Notice2022-05193
Pipeline Safety: Information Collection Activities
Primary source
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Published
March 11, 2022
Issuing agencies
Transportation Department
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invites public comments on its intent to request Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to revise and renew an information collection currently under OMB Control Number 2137-0596 titled: "National Pipeline Mapping System Program." The information collection currently requires operators to submit geospatial data, attributes, metadata, public contact information, and a transmittal letter appropriate for use in the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS). Acceptable formats and additional information are specified in the NPMS Attribute Standards document available at www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov. The proposed revisions would modify one attribute approved in January 2020 that pipeline operators must submit to PHMSA, extend the expiration date of the information collection established by OMB, and require gas transmission operators to submit additional attributes to the NPMS.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 48 (Friday, March 11, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14097-14099]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05193]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket No. PHMSA-2021-0085]
Pipeline Safety: Information Collection Activities
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA
invites public comments on its intent to request Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) approval to revise and renew an information collection
currently under OMB Control Number 2137-0596 titled: ``National
Pipeline Mapping System Program.'' The information collection currently
requires operators to submit geospatial data, attributes, metadata,
public contact information, and a transmittal letter appropriate for
use in the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS). Acceptable formats
and additional information are specified in the NPMS Attribute
Standards document available at <a href="http://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov">www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov</a>. The proposed
revisions would modify one attribute approved in January 2020 that
pipeline operators must submit to PHMSA, extend the expiration date of
the information collection established by OMB, and require gas
transmission operators to submit additional attributes to the NPMS.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
May 10, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted in the following ways:
E-Gov Website: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. 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 Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140,
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the ground level of DOT, West
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
Instructions: Identify the docket number, PHMSA-2021-0085 at the
beginning of your comments. Note that all comments received will be
posted without change to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any
personal information provided. You should know that anyone is able to
search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our
dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or
signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association,
business, labor union, etc.). Therefore, you may want to review DOT's
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on
April 11, 2000, (65 FR 19477) or visit <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>
before submitting any such comments.
Docket: For access to the docket or to read background documents or
comments, go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> at any time or to Room W12-
140 on the ground level of DOT, West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue
SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., ET, Monday through
Friday, except federal holidays. If you wish to receive confirmation of
receipt of your written comments, please include a self-addressed,
stamped postcard with the following statement: ``Comments on: PHMSA-
2021-0085.'' The Docket Clerk will date stamp the postcard prior to
returning it to you via the U.S. mail. Please note that due to delays
in the delivery of U.S. mail to federal offices in Washington, DC, we
recommend that persons consider an alternative method (internet, fax,
or professional delivery service) of submitting comments to the docket
and ensuring their timely receipt at DOT.
Privacy Act Statement: DOT may solicit comments from the public
regarding certain general notices. DOT posts these comments, without
edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/
ALL- 14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at <a href="http://www.dot.gov/privacy">www.dot.gov/privacy</a>.
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 CFR 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. 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: Angela Hill by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3a7b545d5f565b14725356567a5e554e145d554c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="da9bb4bdbfb6bbf492b3b6b69abeb5aef4bdb5ac">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 1320.8(d), Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, requires
PHMSA to provide interested members of the public and affected entities
an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping
requests. This notice identifies the proposed changes to the
information collection under OMB Control Number 2137-0596 that PHMSA
will submit to OMB for approval.
[[Page 14098]]
The NPMS includes a geospatial information system (GIS) dataset
that contains information about PHMSA-regulated gas transmission and
hazardous liquid pipelines. The NPMS also contains data layers for
liquefied natural gas plants and hazardous liquid breakout tanks. PHMSA
has a contract for services to perform all NPMS data submission
processing and support for pipeline operators submitting NPMS data.
This contract also includes all information technology (IT) systems and
applications designed to collect, process, and disseminate NPMS data to
stakeholders and the public.
On January 22, 2020, OMB approved significant changes to the NPMS
information collection and established January 31, 2023, as the
expiration date of the information collection. Since OMB approval,
PHMSA has determined that implementing the significant changes approved
by OMB are not feasible within the terms and scope of the current data
submission and IT contract.
The acquisition planning for a re-competition of the NPMS contract
has started. However, the complexities introduced by the combined
requirements of supporting the NPMS system in its current state while
at the same time implementing the significant changes to the system has
impacted the contract procurement timeline. The changes to the NPMS
system would require architecture, data, and application design
modifications. PHMSA has initiated the process of establishing a new
NPMS contract to complete this work, but will not be able to complete
that process and set up the new system in order to start collecting the
new information approved by OMB before the January 31, 2023, expiration
date.
PHMSA also proposes that two additional data elements be added to
the information collection for gas transmission pipelines. On October
1, 2019, (84 FR 52180) PHMSA published in the Federal Register a final
rule titled: ``Pipeline Safety: Safety of Gas Transmission Pipelines:
MAOP Reconfirmation, Expansion of Assessment Requirements, and Other
Related Amendments'' (Docket no, PHMSA-2011-0023). In the final rule,
the term ``moderate consequence area'' was added to 49 CFR part 192.
Also, the final rule added Sec. 192.710, which requires assessments of
certain gas transmission pipelines outside of high consequence areas
(HCAs). Data elements regarding the location of moderate consequence
areas (MCAs) and assessments outside of HCAs would provide local,
state, and federal government stakeholders with important information
regarding gas pipeline segments with elevated risk.
II. Implementation Timeline
PHMSA intends to maintain a phased implementation plan, as outlined
below, for the information collection changes approved in January 2020.
The dates shown below are the earliest possible dates PHMSA could start
collecting data for each phase. PHMSA will inform operators if we need
to revise any of the dates. Details about the contents of each phase
are included in the next sections.
Phase 0 2024 collection of CY 2023 data
Phase 1 2027 collection of CY 2026 data
Phase 2 2028 collection of CY 2027 data
Phase 3 2027 collection of CY 2026 data
These proposed implementation dates would allow PHMSA and pipeline
operators to design and build the necessary systems to support the data
submittal process. Additional time is also necessary for developing new
submission methods and tools, explanatory and procedural materials, and
training opportunities, which will provide certainty for both PHMSA and
pipeline operators through the implementation of the changes outlined
in the NPMS information collection.
A. Phase 0 Data Elements
In the April 11, 2019, (84 FR 14717) Federal Register notice
requesting revision to the previously approved information collection
regarding the National Pipeline Mapping System Program which led to the
January 2020 OMB approval, the data elements below became mandatory,
rather than optional, in Phase 1. PHMSA proposes making the data
elements below mandatory in a new Phase 0 since PHMSA and many
operators already have experience using these attributes. When
operators submit calendar year 2023 data in 2024, PHMSA may reject
submissions missing the following four data elements:
(1) Pipe diameter; (2) Commodity detail; (3) Breakout tanks; and
(4) Abandoned pipeline segments.
B. Phase 1 Data Elements
In the April 11, 2019, Federal Register notice that led to the
January 2020 OMB approval, the data elements below were included in
Phase 1. PHMSA proposes keeping these data elements in Phase 1:
<bullet> Pipe material.
<bullet> Pipe join method.
<bullet> Onshore/offshore.
<bullet> In-line inspection (yes/no).
<bullet> Class location.
<bullet> Gas HCA segment (yes/no).
<bullet> Coated (yes/no).
<bullet> Liquified Natural Gas plants (type of plant, year
constructed, and capacity, in addition to separate layers and
attributes for impoundments and exclusion zones).
PHMSA proposes two new data elements to be submitted by gas
transmission pipeline operators in Phase 1. After PHMSA requested OMB
approval of the information collection on April 11, 2019, PHMSA
regulations were revised to include two new types of gas pipeline
segments reflecting elevated risk. PHMSA proposes adding data elements
to identify gas pipeline segments within MCAs, as defined in Sec.
192.3, and for the applicability of Sec. 192.710 to gas pipeline
segments. Access to these two data elements would be restricted to
government officials. Similar to collecting and sharing ``gas high
consequence area (HCA) segment (yes/no),'' collecting and sharing the
MCA and Sec. 192.710 data would provide government stakeholders with
location information for pipeline segments with elevated risk.
<bullet> Gas MCA (yes/no)--if the gas transmission segment is in an
MCA as defined in part 192.3, report ``Y.'' Otherwise, report ``N.''
For a segment where Gas HCA is ``Y,'' MCA must be ``N.''
<bullet> Gas 192.710 (yes/no)--if the gas transmission segment is
required to be assessed under 49 CFR 192.710, report ``Y.'' Otherwise,
report ``N.'' For a segment where Gas HCA is ``Y,'' 192.710 must be
``N.''
C. Phase 2 Data Elements
In the April 11, 2019, Federal Register notice that led to the
January 2020 OMB approval, Phase 2 consisted of changing the Facility
Response Plan (FRP) sequence number from optional to mandatory and
adding the following new data elements:
<bullet> Facility Response Plan (FRP) sequence number becomes
mandatory.
<bullet> Seam type.
<bullet> Pipe grade.
<bullet> Wall thickness.
<bullet> Decade of installation.
<bullet> Hazardous liquid segment could affect an HCA--High
Populated, Other Populated, Commercially Navigable Waterway, and
Ecological USA.
<bullet> Assessment method and year.
PHMSA proposes no changes to the number of elements being collected
in Phase 2 but does propose minor improvements for how one of the data
elements will be collected. The OMB-approved collection includes
collecting ``pipe grade'' in Phase 2. Stakeholders would have used this
text to infer the numeric value for specified minimum yield strength
(SMYS) of steel pipe.
[[Page 14099]]
PHMSA proposes replacing the collection of ``pipe grade'' with the
collection of the SMYS in pounds per square inch gauge (psig) when the
``pipe material'' is steel. Collecting ``SMYS'' allows stakeholders to
see the actual numeric value instead of inferring the value from the
``pipe grade'' text field. When ``SMYS'' is unknown, PHMSA proposes
operators report 9.999 psig which is well below any actual value for
pipeline steel.
D. Phase 3
In the April 11, 2019, Federal Register notice that led to the
January 2020 OMB approval, Phase 3 consisted of implementing new
positional accuracy standards of +/- 50 or 100 feet seven years after
OMB approval. PHMSA will require NPMS data submittals to meet these
standards in 2027.
E. NPMS Attribute Standards Adjustments
Under the current approval of this information collection, wall
thickness is collected as a number when known and text is entered when
unknown. This paradigm creates unnecessary work for both PHMSA and
pipeline operator GIS staff since sometimes the attribute would be text
and sometimes numeric. PHMSA proposes that when the wall thickness is
unknown, operators report the wall thickness as 9.999.
The current approval of this information collection states that the
FRP sequence number is required for applicable liquid segments per 49
CFR part 194. In the NPMS Attribute Standards document, PHMSA did not
list the commodity values for which the FRP sequence number is
required. PHMSA proposes modifying the NPMS Attribute Standards
document by listing onshore crude oil and onshore refined products as
the pipeline segments requiring the FRP sequence number. In some cases,
the operator may be required to report a hazardous liquid pipeline to
the NPMS before obtaining an FRP sequence number from PHMSA. PHMSA also
proposes that operators enter 9.999 for onshore crude oil and onshore
refined products segments without an FRP sequence number. An updated
NPMS Attribute Standards document reflecting the changes proposed by
PHMSA is included in Docket No. PHMSA-2021-0085.
III. Summary of Impacted Collection
Section 1320.8(d), Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, requires
PHMSA to provide interested members of the public and affected agencies
an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping
requests. This notice identifies an information collection request that
PHMSA will submit to OMB for revision.
The following information is provided for this information
collection: (1) Title of the information collection; (2) OMB control
number; (3) Current expiration date; (4) Type of request; (5) Abstract
of the information collection activity; (6) Description of affected
public; (7) Estimate of total annual reporting and recordkeeping
burden; and (8) Frequency of collection.
PHMSA will request a three-year term of approval for this
information collection. PHMSA requests comments on the following
information:
1. Title: National Pipeline Mapping System Program.
OMB Control Number: 2137-0596.
Expiration Date: 1/31/2023.
Type of Request: Revision of a previously approved information
collection.
Abstract: The Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-
355), 49 U.S.C. 60132, ``National Pipeline Mapping System,'' requires
the operator of a pipeline facility (except distribution lines and
gathering lines) to provide information to PHMSA. Each operator is
required to submit geospatial data appropriate for use in the National
Pipeline Mapping System or data in a format that can be readily
converted to geospatial data; the name and address of the person with
primary operational control (to be known as its operator); and a means
for a member of the public to contact the operator for additional
information about the pipeline facilities it operates. Operators would
submit the requested data elements once and make annual updates to the
data if necessary. These data elements strengthen the effectiveness of
PHMSA's risk rankings and evaluations, which are used as a factor in
determining pipeline inspection priority and frequency; allow for more
effective assistance to emergency responders by providing them with a
more reliable, complete data set of pipelines and facilities; and
provide better support to PHMSA's inspectors by providing more accurate
pipeline locations and additional pipeline-related geospatial data that
can be linked to tabular data in PHMSA's inspection database.
This proposed revision would require operators to submit geospatial
data for MCAs, as defined in 49 CFR part 192, and data based on the
applicability of Sec. 192.710 assessments outside of HCAs. This
revision would also require operators to submit the data element
``SMYS'' in psig in place of submitting data on pipe grade. PHMSA does
not expect operators to incur additional burden due to the inclusion of
these new and revised elements. PHMSA believes that the annual burden
allotted for this information collection is sufficient for operators to
include the newly requested data elements. A detailed breakdown of the
estimated burden for this information collection can be found at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
Respondents: Operators of gas transmission, hazardous liquid, or
liquefied natural gas pipeline facilities.
Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:
Estimated Number of Responses: 1,346 responses.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 162,208 hours.
Frequency of Collection: Annually.
Comments are invited on:
(a) The need for the renewal and revision of this collection of
information for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
(b) The accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information,
(c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
those who are required to respond, including the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter
35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued in Washington, DC, on March 7, 2022, under authority
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2022-05193 Filed 3-10-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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