans for hazardous 

liquid and natural gas pipeline facilities, 

see ‘‘Operations & Maintenance 

Enforcement Guidance,’’ part 192 

subparts L and M, page 17, available at 

https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/ 

phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/regulatorycompliance/pipeline/enforcement/5776/ 

o-m-enforcement-guidance-part-192-7- 

21-2017.pdf; and ‘‘Operations & 

Maintenance Enforcement Guidance,’’ 

part 195 subpart F, page 18, available at 

https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/ 

phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/regulatorycompliance/pipeline/enforcement/5781/ 

o-m-enforcement-guidance-part-195-7- 

21-2017.pdf. 

Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 60108(a)(3), as 

amended by section 114(a) of the PIPES 

Act of 2020, PHMSA and state 

authorities with a certification under 49 

U.S.C. 60105 will inspect operators’ 

revised O&M plans in calendar year 

2022, and such inspections must be 

completed by December 27, 2022. 

During these inspections, PHMSA, or 

the relevant state authority, is required 

to evaluate whether the plans 

adequately address items listed in 

section 114 of the PIPES Act of 2020. 

Operators need to consider the 

following items as they update their 

plans to comply with section 114 of the 

PIPES Act of 2020: 

• O&M plans must be detailed to 

address the elimination of hazardous 

leaks and minimization of releases of 

natural gas from the operators’ pipeline 

facilities; meaning pipeline operators 

must update their plans to minimize, 

among other things, fugitive emissions 

and vented emissions from pipeline 

facilities. PHMSA and state inspections, 

therefore, will evaluate the steps taken 

to prevent and mitigate both 

unintentional, fugitive emissions as well 

as intentional, vented emissions. 

Fugitive emissions include any 

unintentional leaks from equipment 

such as pipelines, flanges, valves, meter 

sets, or other equipment. Vented 

emissions include any release of natural 

gas to the atmosphere due to equipment 

design or operations and maintenance 

procedures. Common sources of vented 

emissions include pneumatic device 

bleeds, blowdowns, incomplete 

combustion, or overpressure protection 

venting (e.g., relief valves). 

• O&M plans must address the 

replacement or remediation of pipelines 

that are known to leak based on the 

material (including cast iron, 

unprotected steel, wrought iron, and 

historic plastics with known issues), 

design, or past operating and 

maintenance history of the pipeline. 

PHMSA and state inspections will 

include an evaluation of how the 

material present in the pipeline system, 

design of the system, as well as the past 

O&M history of the system, contribute to 

the leaks that occur on the system. 

PHMSA and states will evaluate 

whether the plans adequately address 

reducing leaks on operators’ pipeline 

systems due to the aforementioned 

factors. 

• Operators must carry out a current, 

written O&M plan to address public 

safety and the protection of the 

environment. In addition to the new 

statutory requirement that PHMSA and 

state inspections consider the extent to 

which the plans will contribute to the 

elimination of hazardous leaks and 

minimizing releases of natural gas from 

pipeline facilities, PHMSA’s inspections 

will continue to include an evaluation 

of the extent to which the plans 

contribute to both public safety and the 

protection of the environment. 

Developing and implementing 

comprehensive written O&M plans is an 

effective way to eliminate hazardous 

leaks and minimize the release of 

natural gas from pipeline systems. 

PHMSA anticipates these self-executing 

statutory mandates will result in 

enhanced public safety and reductions 

in pipeline emissions thereby reducing 

impact on the environment. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on June 4, 2021, 

under authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.97. 

Alan K. Mayberry, 

Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety. 

[FR Doc. 2021–12155 Filed 6–9–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–60–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Office of the Comptroller of the 

Currency 

[Docket ID OCC–2021–0010] 

Mutual Savings Association Advisory 

Committee 

AGENCY: Department of the Treasury, 

Office of the Comptroller of the 

Currency (OCC). 

ACTION: Notice of federal advisory 

committee meeting. 

SUMMARY: The OCC announces a 

meeting of the Mutual Savings 

Association Advisory Committee 

(MSAAC). 

DATES: A virtual public meeting of the 

MSAAC will be held on Tuesday, June 

29, 2021, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern 

Daylight Time (EDT). 

ADDRESSES: The OCC will host the June 

29, 2021 meeting of the MSAAC 

virtually. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michael R. Brickman, Deputy 

Comptroller for Thrift Supervision, 

(202) 649–5420, Office of the 

Comptroller of the Currency, 

Washington, DC 20219. You also may 

access prior MSAAC meeting materials 

on the MSAAC page of the OCC’s 

website at Mutual Savings Association 

Advisory Committee. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

authority of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, and the 

regulations implementing the Act at 41 

CFR part 102–3, the OCC is announcing 

that the MSAAC will convene a virtual 

meeting on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. The 

meeting is open to the public and will 

begin at 9:00 a.m. EDT. The purpose of 

the meeting is for the MSAAC to advise 

the OCC on regulatory or other changes 

the OCC may make to ensure the health 

and viability of mutual savings 

associations. The agenda includes a 

discussion of current topics of interest 

to the industry. 

Members of the public may submit 

written statements to the MSAAC. The 

OCC must receive written statements no 

later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, 

June 24, 2021. Members of the public 

may submit written statements to 

MSAAC@occ.treas.gov. 

Members of the public who plan to 

attend the virtual meeting should 

contact the OCC by 5:00 p.m. EDT on 

Thursday, June 24, 2021, to inform the 

OCC of their desire to attend the 

meeting and to obtain information about 

participating in the meeting. Members 

of the public may contact the OCC via 

email at MSAAC@OCC.treas.gov or by 


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