Document ID: PHMSA-2008-0333-0001
Agency: phmsa
Document Type: Rule
Title: Pipeline Safety: Requests for Special Permit
Posted Date: 2009-01-23T05:00Z

[Federal Register: January 23, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 14)]
[Notices]               
[Page 4296-4299]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23ja09-127]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2008-0333]

 
Pipeline Safety: Requests for Special Permit

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA); 
DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 4297]]

SUMMARY: The Federal pipeline safety laws allow a pipeline operator to 
request PHMSA to waive compliance with any part of the Federal pipeline 
safety regulations by granting a special permit to the operator. PHMSA 
is publishing this notice to provide a list of special permit requests 
we have received from pipeline operators seeking relief from compliance 
with certain pipeline safety regulations. This notice seeks public 
comment on these requests, including comments on any environmental 
impacts. At the conclusion of the 30 days comment period, PHMSA will 
evaluate each request individually to determine whether to grant or 
deny a special permit.

DATES: Submit any comments regarding any of these special permit 
requests by February 23, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments should reference the docket number for the special 
permit request and may be submitted in the following ways:
     E-Gov Web Site: http://www.Regulations.gov. This site 
allows the public to enter comments on any Federal Register notice 
issued by any agency.
     Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: DOT Docket Management System: U.S. 
Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building 
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 
20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.
    Instructions: You should identify the docket number for the special 
permit request you are commenting on at the beginning of your comments. 
If you submit your comments by mail, submit two copies. To receive 
confirmation that PHMSA received your comments, include a self-
addressed stamped postcard. Internet users may submit comments at 
http://www.Regulations.gov.

    Note: Comments are posted without changes or edits to http://
www.Regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. 
There is a privacy statement published on http://
www.Regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    General: Kay McIver by telephone at (202) 366-0113; or, e-mail at 
kay.mciver@dot.gov.
    Technical: Steve Nanney by telephone at (713) 272-2855, or, e-mail 
at steve.nanney@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PHMSA has filed in the Federal Docket 
Management System (FDMS) requests for special permits we have received 
from pipeline operators seeking relief from compliance with certain 
pipeline safety regulations. Each request has been assigned a separate 
docket number in the FDMS. We invite interested persons to participate 
by reviewing these special permit requests and by submitting written 
comments, data or other views. Please include any comments on 
environmental impacts granting the special permit may have.
    Before acting on any special permit request, PHMSA will evaluate 
all comments received on or before the comment closing date. We will 
consider comments received after this date if it is possible to do so 
without incurring additional expense or delay. We may grant a special 
permit or deny a request based on the comments we receive.
    PHMSA has received the following special permit requests:

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            Docket No.                   Requester        Regulation(s) affected      Nature of special permit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHMSA-2008-0188...................  Texas Eastern        49 CFR 192.611..........  To authorize Texas Eastern
                                     Transmission, L.P.                             Transmission, L.P. (TETLP)
                                     (``TETLP'')                                    to operate two pipeline
                                     (Spectra Energy).                              segments on its 24-inch Line
                                                                                    12 system downstream of its
                                                                                    Grantville Compressor
                                                                                    station in Lebanon County,
                                                                                    Pennsylvania to Bernville
                                                                                    Compressor station in
                                                                                    Pennsylvania without
                                                                                    reducing operating pressure
                                                                                    as a result of changes from
                                                                                    Class 1 to Class 2
                                                                                    locations. Grantville Line
                                                                                    12 would continue to operate
                                                                                    at its maximum allowable
                                                                                    operating pressure
                                                                                    (``MAOP'') of 1,050 psig
                                                                                    without replacing the pipe
                                                                                    in the new Class 2 area.
PHMSA-2008-0213...................  Empire Pipeline....  49 CFR 192.611..........  To authorize the Empire
                                                                                    Pipeline to operate 5
                                                                                    segments on its 24-inch
                                                                                    natural gas pipeline without
                                                                                    reducing the operating
                                                                                    pressure as a result of
                                                                                    changes from Class 1 to
                                                                                    Class 3 locations. The
                                                                                    special permit is sought
                                                                                    with respect to these five
                                                                                    segments:
                                                                                   Segment 1: (MP 57.33 to MP
                                                                                    57.49) in the town of Byron,
                                                                                    Genesee County, NY, west of
                                                                                    NY Route 237.
                                                                                   Segment 2: (MP 76.09 to MP
                                                                                    76.42) located in the town
                                                                                    of Henrietta, in Monroe
                                                                                    County, NY and 375 feet west
                                                                                    of East River Road.
                                                                                   Segment 3: (MP 84.88 to MP
                                                                                    85.19) located in the town
                                                                                    of Pittsford, Monroe County,
                                                                                    NY, beginning approximately
                                                                                    200 feet west of West
                                                                                    Bloomfield Road and
                                                                                    continuing approximately 3/
                                                                                    10th of a mile to the west.
                                                                                   Segment 4: (MP 23.30 to MP
                                                                                    23.81) located in the town
                                                                                    of Pendleton, Niagara
                                                                                    County, NY, west of Transit
                                                                                    Road (Route 78).
                                                                                   Segment 5: (MP 25.19 to MP
                                                                                    25.54) located in the town
                                                                                    of Lockport, Niagara County,
                                                                                    New York, east of Old
                                                                                    Beattie Road.

[[Page 4298]]

PHMSA-2008-0257...................  Texas Eastern        49 CFR 192.112(a)(1), 49  To authorize an increase in
                                     Transmission.        CFR 192.112(c)(1), 49     MAOP on the Texas Eastern
                                                          CFR 192.112(c)(2)(i),     Transmission, L.P.
                                                          49 CFR                    (``TETLP'') 36-inch Lines 1
                                                          192.112(c)(2)(ii), 49     and 2 from the Uniontown,
                                                          CFR 192.112(c)(2)(iii),   Pennsylvania compressor
                                                          49 CFR                    station to a mainline
                                                          192.112(d)(2)(i), 49      regulating station,
                                                          CFR 192.112(f)(1), 49     approximately 7 miles west
                                                          CFR 192.620(d)(5)(iii).   of its Lambertville, New
                                                                                    Jersey compressor station.
                                                                                    The pipeline system
                                                                                    operating pressure would
                                                                                    increase to 80% of specified
                                                                                    minimum yield strength
                                                                                    (SMYS) in Class 1 locations,
                                                                                    67% SMYS in Class 2
                                                                                    locations, and 56% SMYS in
                                                                                    Class 3 locations. There are
                                                                                    no Class 4 areas on the
                                                                                    system and TETLP does not
                                                                                    propose to include future
                                                                                    Class 4 areas under this
                                                                                    special permit. The existing
                                                                                    pipeline system pressure is
                                                                                    1000 psig and will be
                                                                                    uprated to 1112 psig. The
                                                                                    MAOP uprate is part of two
                                                                                    proposed pipeline capacity
                                                                                    expansion projects, called
                                                                                    the TEMAS and TIME III
                                                                                    Projects.
PHMSA-2008-0285...................  TransCanada          49 CFR 195.106..........  To authorize TransCanada to
                                     Keystone Pipeline                              design, construct and
                                     LP 36-inch XL                                  operate the proposed 36-inch
                                     Pipeline.                                      TransCanada Keystone XL
                                                                                    Pipeline Project, using a
                                                                                    design factor and operating
                                                                                    stress level of 80% SMYS.
PHMSA-2008-0327...................  Trunkline LNG        49 CFR 190.341..........  To authorize Trunkline LNG
                                     (TLNG).                                        (TLNG) to operate two
                                                                                    potassium formate heat-
                                                                                    exchange vaporizers at the
                                                                                    TLNG facility near Lake
                                                                                    Charles, Louisiana. These
                                                                                    vaporizers are part of a
                                                                                    nearly completed expansion
                                                                                    project at the facility and
                                                                                    are referred to as the IEP
                                                                                    (Infrastructure Expansion
                                                                                    Project). This request is to
                                                                                    adjust the allowed distance
                                                                                    between the second and third
                                                                                    vaporizers.
PHMSA-2008-0330...................  Columbia Gas         49 CFR 192.611..........  To authorize Columbia Gas
                                     Transmission (CGT).                            Transmission (CGT) to
                                                                                    operate 2 segments on its 30-
                                                                                    inch Mainline 200, and its
                                                                                    36-inch Mainline 300
                                                                                    pipeline systems located in
                                                                                    Mt. Juliet, Wilson County,
                                                                                    Tennessee, without reducing
                                                                                    operating pressure as a
                                                                                    result of changes from
                                                                                    original Class 1 or Class 2
                                                                                    to Class 3 locations, and
                                                                                    without replacing the pipe
                                                                                    in Class 3 areas.
PHMSA-2008-0331...................  Columbia Gas         49 CFR 192.611..........  To authorize Columbia Gas
                                     Transmission (CGT).                            Transmission (CGT) to
                                                                                    operate six segments of 30-
                                                                                    inch SM-80 and 30-inch SM-80-
                                                                                    Loop pipelines in Cabell and
                                                                                    Putnam Counties, WV, at the
                                                                                    current 935 psig operating
                                                                                    pressure without replacing
                                                                                    pipe in the Class 3
                                                                                    locations. The SM-80 and SM-
                                                                                    80-Loop pipelines are
                                                                                    parallel to one another
                                                                                    across their full length
                                                                                    starting at Boyd County,
                                                                                    Kentucky and ending at the
                                                                                    Lanham compressor station at
                                                                                    Rocky Fork, West Virginia.
PHMSA-2008-0332...................  Columbia Gas         49 CFR 192.611..........  To authorize Columbia Gas
                                     Transmission (CGT).                            Transmission (CGT) to
                                                                                    operate 5 segments of 20-
                                                                                    inch Mainline 1804 pipeline
                                                                                    system in Adams and York
                                                                                    Counties, PA without
                                                                                    reducing operating pressure
                                                                                    as a result of changes from
                                                                                    Class 1 to Class 3
                                                                                    locations.
PHMSA-2008-0345...................  Columbia Gas         49 CFR 192.611..........  To authorize Columbia Gas
                                     Transmission (CGT).                            Transmission (CGT) to
                                                                                    operate four segments of its
                                                                                    24-inch Mainline R-701
                                                                                    pipeline in Southern Ohio
                                                                                    without reducing operating
                                                                                    pressure as a result of
                                                                                    changes from Class 1 to
                                                                                    Class 3 locations. Line R-
                                                                                    701 runs south to north
                                                                                    starting at Burlington, Ohio
                                                                                    and ending at McArthur,
                                                                                    Ohio.
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[[Page 4299]]

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 60118(c)(1) and 49 CFR 1.53.

    Issued in Washington, DC on January 15, 2009.
John Gale,
Director, Office of Regulations.
 [FR Doc. E9-1425 Filed 1-22-09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-60-P