U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Decision

Page 1u.s. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Mr. David Chittick Director, Pipeline Engineering TransCanada Pipelines Limited 450 - 1st Street, S.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 5Hl 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE Washington, DC 20590 'JUl16201O Docket No. PHMSA-2009-0055 Dear Mr. Chittick: On February 6,2009, TransCanada Pipelines Limited, operator of the American Natural Resources Pipeline (TCPL-ANR) wrote to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) requesting a special permit to waive compliance from PHMSA's pipeline safety regulation in 49 CFR § 192.611 for four (4) segments of the TCPL-ANR natural gas transmission pipeline system located in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana. The regulation requires confirmation or revision of the maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) for a pipeline segment where the class location has changed. If granted, the special permit would have allowed TCPL-ANR to continue to operate four (4) segments of the 20-inch Line 716 pipeline located in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana at their current MAOP of 1,050 pounds per square inch gauge (psig). PHMSA is denying the special permit request due to Line 716 pipeline gas quality issues from gas supplies, the 1983 internal leak due to internal corrosion and the presence of pre-1970 EFW pipe in the Class 3 location special permit segments. The reasons for this denial are more fully described in the special permit analysis and findings document enclosed with this letter. This document and all other pertinent documents are available for review in Docket No. PHMSA-2009-0055 in the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) located on the internet at www.Regulations.gov. PHMSA is granting TCPL-ANR until September 30,2011, to complete pipe replacements to comply with the requirements of § 192.611. My staff would be pleased to discuss this denial or any other regulatory matter with you. John Gale, Director of Regulations (202-366-4046), may be contacted on regulatory matters and Alan Mayberry, Deputy Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety (202-366-5124), may be contacted on technical matters specific to this special permit request. ~~ Jeffrey D. Wiese Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety Enclosure: Special Permit Analysis and Findings#