The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) is now accepting voluntary data submissions for “breakout” tanks under OPS jurisdiction, to the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS). OPS has developed two procedures for the submission of the data. They include an online form and a downloadable executable file that can be used to input the tank data.…
February 2003
NPMS Advisory Bulletin (ADB-03-02)
The Office of Pipeline Safety recently issued the following advisory bulletin concerning submittals to the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS). The entire notice is available on RCP’s website at here through the DOT Gateway. To: Owners and Operators of Natural Gas Transmission and Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Systems. Subject: Required Submission of Data to the National…
Notice of proposed rulemaking: Pipeline Integrity Management in High Consequence Areas (Gas Transmission Pipelines)
The Research and Special Programs Administration / Office of Pipeline Safety (RSPA/OPS) proposes to establish a rule to require operators to develop integrity management programs for gas transmission pipelines that, in the event of a failure, could impact high consequence areas (HCAs). These integrity management programs would focus on requiring operators to comprehensively evaluate their…
Emergency Reconstruction of Interstate Natural Gas Facilities Under the Natural Gas Act
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is proposing to amend part 157, subpart F, of its regulations to enable natural gas interstate pipeline companies to replace mainline facilities using a route other than the existing right-of-way, and to commence construction without being subject to the 45-day prior notice proceedings specified in § 157.205 of the…
Texas GLO Oil Spill Information Transfer Meeting
The Texas General Land Office will conduct the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Program’s eleventh annual Information Transfer Meeting (ITM), slated for February 21st , at 9 a.m. in room 1003 of the Natural Resources Center at Texas A&M; University – Corpus Christi. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. Program staff will provide information regarding…
New Federal Website for Comments on Rulemakings
Regulations.gov is a new U.S. Government web site that makes it easier for members of the public to participate in Federal rulemaking. On this site, you can find, review, and submit comments on Federal documents that are open for comment and published in the Federal Register, the Government’s legal newspaper. Editor’s Note: This site does…
New Louisiana Intra-state Rules for Hazardous Liquid Pipelines
The State of Louisiana recently published their latest rules for intrastate hazardous liquid pipelines. Louisiana has authority to regulate intrastate gas and liquid pipelines, and publishes their entire regulations under their own regulatory system (as opposed to some other states that just incorporate the federal rules by reference, and then publish their state-specific changes). Affected…
Updates of Digital Mapping Data for Hazardous Liquid Pipeline High Consequence Areas (HCA)
OPS has updated and revised the High Consequence Area (HCA) digital mapping datasets. Updated digital mapping data to delineate high consequence areas for use in geographic information systems is now available for high population areas, other populated areas, and commercially navigable waterways. Population information updates are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s TIGER…
API Operator Workshop on IMP Implementation
API is conducting its fifth integrity management workshop in Houston from 8 am February 18 to noon February 19, 2003. This workshop will focus on implementation and comprehensive integrity audits under the OPS protocols. The workshop is open to pipeline operators only. The fee is $150. To learn more, contact Marty Matheson at (202) 682-8192.
Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Clean Water Act Regulatory Definition of “Waters of the United States”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) in order to obtain early comment on issues associated with the scope of waters that are subject to the Clean Water Act (CWA), in light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Solid…
DOT Pipeline Compliance Workshop – March 19-20, 2003 – Houston Includes update on the new Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 signed into law on Dec 17, 2002
RCP will conduct a 2-day workshop on DOT Pipeline Regulations on March 19th and 20th in Houston. Day 1 of this workshop will present an overview of all the current DOT regulations for pipeline operators. Day 2 will review recent regulatory initiatives such as pipeline integrity management, hazardous liquid corrosion control requirements, high consequence area…
RCP Develops Fantastic Version of New SPCC Regulation
RCP has developed a 1-page version (in tiny type) of the new SPCC regulations, as revised January 9, 2003. It is great for people such as your newsletter editor, who can remember where something is on a page much better than they can remember a regulatory citation number. (I admit – it is size 8…
EPA SPCC Rule Corrections
The EPA recently published some minor amendments to their new SPCC regulations. In Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 100 to 135, revised as of July 1, 2002, Appendix F to part 112 is corrected as follows: In section 1.0 paragraph B, by adding the words ”required by” before 40 CFR 112.3;…
SPCC Plan Deadline Extensions
On January 9, 2003, the EPA published an Interim Final Rule to extend the current SPCC deadlines by 60 days, and a Proposed Rule to extend the current SPCC deadlines by 1-year. The proposed 1-year extension is from the date of the ORIGINAL rule deadlines, not from the date of the 60-day extended deadlines. The…
RSPA Results Winter 2002 – 2003 Edition
The latest edition of RSPA’s newsletter, “RSPA Results”, has recently been published and can be downloaded from RCP’s website at here through the DOT Gateway. This newsletter has several articles of interest to pipeline operators, including the new pipeline safety act, TAPS renewal, the newly proposed Gas Pipeline Integrity Management rule, and grants to firefighters…
Editor’s Federal Register Trivia of the Month
The EPA is proposing to issue a permit to allow ice to melt in the sea. You read it here first. Somebody should call Fox news. Issuance of a General Permit to the National Science Foundation for the Ocean Disposal of Man-Made Ice Piers From its Base at McMurdo Sound on Antarctica EPA is today…