RCP Inc.

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In This Issue

  1. Who is RCP?
  2. Final NPDES Exemption for Oil and Gas Exploration, Production, Processing, or Treatment Operations or Transmission Facilities
  3. New Offshore Discharge Reporting Form
  4. Texas Pipeline Integrity Management – Proposed Revisions
  5. Will your SPCC Plan pass an EPA inspection based on the new SPCC Inspectors’ Guidance document?
  6. Updates to Standards “Incorporated by Reference”
  7. Public Awareness Plans
  8. Gas Integrity Management – 7 year Re-assessment FAQs
  9. Reporting of Damage to Natural Gas Pipeline Facilities to FERC
  10. FERC Policy Statement on Natural Gas Interchangeability
  11. Minerals Management Service Seeks Comments
  12. Need to Update Your Current Operator Qualification Program?
  13. MMS Proposed Changes to ROW Pipeline Requirements

Public Awareness Plans

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 operator programs.
  • The following state pipeline safety agencies have decided to conduct independent reviews of the public awareness programs of at least some intrastate operators. Intrastate Operators from the following states should review the advisory bulletin in detail or contact the appropriate state agency.
    • District of Columbia
    • Illinois
    • Maryland
    • Montana
    • South Dakota
    • Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • All interstate operators and those intrastate operator not filing with a State Pipeline Safety Agency (reference previous bullet) who are required to develop public awareness programs satisfying the requirements of 49 CFR 192.616 or 49 CFR 195.440 by June 20, 2006 must submit their written public awareness program to PHMSA’s Public Awareness Program Clearinghouse between August 8 and October 8 of this year (2006).
  • Provide the following information for each pipeline covered by the Public Awareness Program.
    • Operator ID and Name of the Operator
    • Person to contact, with e-mail and telephone number
    • Type or types of pipeline covered by the Operator ID
      • Gathering (gas or hazardous liquid)
      • Petroleum gas distribution
      • Natural gas distribution – municipally-owned and privately-owned
      • Gas Distribution – other
      • Gas Transmission – intrastate and interstate
      • Hazardous Liquid – intrastate and interstate
    • State or states in which the pipeline operates (by type)
    • PHMSA region or regions in which pipeline is located (by type)
    • Copy of Plan
  • Plans may be filed between August 8, 2006 and October 8, 2006 in any of the following ways:
    • E-filing. PHMSA strongly encourages operators to submit public awareness programs through the Internet. The Online Data Entry System (ODES) is being modified to accept these programs.
    • Mail a computer disk with the aforementioned information to the following address: Public Awareness Program Clearinghouse, PHMSA, 400 7th Street, SW., Room 2103, Washington, DC 20590.
    • Mail the same information in paper form to the following address: Public Awareness Program Clearinghouse, PHMSA, 400 7th Street, SW., Room 2103, Washington, DC 20590.

For further information contact: Blaine Keener by phone at 202-366-0970 or by e-mail at blaine.keener@dot.gov.