{"operation":"document","citation":"0900006480e850b6","title":"U.S. DOT/RSPA - Environmental Assessment 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195","source_type":"rulemaking","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"current","official":true,"published_on":null,"effective_on":null,"summary":"i - 8 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Research and Special Programs Administration Environmental Assessment 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195 Docket No. RSPA-15852- 7 . a r -1 - ... 1. Description of the Action This environmental assessment concerns a proposed regulation requiring pipeline operators to develop and implement public education programs based on the provisions of the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) Recommended Practice (RP) 1 162, Public Awareness Progranzsfov Pipeline Operators. 11. Need for the Action Public education and understanding of pipeline operations is vital to the continued safe operation of pipelines. Pipeline operator public education programs are an important factor in establishing...","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/regulations-gov-attachment-0900006480e850b6.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/regulations-gov-attachment-0900006480e850b6.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/regulations-gov-attachment-0900006480e850b6","source_url":"https://downloads.regulations.gov/PHMSA-RSPA-2003-15852-0007/attachment_1.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\ni\n- 8\nDEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION\nResearch and Special Programs Administration\nEnvironmental Assessment\n49 CFR Parts 192 and 195\nDocket No. RSPA-15852- 7\n. a r\n-1\n- ...\n1. Description of the Action\nThis environmental assessment concerns a proposed regulation requiring pipeline operators to\ndevelop and implement public education programs based on the provisions of the American\nPetroleum Institute’s (API) Recommended Practice (RP) 1 162, Public Awareness Progranzsfov\nPipeline Operators.\n11. Need for the Action\nPublic education and understanding of pipeline operations is vital to the continued safe operation\nof pipelines. Pipeline operator public education programs are an important factor in establishing\ncominunication and providing information necessary to enhance public understanding of how\npipelines function and the public’s role in promoting pipeline safety. When effectively and\nconsistently managed, a pipeline operator public education program can provide significant value\nin enhanced public safety, improved pipeline safety and environmental performance, and\nenhanced response coordination.\n1\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nSetting requirements for operator public education programs is part of broad effort by OPS to\nenhance safety through promoting improved public communications by the pipeline industry and\ngovernment pipeline regulators. In proposing new requirements for pipeline operator public\neducation programs, OPS is also responding to calls by Congress in the Pipeline Safety\nImprovement Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-355, U.S.C 601 16) for standards prescribing the\nelements of public education programs. Simultaneously with this mandate, the pipeline industry\nhas been developing recommendations for pipeline operator public education programs. This\ninitiative, which included extensive collaboration by all segments of the industry, as well as input\nfrom OPS and state pipeline regulators, and opportunity for public review and comment, resulted\nin API RP-1162. OPS is taking advantage of the substantial work accomplished in the\ncompletion of this standard to adopt its provisions in the proposed rule on pipeline operator\npublic education programs.\nI I I. AI tern atives\nThree alternatives were considered:\nAlternative 1\nUnder this alternative, RSPA would develop its own regulations for public education programs.\nThis alternative was rejected because RSPA believes that the adoption of industry consensus\nstandards is a more cost-effective option for promoting public safety and environmental\n2\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nprotection than for RSPA to spend significant resources developing its own regulations for this\npurpose.\nAlternative 2\nUnder this alternative, RSPA would not implement any new requirements for operator public\neducation programs. This alternative was rejected because the Congress enacted the Pipeline\nSafety Improvement Act (PSIA) of 2002 USC 601 16 on December 17,2002 mandating public\neducation activities by pipeline operators. Consequently, if OPS does not adopt RP-1162 or an\nalternative requiring operators to develop and implement public education programs, RSPA\nwould be ignoring a Congressional mandate. Operators would have no requirements that define\nwhat constitutes sufficient effort for compliance with the statute. Furthermore, RSPA would be\nfailing in its mission of protecting the public from the safety and environmental threats of\npotential pipeline failures.\nAlternative 3\nUnder this alternative, new requirements for operator public education programs will be based on\nRP-1162. This is the chosen alternative. RSPA chose this alternative because it believes that\nadopting industry consensus standards represents the most cost-effective means of providing for\npublic safety and environmental protection while responding to Congressional mandates for\npublic education programs.\n3\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nIV. The Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences of the Action\nThe Research and Special Programs Administration is responsible for regulating the safety of\nabout 2 million miles of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. These pipelines can be located\nonshore or offshore and traverse a variety of environments, from highly populated urban areas to\nremote, unpopulated rural areas, from the swamps of Louisiana to the mountains of Colorado,\nfrom the deserts of Nevada to the wet environments of the Northwest.\nThe environmental impacts of gas and hazardous pipeline incidents vary from deaths and injuries\nto property and environmental damage. The magnitudes of the impacts vary by the size of the\nspill or gas leak and the nature of the impact zone.\nThis proposed rule will likely not have a significant impact on the environment as this regulation\nmerely adopts an industry consensus standard as a means to comply with a Federal statute that\nalready has gone into effect. Because there already is an industry standard (that was developed\nwith the cooperation of all the major pipeline trade organizations) it is likely that many pipeline\noperators are already implementing the requirements of RP-1162. Furthermore, because the\nFederal statute is already in effect it is also likely that many of operators already have a program\nfor public education.\nNew requirements for public education programs will likely result in some expanded public\neducation activities by operators, but will not result in physical disruption of the environment in\n4\n\n<<<PAGE 5>>>\n\nthe vicinity of pipelines. These additional public education activities may have a positive\nenvironmental effect, if increased public awareness results in a lower frequency of pipeline\naccidents due to excavation damage or if increased awareness results in lower consequences of\npipeline accidents due to more effective emergency response to accidents. These potential\npositive benefits are not expected to be significant, however.\nV. List of Contacts\nThc following organizations were involved in the development and review of RP-1162:\n0 American Petroleum Institute (API)\n0 Association of Oil Pipelines (AOPL)\nInterstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) 0\n0 American Gas Association (AGA)\n0 American Public Gas Association (APGA)\nNational Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR) 0\nRSPA will seek public comments on the environmental impact of this proposed regulation in its\nNotice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register. RSPA will also seek cominents\nfrom its advisory committees.\n5","truncated":false,"body_characters":6449}