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Revision of the Emergency Response Guidebook

[PHMSA-06-24764; Notice No. 06-03] The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is soliciting comments on the development of the 2008 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2008), particularly from those who have experience using the 2004 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2004) during a hazardous materials incident. PHMSA is also soliciting comments on the experiences emergency responders have had…

Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee – Teleconference and Vote

[Docket No. PHMSA-98-4470] PHMSA’s Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (TPSSC) will have a public meeting (via teleconference) on Thursday, August 24, 2006, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (EST) to vote on a proposed rule requiring pipeline operators to consider internal corrosion when designing and constructing new and replaced gas transmission pipelines. On December 15,…

PHMSA Appointments

Acting Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino announced the appointment of Stacey Gerard as the assistant administrator and chief safety officer of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA). She will be the first person to hold this position. Prior to this announcement, Gerard had served as the acting assistant administrator and chief safety officer…

Integrity Management Services

RCP can assist pipeline operators with ongoing compliance management and engineering associated with your IMP. This includes direct assessment strategies, tool and vendor selection, ILI/ECDA report analysis, corrosion control programs, repair strategies, and IMP/risk model updates. For more information on how RCP can support your ongoing IMP needs, click here.

GAO Testimony Supports INGAA on Reassessment Interval

from the AOPL weekly newsletter Government Accountability Office testimony submitted to the House Energy and Commerce Committee for the record of the July 27 hearing states: “Finally, regarding the 7-year reassessment requirement, our preliminary view is that these reassessment intervals should be based on technical data, risk factors, and engineering analyses rather than a prescribed…

Reminder about pending deadline to submit Public Awareness Programs to PHMSA

An advisory (ADB-06-02) was issued by the Pipeline and Hazardous materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in the Federal Register (Volume 71, Number 116) on June 16, 2006. This advisory informs pipeline operators how to submit their written public awareness programs for review. PHMSA has elected to use a clearinghouse approach for reviewing interstate and many intrastate…

New Assessment Appeal Process Proposed by TRRC

The Texas Railroad Commission has proposed new regulations, 16 TAC §§7.6001-7.6007, new Subchapter F, pertaining to the appeal process for pipeline owners and/or operators regarding a city’s assessment of an annual charge. These new provisions would give the Railroad Commission exclusive jurisdiction to determine whether a city’s annual charge is authorized under Texas Natural Resources…

FERC Damage Reporting Revision

Effective August 29, 2006, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has amended its regulations concerning reporting requirements related to facility damage. This Final Rule is based upon experience following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, where the Commission determined that it lacked vital information regarding the physical condition of facilities affecting operation of the pipeline grid even though…

New Safety Requirements for Rural Low-Stress and Gathering Pipelines in Unusually Sensitive Areas

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has proposed new legislation that may have a profound effect on certain liquid pipeline operators. Current regulations exempt onshore liquid gathering lines and low-stress lines in rural areas from all or portions of the Part 195 regulatory requirements. This new proposal extends pipeline safety regulations to those…