Notice2026-09304
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
May 11, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Abstract
This notice announces a public meeting of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC), to discuss the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), titled "Safety of Gas Distribution Pipelines and Other Pipeline Safety Initiatives."
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 90 (Monday, May 11, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 90 (Monday, May 11, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25755-25756]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-09304]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA-2021-0046]
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.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces a public meeting of the Technical
Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline
Advisory Committee (GPAC), to discuss the notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPRM), titled ``Safety of Gas Distribution Pipelines and Other
Pipeline Safety Initiatives.''
DATES: The GPAC will meet on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to
6:00 p.m. EST to discuss the NPRM. Please note the meeting may end
earlier or later depending on when the GPAC completes its review of the
NPRM. Members of the public who wish to attend are asked to register no
later than May 22, 2026. PHMSA requests that individuals who require
accommodations because of a disability notify Joe Berry by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#345e5b4751445c1a565146464d0574505b401a535b42"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c3a9acb0a6b3abeda1a6b1b1baf283a7acb7eda4acb5">[email protected]</span></a> at least five days prior to the meeting. Public
comments on the proceedings of the meeting must be submitted by June
29, 2026.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
While the meeting will be conducted in person, seating is limited.
PHMSA will provide a virtual format for those unable to attend in
person. The agenda, registration details, and virtual access
instructions will be posted at: <a href="https://primis-meetings.phmsa.dot.gov/">https://primis-meetings.phmsa.dot.gov/</a>.
Presentations will be available on the meeting website and at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a> in docket number PHMSA-2021-0046 as soon as
practicable following the meeting. You may submit comments by any of
the following methods:
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Mail or hand delivery: 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 is
available between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. Submit two copies if you submit your comment
by mail, and, include a self-addressed stamped postcard if you wish to
receive confirmation of receipt.
<bullet> Fax: 202-493-2251.
<bullet> Instructions: Identify the docket number PHMSA-2021-0046
at the beginning of your comments. 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> Privacy Act Statement: 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">http://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">http://www.dot.gov/privacy</a>.
<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 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. Unless you are notified
otherwise, PHMSA will treat such marked submissions as confidential
under the Freedom of Information Act and they will not be placed in the
public docket of this notice. Submissions containing CBI should be sent
to Joseph Berry, Office of Pipeline Safety (PHP-30), PHMSA, 2nd Floor,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001, or by email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7c16130f190c14521e190e0e054d3c181308521b130a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cca6a3bfa9bca4e2aea9bebeb5fd8ca8a3b8e2aba3ba">[email protected]</span></a>. Any material PHMSA receives that is not
specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket.
<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: Joe Berry by phone at 720-601-3577 or
by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a4cecbd7c1d4cc8ac6c1d6d6dd95e4c0cbd08ac3cbd2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="abc1c4d8cedbc385c9ced9d9d29aebcfc4df85ccc4dd">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Meeting Agenda
The GPAC will meet on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. ET to
discuss the NPRM, titled ``Safety of Gas Distribution Pipelines and
Other Pipeline Safety Initiatives.'' \1\ The GPAC will review the NPRM
and its associated regulatory analyses, including, but not limited to,
the cost-benefit and risk assessment analyses contained in the
preliminary regulatory impact analysis; environmental assessments; and
other materials pertaining to the NPRM provided in the public docket.
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\1\ 88 FR 61746 (Sept. 7, 2023). The public docket for the Gas
Distribution NPRM can be found at <a href="https://regulations.gov">https://regulations.gov</a> in Docket
No. PHMSA-2021-0046.
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In the NPRM, PHMSA proposed amendments that would require operators
of gas distribution pipelines to update their distribution integrity
management programs (DIMP), emergency response plans, and operations
and maintenance manuals, and to implement other safety practices. The
NPRM also proposed to codify the use of the State Inspection
Calculation Tool and to apply annual reporting requirements to small,
liquefied petroleum gas operators in lieu of following DIMP
requirements. The proposed amendments addressed certain provisions of
the Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act--enacted as part of the
Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES)
Act of 2020--and a National
[[Page 25756]]
Transportation Safety Board recommendation.<SUP>2 3</SUP>
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\2\ PIPES Act of 2020, Public Law 116-260, 134 Stat. 1182 (Dec.
27, 2020).
\3\ NTSB, PAR-19/02, Overpressurization of Natural Gas
Distribution System, Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts (2019).
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Following the GPAC meeting, PHMSA will evaluate the GPAC's
recommendations and publish a final rule that addresses the comments
received and relevant information from the GPAC meeting report.
II. Information on the GPAC
The GPAC is a statutorily mandated advisory committee that provides
PHMSA and the Secretary of Transportation with recommendations on
proposed standards for the transportation of gas by pipeline.
Established in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 60115 and the Federal Advisory
Committee Act of 1972 (FACA, 5 U.S.C. Ch. 10), the GPAC is tasked with
reviewing and providing recommendations on the technical feasibility,
reasonableness, cost-effectiveness, and practicability of PHMSA's
proposed changes to the gas pipeline safety regulations. The committee
consists of 15 members, with membership evenly divided among Federal
and State governments, regulated industry, and the general public.
III. Public Participation
The meeting will be open to the public; however, in-person seating
is limited. For those unable to attend in person, the meeting will also
be accessible via a virtual format. In addition, PHMSA will record the
meeting and post a record to the public docket. All participants--
whether they attend in person or virtually--must register through the
official meeting website. When registering, please provide your name
and affiliation. PHMSA is committed to providing all participants with
equal access to this meeting. If you need an accommodation due to a
disability, please contact Joe Berry by phone at 720-601-3577 or by
email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bbd1d4c8decbd395d9dec9c9c28afbdfd4cf95dcd4cd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fd97928e988d95d39f988f8f84ccbd999289d39a928b">[email protected]</span></a>.
Verbal statements from members of the public will not be permitted
during this meeting; however, PHMSA invites written comments during a
30-day period following the meeting. Written public comments on the
proceedings of the meeting must be submitted by June 29, 2026.
PHMSA is not always able to publish a notice in the Federal
Register quickly enough to provide timely notice regarding last-minute
issues that impact a previously announced advisory committee meeting.
Therefore, individuals should check the meeting website or contact Joe
Berry regarding any possible changes.
Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR
1.97.
Linda Daugherty
Acting Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2026-09304 Filed 5-8-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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