Document ID: PHMSA-2006-24058-0012
Agency: phmsa
Document Type: Notice
Title: Pipeline Safety; Special Permit: Portland Natural Gas Transmission System
Posted Date: 2022-12-29T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 249 (Thursday, December 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80258-80259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-28337]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2006-24058]

Pipeline Safety: Request for Special Permit; Portland Natural Gas 
Transmission System

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: PHMSA is publishing this notice to solicit public comments on 
a request for special permit renewal received from the Portland Natural 
Gas Transmission System (PNGTS). The special permit request is seeking 
relief from compliance with certain requirements in the Federal 
pipeline safety regulations and proposes to add two (2) new pipeline 
segments to the existing special permit. At the conclusion of the 30-
day comment period, PHMSA will review the comments received from this 
notice as part of its evaluation to grant or deny the special permit 
request.

DATES: Submit any comments regarding this special permit request by 
January 30, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Comments should reference the docket number for this special 
permit request and may be submitted in the following ways:
     E-Gov Website: 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: 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, please submit two (2) copies. To 
receive confirmation that PHMSA has received your comments, please 
include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Internet users may submit 
comments at http://www.Regulations.gov.

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

    Confidential Business Information: Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both 
customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from 
public disclosure. If your comments responsive to this notice contain 
commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as 
private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or 
responsive to this notice, it is important that you clearly designate 
the submitted comments as CBI. Pursuant to 49 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) section 190.343, you may ask PHMSA to give 
confidential treatment to information you give to the agency by taking 
the following steps: (1) mark each page of the original document 
submission containing CBI as ``Confidential''; (2) send PHMSA, along 
with the original document, a second copy of the original document with 
the CBI deleted; and (3) explain why the information you are submitting 
is CBI. Unless you are notified otherwise, PHMSA will treat such marked 
submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed 
in the public docket of this notice. Submissions containing CBI should 
be sent to Kay McIver, DOT, PHMSA-PHP-80, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001. Any commentary PHMSA receives that is not 
specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for 
this matter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    General: Ms. Kay McIver by telephone at 202-366-0113, or by email 
at [email protected].
    Technical: Mr. Steve Nanney by telephone at 713-272-2855, or by 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PHMSA received a special permit renewal 
request from PNGTS, operated by TC Energy, Inc., seeking a waiver from 
the requirements of 49 CFR 192.611: Change in class location: 
Confirmation or revision of maximum allowable operating pressure and 49 
CFR 192.619(a): Maximum allowable operating pressure: Steel or plastic 
pipelines.
    This special permit is being requested in lieu of pipe replacement, 
pressure reduction, or new pressure tests for a Class 1 to 3 location 
change on two (2)

[[Page 80259]]

existing gas transmission special permit segments and two (2) new 
proposed special permit segments totaling 9,905 feet (approximately 
1.876 miles). These pipeline segments, which have changed from a Class 
1 to Class 3 location, are as follows:

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                                                                                                                                              Maximum
                                                                                                                                             allowable
                                                                        Outside                                                              operating
  Special permit     Special permit status        County, state        diameter           Line name        Length (feet)  Year installed     pressure
   segment No.                                                         (inches)                                                             (pounds per
                                                                                                                                            square inch
                                                                                                                                              gauge)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1................  Renewal..................  Cumberland, ME......              24  PNGTS Mainline......           2,913            1998           1,440
2................  Renewal..................  Cumberland, ME......              24  PNGTS Mainline......           4,766            1998           1,440
3................  New......................  Coos, NH............              24  PNGTS Mainline......             960            1998           1,440
4................  New......................  Coos, NH............              24  PNGTS Mainline......           1,266            1998           1,440
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The special permit renewal request, proposed special permit with 
conditions, and draft environmental assessment (DEA) for the above 
listed PNGTS pipeline segments are available for review and public 
comments in Docket No. PHMSA-2006-24058. PHMSA invites interested 
persons to review and submit comments on the special permit request and 
DEA in the docket. Please include any comments on potential safety and 
environmental impacts that may result if the special permit is granted. 
Comments may include relevant data.
    Before issuing a decision on the special permit request, PHMSA will 
evaluate all comments received on or before the comment closing date. 
Comments received after the closing date will be evaluated, if it is 
possible to do so without incurring additional expense or delay. PHMSA 
will consider each relevant comment it receives in making its decision 
to grant or deny this special permit request.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 22, 2022, under authority 
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2022-28337 Filed 12-28-22; 8:45 am]
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