Notice2025-21901
Pipeline Safety: Request for Special Permit; Gas Transmission Northwest LLC
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
December 4, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Abstract
PHMSA is publishing this notice to solicit public comment on a request for a special permit for three special permit segments submitted by Gas Transmission Northwest LLC (GTN), a subsidiary of TC Energy, Inc. This notice was published previously but now contains updated documents, described further in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below. GTN is seeking relief from compliance with certain requirements in the Federal pipeline safety regulations. PHMSA has proposed conditions to ensure the special permit is consistent with pipeline safety. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will review the comments received from this notice as part of its evaluation to grant or deny the special permit request.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 231 (Thursday, December 4, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 231 (Thursday, December 4, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55972-55973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-21901]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA-2024-0055]
Pipeline Safety: Request for Special Permit; Gas Transmission
Northwest LLC
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA);
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: PHMSA is publishing this notice to solicit public comment on a
request for a special permit for three special permit segments
submitted by Gas Transmission Northwest LLC (GTN), a subsidiary of TC
Energy, Inc. This notice was published previously but now contains
updated documents, described further in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
below. GTN is seeking relief from compliance with certain requirements
in the Federal pipeline safety regulations. PHMSA has proposed
conditions to ensure the special permit is consistent with pipeline
safety. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will
review the comments received from this notice as part of its evaluation
to grant or deny the special permit request.
DATES: Submit any comments regarding this special permit request by
January 5, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Comments should reference the docket number for this
specific special permit request and may be submitted in the following
ways:
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
<bullet> Mail: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of
Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor,
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
<bullet> Hand Delivery: Docket Management System: U.S. Department
of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor,
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, between
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
Instructions: You should identify the docket number for the special
permit request that you are commenting on at the beginning of your
comments. If you submit your comments by mail, please submit two
copies. To receive confirmation that PHMSA has received your comments,
please include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Internet users may
submit comments at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Note: There is a privacy statement published on <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Comments, including any personal information
provided, are posted without changes or edits to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</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 United States Code 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 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) Sec. 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.
Unless you are notified otherwise, PHMSA will treat such marked
submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed
in the public docket of this notice. Submissions containing CBI should
be sent to Jamie Huff, DOT, PHMSA-PHP-80, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590-0001. 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:
General: Ms. Jamie Huff by telephone at 812-677-8809 or by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#59333834303c77312c3f3f193d362d773e362f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4329222e2a266d2b36252503272c376d242c35">[email protected]</span></a>.
Technical: Mr. Zaid Obeidi by telephone at 202-768-4354, or by
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b5cfd4dcd19bdad7d0dcd1dcf5d1dac19bd2dac3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="eb918a828fc584898e828f82ab8f849fc58c849d">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PHMSA received a special permit request from
GTN, a subsidiary of TC Energy, Inc., on March 27, 2024, seeking to
deviate from the Federal pipeline safety regulations in 49 CFR 192.611
and 192.619, for three special permit segments (SPSs), which include
11,178 feet (approximately 2.1 miles) of the GTN
[[Page 55973]]
gas transmission pipeline named Mainline A located in Boundary and
Kootenai counties, Idaho.
Due to class location changes from Class 1 to Class 3, GTN is
required to revise or reduce the maximum allowable operating pressure
(MAOP) for the Mainline A pipeline segments from its current MAOP of
911 pounds per square inch gauge. This special permit is being
requested to allow GTN to operate the Mainline A pipeline segments in
Class 3 locations at its current MAOP by implementing enhanced
integrity management procedures in lieu of replacing pipe or lowering
the operating pressure as required by Part 192.
The draft conditions were preliminarily determined to ensure that
the special permit is consistent with pipeline safety. The requested
SPSs are as follows:
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Outside
SPS No. County, state diameter Line name Length Year
(inches) (feet) installed
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1.......................... Boundary County, ID.. 36 GTN Mainline A....... 10,370 1961
2.......................... Kootenai County, ID.. 36 GTN Mainline A....... 584 1961
3.......................... Kootenai County, ID.. 36 GTN Mainline A....... 220 1961
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PHMSA previously published this request on October 15, 2024, with
the public comment period closing November 14, 2024. The Special Permit
Request letter, proposed special permit with conditions, environmental
assessment (EA), and all other pertinent documents for the original
special permit are available in Docket No. PHMSA-2024-0055 in the
Federal Docket Management System located at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
Following the closure of the comment period, PHMSA began reviewing
its special permit process to determine if special permit conditions
could be streamlined in order to ease unnecessary burdens on
applicants. As part of that process, PHMSA gave GTN the option of
seeking reconsideration of its application and conducting another round
of public notice and comment. GTN exercised that option. As a result,
the proposed conditions in this new version of the special permit have
been revised from the version previously noticed.
Since the issuance of the original EA, on July 1, 2025, DOT
published DOT Order 5610.1D: Procedures for Considering Environmental
Impacts which outline DOT's processes and requirements for complying
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) under 42 U.S.C. 4321
et seq. PHMSA has incorporated the following Categorical Exclusion (CE)
from DOT 5610.1D into its implementing procedures: 1. Granting,
renewing, or denying a special permit related to waiving class location
or odorization requirements, following the procedures set forth in 49
CFR 190.341, including the identification of any enforceable
conditions, imposed pursuant to 49 CFR 190.341(d)(2), that are required
to prevent and address pipeline safety and environmental risk. On
August 21, 2025, PHMSA reviewed the special permit request for
compliance with NEPA. Based on the scope of the action, PHMSA has
further determined that no extraordinary circumstances apply. In order
to ensure continued human and environmental safety, the operator must
fulfill the mitigation conditions of the special permit; continue to
employ good operating practices; and continue to follow any additional
applicable permitting requirements, State laws, or other pre-existing
Federal requirements related to environmental protection. Should
conditions change, or should extraordinary circumstances materialize,
the operator must contact PHMSA for reevaluation. The proposed action
is hereby categorically excluded from further NEPA review. The
finalized CE will be published at <a href="https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/planning-and-analytics/environmental-analysis-and-compliance/implementing-procedures">https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/planning-and-analytics/environmental-analysis-and-compliance/implementing-procedures</a>. The website also includes information on DOT Order 5610.1D.
The special permit request and revised proposed special permit with
conditions for the TC Energy GTN pipeline are available for review and
public comment in Docket No. PHMSA-2024-0055. PHMSA invites interested
persons to review and submit comments on the special permit request and
EA in the docket. Please include comments on potential safety and
environmental impacts as a result of the special permit request.
Comments may include relevant data.
Before issuing a decision on the special permit request, PHMSA will
evaluate all comments received on or before the comment closing date.
PHMSA will consider each relevant comment it receives in making its
decision to grant or deny this special permit request.
Issued in Washington, DC, on December 1, 2025 under authority
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Linda Daugherty,
Acting Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2025-21901 Filed 12-3-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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