Notice2022-23147
Pipeline Safety: Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Research and Development (R&D) Public Meeting and Forum
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 25, 2022
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Abstract
This notice announces a virtual public meeting and forum titled: "Liquefied Natural Gas Research and Development Public Meeting and Forum." The public meeting and forum will serve as an opportunity for pipeline stakeholders to discuss research gaps and challenges in the LNG industry. Furthermore, it will also serve as a venue for PHMSA, public interest groups, industry, academia, intergovernmental partners, and the public to collaborate on PHMSA's future R&D agenda.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 205 (Tuesday, October 25, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64539-64540]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-23147]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA-2022-0124]
Pipeline Safety: Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Research and
Development (R&D) Public Meeting and Forum
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
DOT.
ACTION: Notice of virtual public meeting and forum.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces a virtual public meeting and forum
titled: ``Liquefied Natural Gas Research and Development Public Meeting
and Forum.'' The public meeting and forum will serve as an opportunity
for pipeline stakeholders to discuss research gaps and challenges in
the LNG industry. Furthermore, it will also serve as a venue for PHMSA,
public interest groups, industry, academia, intergovernmental partners,
and the public to collaborate on PHMSA's future R&D agenda.
DATES: The LNG R&D Public Meeting and Forum will be held on November 15
and 16, 2022. Members of the public who wish to attend the public
meeting and forum must register by November 14, 2022. Individuals
requiring accommodations, such as sign language interpretation or other
aids, are asked to notify PHMSA no later than November 9, 2022.
Individuals will be able to sign up to participate in specific
workgroups by November 7, 2022, on a first come first serve basis. To
facilitate a collaborative and productive discussion in the working
groups, each working group will have a maximum capacity of 50
participants.
ADDRESSES: This public meeting and forum will be held virtually. The
agenda and instructions on how to attend will be published once they
are finalized on the following public meeting registration page:
<a href="https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/MtgHome.mtg?mtg=162">https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/MtgHome.mtg?mtg=162</a>.
Presentations will be available on the meeting website and on the E-gov
website, <a href="https://regulations.gov">https://regulations.gov</a>, at docket number PHMSA-2022-0124, no
later than 30 days following the meeting. You may submit comments,
identified by Docket No. PHMSA-2022-0124, by any of the following
methods:
<bullet> E-Gov Web: <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. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Mail: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
<bullet> Hand Delivery: DOT Docket Management System: West Building
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, between 9:00
a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
<bullet> Fax: 202-493-2251.
<bullet> Instructions: Identify the Docket No. PHMSA-2022-0124, at
the beginning of your comments. If you submit your comments by mail,
please submit two copies. If you wish to receive confirmation that
PHMSA received your comments, you must include a self-addressed stamped
postcard. Internet users may submit comments at: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.
<bullet> Note: All comments received are posted without edits to
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal information
provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading below.
<bullet> 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 (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public
disclosure. If your comments in response 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) 190.343, you may ask PHMSA to provide 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 a copy of the
original document with the CBI deleted along with the original,
unaltered document; and (3) explain why the information you are
submitting is CBI. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to
Kandilarya Barakat, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, DOT: PHMSA--PHP-80,
Washington, DC 20590-0001. Any commentary PHMSA receives that is not
specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket.
<bullet> Privacy Act: 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>.
<bullet> Docket: For access to the docket to read background
documents or comments received, go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets.
Alternatively, you may review the documents in person at the street
address listed above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Smith by phone at 202-330-1132
or via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6a1805080f181e441d441907031e022a0e051e440d051c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="60120f020512144e174e130d09140820040f144e070f16">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The mission of PHMSA is to protect people and the environment by
advancing the safe transportation of energy products and other
hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives. PHMSA
oversees the transportation of hazardous materials, including energy
products, through all modes of the transportation industry--and is
focused on the Biden-Harris Administration's whole-of-government
approach to addressing safety, mitigating climate change, and improving
the environment. PHMSA collaborates with stakeholders from the public,
academia, interagency, international partners, and pipeline industry
that share PHMSA's goal of advancing knowledge and technology in the
pursuit of improved LNG facility safety. PHMSA's research agenda will
adapt to address existing and future LNG safety initiatives such as
addressing performance-based risk reduction during site location,
design, construction, operations, maintenance, and fire protection, and
methane mitigation activities.
Due to the importance of energy products and other hazardous
materials to our economy and standard of living, it is essential that
research projects promote safety, environmental protection, and
reliable and efficient performance of our transportation system. The
United States has experienced a significant increase in LNG export over
the last decade. The expansion of the domestic and international LNG
transportation industry has highlighted the need to ensure the U.S. is
leading the world with best safety and environmental mitigation
practices. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration
(EIA), ``U.S. LNG export capacity increased from less than 1 billion
cubic feet (Bcf) per day (Bcf/d) in 2015 to 10.78 Bcf/d at the end of
2020. Total peak export capacity in 2021 was about 12.98 Bcf/d. In
2015, total U.S. LNG
[[Page 64540]]
exports were about 28 Bcf to seven countries. In 2021, U.S. LNG exports
reached a record high of about 3,561 Bcf to 45 countries, and LNG
exports accounted for 54% of total U.S. natural gas exports.'' \1\
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\1\ <a href="https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/liquefied-natural-gas.php">https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/liquefied-natural-gas.php</a> (updated as of May 19, 2022).
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This expansion of LNG demand is expected to continue in the near
term and brings with it additional safety challenges which must be
understood and remedied to mitigate safety impacts and potential
environmental damage from releases and incidents. Therefore, LNG
transportation research will examine regulatory requirements and
standards incorporated into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for
LNG and performance gap analyses so as to keep pace with the growing
demand to export LNG. In addition, future research outputs must
consider LNG's status as an alternate transportation fuel for multiple
modes of transportation particularly as operators transition from
conventional oil-based fuels to LNG for marine vessels in order to
reduce air pollution.
To this end, PHMSA hopes to discuss and receive public feedback in
four areas: (1) LNG facility design and construction, including
process, piping, and control system design; process hazard analysis;
vapor handling; structural members; and construction testing
requirements; (2) LNG facility siting, including passive and active
protection and potential safety gaps in 49 CFR 193 and industry
technical standards; (3) LNG facility fire protection system design,
including firewater system design, fire and gas detection technology,
emergency shutdown systems, and hazard controls; and (4) LNG operation
and maintenance, including plans and procedures (best practices), safe
work practices, human factors, incident investigation and reporting,
reporting requirements, inspection and testing, maintenance and
repairs--including fugitive and vented methane emissions mitigation,
corrosion protection, and personnel protection.
II. Public Meeting and Forum Details and Agenda
The virtual meeting and forum will take place November 15 and 16,
2022. The morning of the first day of the virtual public meeting will
include a general session with panel discussions among government,
industry, research consortiums, and environmental advocacy stakeholders
on LNG facility safety R&D research topics. The afternoon of the first
day and the entirety of the second day will be the virtual public forum
which will consist of smaller workgroups that members of the public
will have an opportunity to sign up for in advance. The workgroups will
explore the specific research gaps and topics discussed above in
Section I.
III. Public Participation
The virtual public meeting and forum will be open to the public.
Members of the public who wish to attend must register on the meeting
website, including their names and organization affiliation. PHMSA is
committed to providing all participants with equal access to these
meetings. If you need disability accommodations, please contact Robert
Smith by phone at 202-330-1132 or via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fa8895989f888ed48dd48997938e92ba9e958ed49d958c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0f7d606d6a7d7b2178217c62667b674f6b607b21686079">[email protected]</span></a>.
PHMSA is not always able to publish a notice in the Federal
Register quickly enough to provide timely notification of last-minute
changes that impact scheduled meetings. Therefore, individuals should
check the meeting website listed in the ADDRESSES section of this
notice or contact Robert Smith by phone at 202-330-1132 or via email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d2a0bdb0b7a0a6fca5fca1bfbba6ba92b6bda6fcb5bda4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e1938e83849395cf96cf928c889589a1858e95cf868e97">[email protected]</span></a> regarding any possible changes.
PHMSA invites public participation and public comment on the topics
addressed in this public meeting and forum. Please review the ADDRESSES
section of this notice for information on how to submit written
comments.
Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR
1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2022-23147 Filed 10-24-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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