Underground Storage of Gas and Hazardous Liquids

Passage 1[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 14, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-14341] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Research and Special Programs Administration Underground Storage of Gas and Hazardous Liquids AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration, DOT. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) invites representatives of industry, state and local government, and the public to an open meeting on underground storage of gas and hazardous liquids. The purpose of this meeting is to gather information on the extent of current regulation, and to help determine the proper action for RSPA to take regarding federal regulation of underground storage of gas and hazardous liquids, other than in tankage. DATES: The meeting will be held on July 20, 1994, from 9 a.m until 4 p.m., local time. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the Doubletree Hotel, Intercontinental Airport, 15747 JFK Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77032 [Telephone 713-442-8000 or 800-810-8001]. The transcript of the meeting will be available for inspection and copying in Room 8421, Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. each working day. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack Willock, (202) 366-2392, regarding the subject matter of this notice, or the Dockets Unit, (202) 366-4453, regarding copies of this notice or other material in the docket that is referenced in this notice.#

Passage 2SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Approximately 1,400 liquid and 400 natural gas underground storage facilities are located in the contiguous United States. These storage facilities include aquifers, depleted oil and gas fields, and solution mined formations and salt domes. The number of gas facilities in operation is increasing rapidly [mostly in salt domes due to low cost and high gas output from storage (deliverability)]. Many facilities are not regulated by the states. The hazards of operating such facilities include subsidence, subsurface communication between storage reservoirs, blowouts, fractures, deficient design, improper operation and maintenance, and salt flows. Any of these hazards can result in death, injury, property damage, and environmental damage. For example, 3 people died and 21 were injured in an explosion at a salt dome storage site near Brenham, Texas on April 7, 1992. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the accident resulted from deficiencies in the design of the Brenham facility, the most important being the lack of a fail- safe cavern shut-down system. NTSB made a broad recommendation that RSPA develop safety requirements for underground storage of gas and highly volatile liquids. The American Petroleum Institute (API) is developing standards for solution-mined storage caverns, Recommended Practice (RP) 1114, Design of Solution Mined Underground Storage Facilities, and RP 1115, Operation of Solution Mined Underground Storage Facilities). API anticipates publishing both standards in 1994. The American Gas Association (AGA) is developing a standard, in coordination with API, for other geologic underground facilities. RSPA is holding a public meeting to seek information and comment from the public for consideration in determining whether rulemaking is needed and, if so, the proper regulatory action to take. Anticipated topics to be discussed by commenters at the meeting include, but are not limited to the following: 1. A description of the types of storage configurations and the problems and risks associated with each. 2. Should federal regulations be issued to address the potential hazards of underground storage of gas and hazardous liquids? 3. Would API RP 1114 and 1115 and other standards under development address the risks and should they be incorporated into federal regulations? 4. If regulations are needed, s#

Passage 3hould these regulations be federal or state? Should the underground storage of both gas and hazardous liquids be regulated? 5. If regulations are needed, should the regulations cover only surface requirements: i.e., equipment, O&M and safety procedures? Or, should both surface and subsurface regulations be issued? 6. Which states have (1) authority to regulate underground storage and (2) regulations covering such storage? Interested persons are invited to attend the meeting and present oral or written statements on the matters set for the meeting. Any person who wishes to make oral statements at the meeting should notify Daphene Floyd (202-366-1640) before July 2, 1994, stating the time needed for the statement. Interested parties that are not scheduled to comment will have an opportunity to comment only after approval of the meeting officer. (49 App. U.S.C. 1672 and 1804; 49 CFR 1.53.) Issued in Washington, DC on June 7, 1994. George W. Tenley, Jr., Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety. [FR Doc. 94-14341 Filed 6-13-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-60-P#