Notice2025-15329
Pipeline Safety: Information Collection Activities
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
August 13, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Abstract
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the information collection request abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. PHMSA plans to revise the instructions for Form PHMSA F 7100.2 INCIDENT REPORT--GAS TRANSMISSION, GAS GATHERING, AND UNDERGROUND NATURAL GAS STORAGE FACILITIES to provide clarity on reporting the intentional release of gas through relief valves and emergency shutdown devices. A Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on this information collection revision was published on December 17, 2020.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 154 (Wednesday, August 13, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 154 (Wednesday, August 13, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39033-39035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15329]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA-2025-0021]
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 compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the information
collection request abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. PHMSA plans to
revise the instructions for Form PHMSA F 7100.2 INCIDENT REPORT--GAS
TRANSMISSION, GAS GATHERING, AND UNDERGROUND NATURAL GAS STORAGE
FACILITIES to provide clarity on reporting the intentional release of
gas through relief valves and emergency shutdown devices. A Federal
Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on
this information collection revision was published on December 17,
2020.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
September 12, 2025.
ADDRESSES: The public is invited to submit comments regarding these
information collection requests, including suggestions for reducing the
burden, to Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk
Officer for the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, 725 17th
Street NW, Washington, DC 20503. Comments can also be submitted
electronically at <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Angela Hill by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fbba959c9e979ad5b3929797bb9f948fd59c948d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1e5f70797b727f30567772725e7a716a30797168">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations section 1320.8(d), requires
the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to
provide interested members of the public and affected agencies the
opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping
requests before they are submitted to OMB for approval. In accordance
with this regulation, on December 17, 2020 PHMSA published a Federal
Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on its
intent to revise the instructions for Form PHMSA F 7100.2 INCIDENT
REPORT--GAS TRANSMISSION, GAS GATHERING, AND UNDERGROUND NATURAL GAS
STORAGE FACILITIES which is under OMB Control Number 2137-0635.
The proposed revisions included changes to the instructions to Form
PHMSA F 7100.2 to remove the requirement for operators to report relief
valve lifts and compressor station emergency shutdown (ESD) events when
the systems function as expected. In a subsequent 30-day notice,
published in the Federal Register on May 14, 2021, PHMSA decided to
delay proposed revisions and consider the comments in a future
information collection change.
PHMSA is again proposing to revise to the instructions for Form
PHMSA F 7100.2 to clarify how operators should treat the reporting of
intentional gas releases. The current instructions state that the
intentional and controlled release of gas for the purpose of
maintenance or other routine operating activities is not to be
reported. However, the instructions for Section A7, specify
[[Page 39034]]
``When ESDs or relief valves are activated as the result of a safety
condition that has occurred, the volume released should be included in
the ``unintentional'' category, even if safety equipment performed as
designed . . .'' In the December 2020 notice, PHMSA proposed to revise
the instructions to indicate that when gas is released through a relief
valve or a compressor station during an ESD event, and devices open and
close at the specified set points, the release of gas is considered
intentional.
One of the commenters (the Associations) \1\ to the December 2020
notice suggested that the proposed language be clarified to specify
that a relief valve or ESD system need not ``close'' at the specified
setpoint for the event to be considered intentional, because a relief
device may not perfectly ``close'' (i.e., reseat) completely following
a relief event. The Associations specified that if the relief valve or
ESD opens at the specified set point and relieves gas through the
intended pathway, then the relief valve has functioned as designed. The
Associations also suggested that PHMSA clarify that when determining
whether a relief valve opened at the specified setpoint, the operator
should consider the relief valve manufacturer's specified tolerances.
The Associations noted that relief valves are commonly designed to
begin partially opening before the set point is reached to reduce the
risk of overpressure. The Associations also noted that ESD systems may
be designed to activate in response to a ``condition'' rather than a
``set point'' (e.g., gas detection). The Associations concluded by
specifying that it is illogical to classify manual ESD activations as
unintentional since such events are intentional actions taken by
trained operator personnel.
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\1\ The Associations include: The American Gas Association,
American Petroleum Institute, American Public Gas Association, GPA
Midstream Association, and Interstate Natural Gas Association of
America (<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/comment/PHMSA-2019-0172-0006">https://www.regulations.gov/comment/PHMSA-2019-0172-0006</a>).
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The Associations proposed the following language for the general
instructions, ``When gas is released through a relief valve or a
compressor station has an emergency shutdown (ESD) system and devices
open at the specified set points (considering the manufacturer's
specified tolerances) or conditions, release of gas is considered
intentional.''
The Associations proposed the following language for the A7
instructions, ``The volume released during a relief valve activation is
considered intentional when the device opens at the specified setpoint,
considering the manufacturer's specified tolerances. The volume
released during an emergency shutdown (ESD) that is activated by a
station safety device is considered intentional. The volume released
during an ESD in which one or more valves in the release pathway do not
properly open is considered unintentional.''
PHMSA acknowledges the concerns of the Associations and, based on
the additional information provided, agrees with the proposed
revisions. PHMSA does not intend to collect data on events that are not
associated with equipment failure or malfunctions as those events do
not represent safety risks to the public. The elimination of this data
will provide a more accurate representation of the safety of gas
transmission pipelines, allowing both operators and regulators to
better identify and address safety concerns.
While PHMSA is proposing that the release of gas from a relief
valve or ESD device is not a reportable incident as defined by pipeline
safety regulations, it may qualify as an abnormal operation or safety
related condition. Section 192.605 requires the operator's operations
and maintenance manual to include procedures for the handling of
abnormal operations. Under Sec. 192.605(c)(1)(iv), operators are
required to respond to, investigate, and correct the cause of the
operation of any safety device. Under Sec. 191.23(a)(10), operators of
gas transmission pipelines are also required to submit a safety related
condition report for each exceedance of the maximum allowable operating
pressure that exceeds the margin (build-up) allowed for operation of
pressure-limiting or control devices as specified in the applicable
requirements of Sec. Sec. 192.201, 192.620(e), and 192.739.
PHMSA notes that relief device activations may also be subject to
reporting under other Federal or state laws. (See, e.g., Environmental
Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, 40 CFR 98 subpart
W).
II. Summary of Impacted Collection
As section 1320.8(d) of Title 5 of the CFR requires PHMSA to
provide interested members of the public and affected agencies the
opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping
requests before they are submitted to OMB for approval, this notice
identifies an information collection request that PHMSA will submit to
OMB for revision.
The following information is provided for this information
collection request: (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 activity. PHMSA requests comments on the
following information:
Title: ``Incident Reports for Natural Gas Pipeline Operators''.
OMB Control Number: 2137-0635.
Current Expiration Date: 06/30/2026.
Abstract: Operators of natural gas pipelines, underground natural
gas storage (UNGS), and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities are
required to report incidents to PHMSA per the requirements in 49 CFR
part 191. This mandatory information collection covers the collection
of incident report data from natural gas pipeline, UNGS, and LNG
operators. The reports contained within this information collection
support the Department of Transportation's strategic goal of safety.
This information is an essential part of PHMSA's overall effort to
minimize failures on natural gas transmission, gathering, and
distribution pipelines, and UNGS and LNG facilities. PHMSA proposes to
revise the instructions for Form PHMSA F 7100.2 INCIDENT REPORT--GAS
TRANSMISSION, GAS GATHERING, AND UNDERGROUND NATURAL GAS STORAGE
FACILITIES to provide clarity on reporting the intentional release of
gas through relief valves and emergency shutdown devices.
Affected Public: Operators of certain PHMSA-regulated pipelines,
UNGS facilities, and LNG facilities.
Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:
Total Annual Responses: 840.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,927.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Comments are invited on:
(a) The need to review and revise these collections of information
for the proper performance of Agency functions, including whether the
information will have practical utility.
(b) The accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden required to
collect information, including the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used.
(c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected.
(d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
[[Page 39035]]
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 August 8, 2025, under authority
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Linda Daugherty,
Acting Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2025-15329 Filed 8-12-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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