{"operation":"document","citation":"PHMSA Guidance, Integrity Management Notifications for Gas Transmission Lines","title":"Integrity Management Notifications for Gas Transmission Lines","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2005-07-29","effective_on":"2005-07-29","summary":"Integrity Management Notifications for Gas Transmission Lines Document 05-15022.pdf (171.14 KB) Current regulations require operators to notify OPS and state pipeline safety agencies of certain events related to integrity management programs for gas transmission lines. This bulletin provides guidance on notifying OPS and state agencies and describes OPS’ review of notifications. OPS expects this bulletin to improve t","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-guidance-integrity-management-notifications-gas-transmission-lines-16362e52.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-guidance-integrity-management-notifications-gas-transmission-lines-16362e52.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-guidance-integrity-management-notifications-gas-transmission-lines-16362e52","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/regulatory-compliance/phmsa-guidance/integrity-management-notifications-gas-transmission-lines","body":"Integrity Management Notifications for Gas Transmission Lines\n\nDocument\n\n 05-15022.pdf (171.14 KB)\n\n        Current regulations require operators to notify OPS and state pipeline safety agencies of certain events related to integrity management programs for gas transmission lines. This bulletin provides guidance on notifying OPS and state agencies and describes OPS’ review of notifications. OPS expects this bulletin to improve the efficiency of the notification and review process.\n\n          Issued Date: Friday, July 29, 2005\n\n<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nFederal Register / Vol. 70, No. 145 / Friday, July 29, 2005 / Notices\n43939\nSubstantially Similar U.S.—Certified\nVehicles: 1991 Mercedes Benz 560 SEL\nPassenger Cars.\nNotice of Petition Published at: 70 FR\n30182 (May 25, 2005).\nVehicle Eligibility Number: VSP–469\n(effective date July 6, 2005).\n8. Docket No. NHTSA–2005–21010:\nNonconforming Vehicles: 2002–2003\nHobby Wohnwagenwerk Exclusive 650\nKMFE Trailers.\nBecause there are no substantially similar\nU.S.-certified versions of the 2002–2003\nHobby Wohnwagenwerk Exclusive 650\nKMFE Trailers, the petitioner sought import\neligibility under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B).\nNotice of Petition Published at: 70 FR\n20797 (April 21, 2005).\nVehicle Eligibility Number: VCP–29\n(effective date June 15, 2005).\n9. Docket No. NHTSA–2005–21334:\nNonconforming Vehicles: 2005 Smart Car\nFortwo Coupe & Cabriolet, (including trim\nlevels Passion, Pulse and Pure) Passenger\nCars.\nBecause there are no substantially similar\nU.S.-certified versions of the 2005 Smart Car\nFortwo Coupe & Cabriolet, (including trim\nlevels Passion, Pulse and Pure) Passenger\nCars, the petitioner sought import eligibility\nunder 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B).\nNotice of Petition Published at: 70 FR\n32701 (June 3, 2005).\nVehicle Eligibility Number: VCP–30\n(effective date July 14, 2005).\n[FR Doc. 05–14974 Filed 7–28–05; 8:45 am]\nBILLING CODE 4910–59–P\nDEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration\nIntegrity Management Notifications for\nGas Transmission Lines\nAGENCY: Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS),\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety\nAdministration (PHMSA), DOT.\nACTION: Notice of advisory bulletin.\nSUMMARY: Current regulations require\noperators to notify OPS and state\npipeline safety agencies of certain\nevents related to integrity management\nprograms for gas transmission lines.\nThis bulletin provides guidance on\nnotifying OPS and state agencies and\ndescribes OPS’ review of notifications.\nOPS expects this bulletin to improve the\nefficiency of the notification and review\nprocess.\nFOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:\nZach Barrett by phone at (405) 954–5559\nor by e-mail at zbarrett@tsi.jccbi.gov,\nregarding the subject matter of this\nguidance. General information about the\nPHMSA/OPS programs may be obtained\nby accessing OPS’s Home page at\nhttp://OPS.dot.gov.\nSUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPS’\nsafety regulations for managing the\nintegrity of gas transmission lines (49\nCFR part 192, subpart O) require\noperators to notify OPS and certain state\npipeline safety agencies whenever the\noperators significantly change their\nintegrity management programs (49 CFR\n192.909(b)). Notifications are also\nrequired before operators can use\ntechnology other than in-line\ninspection, pressure testing, or direct\nassessment to assess pipeline integrity\n(49 CFR 192.921(a) (4) and 192.937(c)\n(4)). Notifications are required when\noperators cannot meet the schedule\nrequired for remediation of anomalous\nconditions and safety is not otherwise\nprovided (49 CFR 192.933(c)).\nOPS and state agencies review the\nnotifications to assure compliance of the\nunderlying actions with applicable\nintegrity management requirements in\nSubpart O of Part 192. The following\nAdvisory Bulletin provides additional\ndetails regarding this notification and\nreview process.\nAdvisory Bulletin (ADB–05–04)\nTo: Operators of gas transmission\nlines.\nSubject: Notifications required by the\nintegrity management regulations in 49\nCFR part 192, subpart O.\nPurpose: To provide guidance on\nnotifying OPS and state agencies and\ninformation about OPS’s review of the\nnotifications.\nAdvisory\nIntroduction\nThe integrity management regulations\nfor gas transmission lines (49 CFR part\n192, subpart O) require that operators\nnotify OPS of each of the following\nevents:\n1. When operators make changes to\ntheir integrity management programs\nthat may substantially affect the\nprogram’s implementation or may\nsignificantly modify the program or\nschedule for carrying out the program\nelements (49 CFR 192.909(b)).\n2. When operators plan to use\ntechnology other than in-line\ninspection, pressure testing, or direct\nassessment to perform assessments of\npipeline integrity (49 CFR 192.921(a)(4)\nand 192.937(c)(4)).\n3. When operators cannot meet the\nschedule required by the rule for\nremediating any identified condition\nand cannot provide safety through a\ntemporary reduction in operating\npressure or other action (49 CFR\n192.933(c)).\nIn addition, operators must send\nnotifications of these events to each\nstate or local pipeline safety agency that\neither regulates the safety of the\ntransmission line involved or inspects\nthe line under an interstate agent\nagreement with OPS. Operators may\nnotify OPS by mail, facsimile, or the on-\nline database (49 CFR 192.949).\nNotification of state agencies should be\ndone according to state agency\nprocedures.\nThe following sections of this\nadvisory bulletin provide guidance on\nnotifying OPS and state agencies and\nexplain OPS’s review of notifications.\nThe bulletin gives special attention to\nnotifications concerning ‘‘other\ntechnology’’—particularly guided wave\nultrasound—and scheduling problems.\nOPS developed the bulletin based on its\nexperience with Subpart O notifications.\nNotifying OPS\nAs provided by § 192.949, operators\nmay notify OPS by mail, facsimile, or\nvia the Web at http://\nprimis.rspa.dot.gov/gasimp/. The Web\noption is OPS’s preferred method of\nreceiving notifications because it\nenables operators to enter information\ndirectly into the Integrity Management\nDatabase (IMDB). (Note that as a result\nof the recent creation of the Pipeline\nand Hazardous Materials Safety\nAdministration within DOT, a new Web\naddress, http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/\ngasimp, was established. The old\naddress will continue to work for some\ntime, and OPS plans to revise § 192.949\nto include the new address.)\nOPS uses the IMDB to coordinate its\nreview of notifications among its\nregional offices and with state pipeline\nsafety agencies. OPS transfers\nnotifications submitted via other means\nto the IMDB, with the attendant\npossibility for error.\nOperators desiring to notify OPS via\nthe Web should go to the specified Web\naddress and select ‘‘Notifications’’ from\nthe topic links in the left-hand frame.\nThis will open a page with instructions\nfor submitting notifications and for\ndownloading a Microsoft Word template\nfor use in stating each notification.\nOperators can download the template\nfrom the link within the section of this\nWeb page entitled ‘‘How to: Download\nand Use the Notification Template.’’\n(Some users may have to scroll down\nthe page to see this section). As\ndescribed further in the downloading\ninstructions, an operator can use the\ntemplate on a local computer system to\ncreate a Word document that includes\nthe notification and a table for entering\npipeline data. Although OPS does not\nrequire operators to submit this data\nwith the notification, OPS believes it\nwould facilitate its review of the\nVerDate jul<14>2003 17:05 Jul 28, 2005 Jkt 205001 PO 00000 Frm 00103 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\\FR\\FM\\29JYN1.SGM 29JYN1\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n43940 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 145 / Friday, July 29, 2005 / Notices\nnotification. OPS may request the data\nif it has additional questions after its\ninitial review of the notification. The\ndocument can be printed, circulated for\nreview, and used to obtain any\napproval/concurrences the operator\nrequires.\nOnce the Word document is ready for\nsubmission, an operator should return\nto the Web site and again select\n‘‘Notifications.’’ On the notifications\npage within both the instructions for\nsubmitting notifications and the\ninstructions for downloading the\ntemplate, operators will find a link to an\n‘‘upload/submission form.’’ Operators\nshould click on that link to open the\nNotification Submittal Form. This is a\nsimple form, requiring only a few pieces\nof identifying information:\n• First, the operator must select from\none of the three ‘‘types’’ of notifications:\nsubstantive program change, other\ntechnology, and remediation/repair.\n• Next, the operator enters identifying\ninformation including the operator\nname and ID number and the name, job\ntitle, e-mail address, and telephone\nnumber of the person making the\nsubmission.\n• The operator must then click\n‘‘Browse’’ in the ‘‘Upload File\nAttachment’’ section of the ‘‘File\nAttachment and Additional Comments’’\nportion of the form. This will open a file\nselection window like those used by all\nMicrosoft programs to locate and open\nfiles. The operator will navigate to the\nfile in its local computer file system and\nclick ‘‘Open’’ to attach it to the\nsubmission form.\n• Finally, the operator can enter any\nadditional comments in the field\nprovided, although comments are not\nrequired to be included.\nWhen the form is complete, including\nthe file attachment, the operator clicks\n‘‘Save’’ to upload the form and its\nattached file into the IMDB.\nOperators can also e-mail completed\nWord documents to\nClearinghouse@cycla.com, as described\nin the instructions. Operator e-mails\nshould include the name of the\noperator, its OPID number, and the\nname, title, telephone number, and\ne-mail address of an operator contact for\neach notification.\nOperators who use the other two\nmethods of submitting notifications—\nmail and facsimile—should clearly\nidentify the notification as ‘‘Subpart O\nIntegrity Management Notification.’’\nOperators should also include the name\nof a contact person, including the\ncontact’s e-mail address. (OPS will use\nthis address to communicate the status\nof a notification’s review).\nNotifying State Agencies\nState pipeline safety agencies have a\nsignificant role in assuring compliance\nof gas transmission lines with the\nSubpart O integrity management\nregulations and in reviewing Subpart O\nnotifications. Agencies that regulate the\nsafety of intrastate lines have primary\nresponsibility for reviewing\nnotifications concerning transmission\nlines they oversee. Agencies that inspect\ninterstate lines under agreements with\nOPS send comments on notifications\nconcerning these lines to OPS, which\nhas primary responsibility for reviewing\nthe notifications.\nThus, when a state agency is involved\nin the review, it is important that\noperators send notifications directly to\nthat state agency as Subpart O requires.\nHowever, experience to date shows that\noperators often overlook the\nrequirement to send notifications to\nstate agencies. Simply notifying OPS\ndoes not satisfy the requirement to\nnotify appropriate state agencies.\nFor each notification OPS receives, it\nis also important for OPS to know if a\nstate agency has a role in overseeing the\nline involved in the notification. If a\nnotification sent to OPS does not\nindicate the state in which the line is\nlocated and whether the line is\ninterstate or intrastate, OPS will have to\nascertain this information and may\ncontact the operator for assistance.\nReview of Notifications by OPS\nOPS does not treat integrity\nmanagement notifications as petitions\nfor approval of the underlying actions.\nSubpart O regulations do not require\nsuch approval. Rather, OPS uses the\nnotifications to determine if further\nreview is needed to verify that the\nactions described in the notifications are\nconsistent with safety and the Subpart\nO regulations.\nThe form of review depends on\nwhether the transmission line involved\nis under direct state or OPS safety\noversight. For intrastate transmission\nlines regulated directly by a state\npipeline safety agency, the state agency\nconducts the review under its own\nprocedures. OPS enters notifications\nrelated to these intrastate lines into the\nIMDB database, except notifications\nentered directly by operators. OPS\nenters the results of state reviews in the\nsame manner as described below for\nOPS reviews.\nOPS reviews notifications related to\nall other regulated transmission lines,\ni.e., interstate lines and those intrastate\nlines not regulated directly by a state\npipeline safety agency. OPS enters the\nnotifications into the IMDB database,\nexcept those entered by operators\nthemselves. After OPS begins its review,\nthe status of the notification in the\ndatabase changes from ‘‘submitted’’ to\n‘‘under review.’’ If the e-mail address of\nan operator’s contact is in the\nnotification entered in the database, the\ncontact will receive an automatic e-mail\nmessage of this change in status.\nOn the basis of information an\noperator includes in a notification and\nOPS’s familiarity with the action\ndescribed in the notification, OPS\ndecides whether further inspection of\nthe matter is necessary. If further review\nis necessary, OPS enters in the database\nthat it has ‘‘objections’’ to the action.\nThen OPS begins a further review of the\nmatter by sending a letter to the operator\nthat states the objections and allows the\noperator an opportunity to respond to\nthe objections. OPS then changes the\nstatus of the notification in the IMDB\ndatabase to ‘‘objections noted.’’ If, based\non the operator’s response, OPS decides\nthat further review of the matter is not\nnecessary, OPS enters in the database\nthat it has ‘‘no objections’’ to the action,\nbut does not send a letter to the\noperator. If the e-mail address of an\noperator contact is in the database, the\ncontact will receive an automatic e-mail\nmessage of each change in status.\nThe gas integrity management Web\npage, http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/\ngasimp/, describes this review process\nin more detail. A process description,\nincluding a flow chart, can be found in\nthe ‘‘Key Documents’’ section of that\npage. There is also a link to the Key\nDocuments page in the ‘‘Notifications’’\nsection.\nNotifications Concerning Use of\n‘‘Other Technology’’: In order to\nexpedite any potential review,\nnotifications concerning use of ‘‘other\ntechnology’’ should include the\nfollowing information:\n1. The operator’s demonstration that\nthe ‘‘other technology’’ can provide an\nequivalent understanding of the\ncondition of the line pipe, as required\nby 49 CFR 192.921(a)(4) and\n192.937(c)(4). The demonstration\nshould explain the following:\n• Where and how the technology will\nbe used\n• What procedures will be followed\n• What criteria will apply to data\nanalysis and evaluation, including\nverification excavations and acceptance\nand rejection of anomalies\n2. Procedures for ensuring that\nqualified personnel will implement the\ntechnology, as required by 49 CFR\n192.915 and subpart N of part 192.\nVarious operators have submitted\nnotifications of their plans to use guided\nwave ultrasound as ‘‘other technology’’\nVerDate jul<14>2003 17:05 Jul 28, 2005 Jkt 205001 PO 00000 Frm 00104 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\\FR\\FM\\29JYN1.SGM 29JYN1\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nFederal Register / Vol. 70, No. 145 / Friday, July 29, 2005 / Notices\n43941\nfor assessing the integrity of\ntransmission line segments in casings.\nGuided wave ultrasound can be used to\nassess pipe for some distance on either\nside of a bell hole in which inspection\nequipment is located, making the\ntechnology suitable for assessing pipe\nwithin a casing. The technology is\ncapable of detecting metal loss and of\nproviding indications of dents, although\nsizing of dents is very difficult. OPS has\nexperience in reviewing notifications on\nthe use of this technology on hazardous\nliquid pipelines and, when satisfied\nwith the information presented, has\nclosed these notifications under the\nclassification ‘‘no objections’’ noted.\nOPS understands that the technology’s\nperformance in specific applications is\ncritically dependent on the inspection\nequipment and procedures used and the\ntraining and qualification of those\ninvolved in its use.\nIf further review is necessary for\nnotifications concerning use of guided\nwave ultrasound technology, as part of\nthe equivalency demonstration under 49\nCFR 192.921(a)(4) or 192.937(c)(4), OPS\nmay ask operators to show use of the\ntechnology with inspection equipment\nset up in a typical condition of intended\nuse. This information is especially\nimportant for applications that do not\ninvolve using the technology on both\nsides of a casing.\nGuided wave ultrasound is capable of\ntaking readings in both directions from\nits placement on a section of line pipe,\nas shown by the illustration below. To\nvalidate the technology’s application,\noperators should investigate all\nindications of potential threats to\npipeline integrity in the opposite\ndirection of the casing (supplemental\nregion) and should excavate at least\nonce in each supplemental region if no\nindications of concern are identified.\nIndications of welds are one of many\npotential readings operators should use\nto verify the accuracy of the device.\nOperators must demonstrate that all\napplications are effective for the type\nconditions, equipment, procedures, and\nperformance measures for detecting the\nseverity of the anomaly.\nScheduling Problems. If further\nreview of a notification concerning\nfailure to meet a remediation schedule\nand otherwise provide for public safety\nis needed, OPS may ask the operator to\nexplain why remediation by means\nother than pipe replacement or lowering\nthe pressure is not feasible.\nAdditional Information\nAdditional questions concerning\nnotifications or any aspect of\ncompliance with Subpart O\nrequirements can be sent via the\n‘‘Question or Comment’’ link on the\npublic Web site (http://\nprimis.phmsa.dot.gov/gasimp/). OPS\nstaff involved in integrity management\noversight will respond. OPS also\nencourages operators to review the\nFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on\nthe Web site, which provide the answers\nto many common questions.\nIssued in Washington, DC, on July 25,\n2005.\nStacey L. Gerard,\nAssociate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.\n[FR Doc. 05–15022 Filed 7–28–05; 8:45 am]\nBILLING CODE 4910–60–P\nDEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION\nSurface Transportation Board\n30-Day Notice of an Information\nCollection Under Review by the Office\nof Management and Budget (OMB),\nand Request for Comments:\nApplication To Open an Account for\nBilling Purposes\nSUMMARY: The Surface Transportation\nBoard (Board) gives notice that the\nBoard has submitted to OMB a request\nfor review and clearance of the Board’s\nApplication to Open an Account for\nBilling Purposes, in accordance with the\nPaperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44\nU.S.C. 3501 et seq. (PRA). The Board\nVerDate jul<14>2003 17:05 Jul 28, 2005 Jkt 205001 PO 00000 Frm 00105 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\\FR\\FM\\29JYN1.SGM 29JYN1\nEN29JY05.006</GPH>","truncated":false,"body_characters":18843}