# Integrity Management Notifications for Gas Transmission Lines

- **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
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- **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

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 the efficiency of the notification and review process.

          Issued Date: Friday, July 29, 2005

<<<PAGE 1>>>

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 145 / Friday, July 29, 2005 / Notices
43939
Substantially Similar U.S.—Certified
Vehicles: 1991 Mercedes Benz 560 SEL
Passenger Cars.
Notice of Petition Published at: 70 FR
30182 (May 25, 2005).
Vehicle Eligibility Number: VSP–469
(effective date July 6, 2005).
8. Docket No. NHTSA–2005–21010:
Nonconforming Vehicles: 2002–2003
Hobby Wohnwagenwerk Exclusive 650
KMFE Trailers.
Because there are no substantially similar
U.S.-certified versions of the 2002–2003
Hobby Wohnwagenwerk Exclusive 650
KMFE Trailers, the petitioner sought import
eligibility under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B).
Notice of Petition Published at: 70 FR
20797 (April 21, 2005).
Vehicle Eligibility Number: VCP–29
(effective date June 15, 2005).
9. Docket No. NHTSA–2005–21334:
Nonconforming Vehicles: 2005 Smart Car
Fortwo Coupe & Cabriolet, (including trim
levels Passion, Pulse and Pure) Passenger
Cars.
Because there are no substantially similar
U.S.-certified versions of the 2005 Smart Car
Fortwo Coupe & Cabriolet, (including trim
levels Passion, Pulse and Pure) Passenger
Cars, the petitioner sought import eligibility
under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(B).
Notice of Petition Published at: 70 FR
32701 (June 3, 2005).
Vehicle Eligibility Number: VCP–30
(effective date July 14, 2005).
[FR Doc. 05–14974 Filed 7–28–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–59–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
Integrity Management Notifications for
Gas Transmission Lines
AGENCY: Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS),
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration (PHMSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of advisory bulletin.
SUMMARY: 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Zach Barrett by phone at (405) 954–5559
or by e-mail at zbarrett@tsi.jccbi.gov,
regarding the subject matter of this
guidance. General information about the
PHMSA/OPS programs may be obtained
by accessing OPS’s Home page at
http://OPS.dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPS’
safety regulations for managing the
integrity of gas transmission lines (49
CFR part 192, subpart O) require
operators to notify OPS and certain state
pipeline safety agencies whenever the
operators significantly change their
integrity management programs (49 CFR
192.909(b)). Notifications are also
required before operators can use
technology other than in-line
inspection, pressure testing, or direct
assessment to assess pipeline integrity
(49 CFR 192.921(a) (4) and 192.937(c)
(4)). Notifications are required when
operators cannot meet the schedule
required for remediation of anomalous
conditions and safety is not otherwise
provided (49 CFR 192.933(c)).
OPS and state agencies review the
notifications to assure compliance of the
underlying actions with applicable
integrity management requirements in
Subpart O of Part 192. The following
Advisory Bulletin provides additional
details regarding this notification and
review process.
Advisory Bulletin (ADB–05–04)
To: Operators of gas transmission
lines.
Subject: Notifications required by the
integrity management regulations in 49
CFR part 192, subpart O.
Purpose: To provide guidance on
notifying OPS and state agencies and
information about OPS’s review of the
notifications.
Advisory
Introduction
The integrity management regulations
for gas transmission lines (49 CFR part
192, subpart O) require that operators
notify OPS of each of the following
events:
1. When operators make changes to
their integrity management programs
that may substantially affect the
program’s implementation or may
significantly modify the program or
schedule for carrying out the program
elements (49 CFR 192.909(b)).
2. When operators plan to use
technology other than in-line
inspection, pressure testing, or direct
assessment to perform assessments of
pipeline integrity (49 CFR 192.921(a)(4)
and 192.937(c)(4)).
3. When operators cannot meet the
schedule required by the rule for
remediating any identified condition
and cannot provide safety through a
temporary reduction in operating
pressure or other action (49 CFR
192.933(c)).
In addition, operators must send
notifications of these events to each
state or local pipeline safety agency that
either regulates the safety of the
transmission line involved or inspects
the line under an interstate agent
agreement with OPS. Operators may
notify OPS by mail, facsimile, or the on-
line database (49 CFR 192.949).
Notification of state agencies should be
done according to state agency
procedures.
The following sections of this
advisory bulletin provide guidance on
notifying OPS and state agencies and
explain OPS’s review of notifications.
The bulletin gives special attention to
notifications concerning ‘‘other
technology’’—particularly guided wave
ultrasound—and scheduling problems.
OPS developed the bulletin based on its
experience with Subpart O notifications.
Notifying OPS
As provided by § 192.949, operators
may notify OPS by mail, facsimile, or
via the Web at http://
primis.rspa.dot.gov/gasimp/. The Web
option is OPS’s preferred method of
receiving notifications because it
enables operators to enter information
directly into the Integrity Management
Database (IMDB). (Note that as a result
of the recent creation of the Pipeline
and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration within DOT, a new Web
address, http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/
gasimp, was established. The old
address will continue to work for some
time, and OPS plans to revise § 192.949
to include the new address.)
OPS uses the IMDB to coordinate its
review of notifications among its
regional offices and with state pipeline
safety agencies. OPS transfers
notifications submitted via other means
to the IMDB, with the attendant
possibility for error.
Operators desiring to notify OPS via
the Web should go to the specified Web
address and select ‘‘Notifications’’ from
the topic links in the left-hand frame.
This will open a page with instructions
for submitting notifications and for
downloading a Microsoft Word template
for use in stating each notification.
Operators can download the template
from the link within the section of this
Web page entitled ‘‘How to: Download
and Use the Notification Template.’’
(Some users may have to scroll down
the page to see this section). As
described further in the downloading
instructions, an operator can use the
template on a local computer system to
create a Word document that includes
the notification and a table for entering
pipeline data. Although OPS does not
require operators to submit this data
with the notification, OPS believes it
would facilitate its review of the
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43940 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 145 / Friday, July 29, 2005 / Notices
notification. OPS may request the data
if it has additional questions after its
initial review of the notification. The
document can be printed, circulated for
review, and used to obtain any
approval/concurrences the operator
requires.
Once the Word document is ready for
submission, an operator should return
to the Web site and again select
‘‘Notifications.’’ On the notifications
page within both the instructions for
submitting notifications and the
instructions for downloading the
template, operators will find a link to an
‘‘upload/submission form.’’ Operators
should click on that link to open the
Notification Submittal Form. This is a
simple form, requiring only a few pieces
of identifying information:
• First, the operator must select from
one of the three ‘‘types’’ of notifications:
substantive program change, other
technology, and remediation/repair.
• Next, the operator enters identifying
information including the operator
name and ID number and the name, job
title, e-mail address, and telephone
number of the person making the
submission.
• The operator must then click
‘‘Browse’’ in the ‘‘Upload File
Attachment’’ section of the ‘‘File
Attachment and Additional Comments’’
portion of the form. This will open a file
selection window like those used by all
Microsoft programs to locate and open
files. The operator will navigate to the
file in its local computer file system and
click ‘‘Open’’ to attach it to the
submission form.
• Finally, the operator can enter any
additional comments in the field
provided, although comments are not
required to be included.
When the form is complete, including
the file attachment, the operator clicks
‘‘Save’’ to upload the form and its
attached file into the IMDB.
Operators can also e-mail completed
Word documents to
Clearinghouse@cycla.com, as described
in the instructions. Operator e-mails
should include the name of the
operator, its OPID number, and the
name, title, telephone number, and
e-mail address of an operator contact for
each notification.
Operators who use the other two
methods of submitting notifications—
mail and facsimile—should clearly
identify the notification as ‘‘Subpart O
Integrity Management Notification.’’
Operators should also include the name
of a contact person, including the
contact’s e-mail address. (OPS will use
this address to communicate the status
of a notification’s review).
Notifying State Agencies
State pipeline safety agencies have a
significant role in assuring compliance
of gas transmission lines with the
Subpart O integrity management
regulations and in reviewing Subpart O
notifications. Agencies that regulate the
safety of intrastate lines have primary
responsibility for reviewing
notifications concerning transmission
lines they oversee. Agencies that inspect
interstate lines under agreements with
OPS send comments on notifications
concerning these lines to OPS, which
has primary responsibility for reviewing
the notifications.
Thus, when a state agency is involved
in the review, it is important that
operators send notifications directly to
that state agency as Subpart O requires.
However, experience to date shows that
operators often overlook the
requirement to send notifications to
state agencies. Simply notifying OPS
does not satisfy the requirement to
notify appropriate state agencies.
For each notification OPS receives, it
is also important for OPS to know if a
state agency has a role in overseeing the
line involved in the notification. If a
notification sent to OPS does not
indicate the state in which the line is
located and whether the line is
interstate or intrastate, OPS will have to
ascertain this information and may
contact the operator for assistance.
Review of Notifications by OPS
OPS does not treat integrity
management notifications as petitions
for approval of the underlying actions.
Subpart O regulations do not require
such approval. Rather, OPS uses the
notifications to determine if further
review is needed to verify that the
actions described in the notifications are
consistent with safety and the Subpart
O regulations.
The form of review depends on
whether the transmission line involved
is under direct state or OPS safety
oversight. For intrastate transmission
lines regulated directly by a state
pipeline safety agency, the state agency
conducts the review under its own
procedures. OPS enters notifications
related to these intrastate lines into the
IMDB database, except notifications
entered directly by operators. OPS
enters the results of state reviews in the
same manner as described below for
OPS reviews.
OPS reviews notifications related to
all other regulated transmission lines,
i.e., interstate lines and those intrastate
lines not regulated directly by a state
pipeline safety agency. OPS enters the
notifications into the IMDB database,
except those entered by operators
themselves. After OPS begins its review,
the status of the notification in the
database changes from ‘‘submitted’’ to
‘‘under review.’’ If the e-mail address of
an operator’s contact is in the
notification entered in the database, the
contact will receive an automatic e-mail
message of this change in status.
On the basis of information an
operator includes in a notification and
OPS’s familiarity with the action
described in the notification, OPS
decides whether further inspection of
the matter is necessary. If further review
is necessary, OPS enters in the database
that it has ‘‘objections’’ to the action.
Then OPS begins a further review of the
matter by sending a letter to the operator
that states the objections and allows the
operator an opportunity to respond to
the objections. OPS then changes the
status of the notification in the IMDB
database to ‘‘objections noted.’’ If, based
on the operator’s response, OPS decides
that further review of the matter is not
necessary, OPS enters in the database
that it has ‘‘no objections’’ to the action,
but does not send a letter to the
operator. If the e-mail address of an
operator contact is in the database, the
contact will receive an automatic e-mail
message of each change in status.
The gas integrity management Web
page, http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/
gasimp/, describes this review process
in more detail. A process description,
including a flow chart, can be found in
the ‘‘Key Documents’’ section of that
page. There is also a link to the Key
Documents page in the ‘‘Notifications’’
section.
Notifications Concerning Use of
‘‘Other Technology’’: In order to
expedite any potential review,
notifications concerning use of ‘‘other
technology’’ should include the
following information:
1. The operator’s demonstration that
the ‘‘other technology’’ can provide an
equivalent understanding of the
condition of the line pipe, as required
by 49 CFR 192.921(a)(4) and
192.937(c)(4). The demonstration
should explain the following:
• Where and how the technology will
be used
• What procedures will be followed
• What criteria will apply to data
analysis and evaluation, including
verification excavations and acceptance
and rejection of anomalies
2. Procedures for ensuring that
qualified personnel will implement the
technology, as required by 49 CFR
192.915 and subpart N of part 192.
Various operators have submitted
notifications of their plans to use guided
wave ultrasound as ‘‘other technology’’
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 145 / Friday, July 29, 2005 / Notices
43941
for assessing the integrity of
transmission line segments in casings.
Guided wave ultrasound can be used to
assess pipe for some distance on either
side of a bell hole in which inspection
equipment is located, making the
technology suitable for assessing pipe
within a casing. The technology is
capable of detecting metal loss and of
providing indications of dents, although
sizing of dents is very difficult. OPS has
experience in reviewing notifications on
the use of this technology on hazardous
liquid pipelines and, when satisfied
with the information presented, has
closed these notifications under the
classification ‘‘no objections’’ noted.
OPS understands that the technology’s
performance in specific applications is
critically dependent on the inspection
equipment and procedures used and the
training and qualification of those
involved in its use.
If further review is necessary for
notifications concerning use of guided
wave ultrasound technology, as part of
the equivalency demonstration under 49
CFR 192.921(a)(4) or 192.937(c)(4), OPS
may ask operators to show use of the
technology with inspection equipment
set up in a typical condition of intended
use. This information is especially
important for applications that do not
involve using the technology on both
sides of a casing.
Guided wave ultrasound is capable of
taking readings in both directions from
its placement on a section of line pipe,
as shown by the illustration below. To
validate the technology’s application,
operators should investigate all
indications of potential threats to
pipeline integrity in the opposite
direction of the casing (supplemental
region) and should excavate at least
once in each supplemental region if no
indications of concern are identified.
Indications of welds are one of many
potential readings operators should use
to verify the accuracy of the device.
Operators must demonstrate that all
applications are effective for the type
conditions, equipment, procedures, and
performance measures for detecting the
severity of the anomaly.
Scheduling Problems. If further
review of a notification concerning
failure to meet a remediation schedule
and otherwise provide for public safety
is needed, OPS may ask the operator to
explain why remediation by means
other than pipe replacement or lowering
the pressure is not feasible.
Additional Information
Additional questions concerning
notifications or any aspect of
compliance with Subpart O
requirements can be sent via the
‘‘Question or Comment’’ link on the
public Web site (http://
primis.phmsa.dot.gov/gasimp/). OPS
staff involved in integrity management
oversight will respond. OPS also
encourages operators to review the
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on
the Web site, which provide the answers
to many common questions.
Issued in Washington, DC, on July 25,
2005.
Stacey L. Gerard,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 05–15022 Filed 7–28–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–60–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
30-Day Notice of an Information
Collection Under Review by the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB),
and Request for Comments:
Application To Open an Account for
Billing Purposes
SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation
Board (Board) gives notice that the
Board has submitted to OMB a request
for review and clearance of the Board’s
Application to Open an Account for
Billing Purposes, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq. (PRA). The Board
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EN29JY05.006</GPH>
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