Proposed Rule2024-07888
Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee
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
April 15, 2024
Effective
August 27, 2024
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Abstract
On February 20, 2024, PHMSA published a Federal Register notice titled: "Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee," which provided an opportunity for public comment by April 29, 2024, on the proceedings of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC) meeting related to the notices of proposed rulemakings (NPRMs) titled "Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair" (LDAR) and "Class Location Change Requirements" (Class Location). PHMSA received a request to extend the comment period for stakeholders to have more time to provide comments on the topics of discussion. PHMSA is denying the request to extend the comment period for the GPAC proceedings related to the LDAR NPRM, but PHMSA is granting the request to extend the comment period for the GPAC proceedings related to the Class Location NPRM to August 27, 2024.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 73 (Monday, April 15, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 73 (Monday, April 15, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 26118-26119]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07888]
[[Page 26118]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
49 CFR Parts 191, 192, and 193
[Docket No. PHMSA-2024-0005]
Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of advisory committee meeting; extension of comment
period.
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SUMMARY: On February 20, 2024, PHMSA published a Federal Register
notice titled: ``Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory
Committee,'' which provided an opportunity for public comment by April
29, 2024, on the proceedings of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee
(GPAC) meeting related to the notices of proposed rulemakings (NPRMs)
titled ``Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair'' (LDAR) and ``Class
Location Change Requirements'' (Class Location). PHMSA received a
request to extend the comment period for stakeholders to have more time
to provide comments on the topics of discussion. PHMSA is denying the
request to extend the comment period for the GPAC proceedings related
to the LDAR NPRM, but PHMSA is granting the request to extend the
comment period for the GPAC proceedings related to the Class Location
NPRM to August 27, 2024.
DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published February
2024, at 89 FR 12798, is extended. Comments should be received on or
before August 27, 2024, for comments on GPAC proceedings related to the
Class Location NPRM. The closing date for filing comments is April 29,
2024, for comments on GPAC proceedings related to the LDAR NPRM.
Consistent with 49 CFR 190.323, the agency will consider late-filed
comments to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by the docket number
PHMSA-2024-0005 by any of the following methods:
E-Gov Web: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://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.
Mail: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of Transportation,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140,
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery: U.S. DOT Docket Management System, West Building
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC
20590-0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Instructions: Please include the docket number PHMSA-2024-0005 at
the beginning of your comments. If you submit your comments by mail,
submit two copies. If you wish to receive confirmation that PHMSA has
received your comments, include a self-addressed stamped postcard.
Internet users may submit comments at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>.
Note: Comments are posted without changes or edits to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal information provided.
There is a privacy statement published on https://
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a><a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits
comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. 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), that 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 document 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. Submissions containing CBI
should be sent to Tewabe Asebe, Office of Pipeline Safety, by phone at
202-366-5523 or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d0a4b5a7b1b2b5feb1a3b5b2b590b4bfa4feb7bfa6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c7b3a2b0a6a5a2e9a6b4a2a5a287a3a8b3e9a0a8b1">[email protected]</span></a>. Any commentary PHMSA
receives that is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in
the public docket.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online
instructions for accessing the docket. Alternatively, you may review
the documents in person at the street address listed above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tewabe Asebe, Office of Pipeline
Safety, by phone at 202-366-5523 or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#176372607675723976647275725773786339707861"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dbafbeacbab9bef5baa8beb9be9bbfb4aff5bcb4ad">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
On February 20, 2024, PHMSA published a Federal Register notice (89
FR 12798) announcing its plans to hold a public meeting of the
Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas
Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC), to complete discussion on the
notices of proposed rulemakings (NPRMs) titled ``Gas Pipeline Leak
Detection and Repair'' and ``Class Location Change Requirements.'' In
the notice, PHMSA announced that the public meeting would be held from
March 25, 2024, to March 29, 2024, and specified that comments on the
proceedings of the GPAC meeting must be submitted by April 29, 2024.
Following the conclusion of the meeting, PHMSA received a joint
comment extension request from the Interstate Natural Gas Association
of America, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, American Gas
Association, American Petroleum Institute, American Public Gas
Association, and the GPA Midstream Association (the Associations). The
Associations requested an additional 60 days to provide comment on the
GPAC proceedings pertaining to the LDAR NPRM, which would change the
comment deadline to June 28, 2024. The Associations also requested an
additional 120 days to provide comment on the GPAC proceedings
pertaining to the Class Location NPRM, changing the comment deadline to
August 27, 2024.
PHMSA received comments from public interest and environmental
groups opposing the extension of the comment period for GPAC
proceedings pertaining to the ``Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and
Repair'' NPRM. Noting that the rule is urgently needed to improve
safety and reduce methane emissions across the millions of miles of
pipelines in the Unites States, and that the Protecting Our
Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2020 directed
PHMSA to finalize advanced leak detection and repair standards by
December 2021;
[[Page 26119]]
commenters urged PHMSA to swiftly finalize the proposed measures to
improve public safety. Extending the comment period for GPAC
proceedings pertaining to the Leak Detection and Repair NPRM could
further delay PHMSA's finalization of that rule.
PHMSA will extend the comment submission deadline from April 29,
2024, to August 27, 2024, for comments on the GPAC proceedings
pertaining to the Class Location NPRM. For comments on the GPAC
proceedings pertaining to the Leak Detection and Repair NPRM, the
comment submission deadline will remain April 29, 2024. Consistent with
49 CFR 190.323, PHMSA will consider late-filed comments to the extent
practicable.
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 10, 2024, under authority
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Massoud Tahamtani,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Policy and Programs.
[FR Doc. 2024-07888 Filed 4-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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