{"operation":"document","citation":"0900006480eb5b3c","title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Special Permit Analysis and Findings","source_type":"rulemaking","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"current","official":true,"published_on":null,"effective_on":null,"summary":"U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (PHMSA) Special Permit Analysis and Findings Special Permit Information: Docket Number: PHMSA-2010-0148 Pipeline Operator: TransCanada Pipelines Limited, operator ofPNGTS Pipeline Company Date Requested: May 26,2010 Code Section(s): 49 CFR § 192.611 Purpose: The Pipeline and Hazardous... 2008 through the present time. PHMSA was not notified of this special permit modification. • TCPLIPNGTS performed quarterly ground patrols until the 4th-quarter of 2004, and annual ground patrols were conducted in 2005,2006, and 2007. Quarterly ground patrols were resumed in 2008. PHMSA was not notified of this special...","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/regulations-gov-attachment-0900006480eb5b3c.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/regulations-gov-attachment-0900006480eb5b3c.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/regulations-gov-attachment-0900006480eb5b3c","source_url":"https://downloads.regulations.gov/PHMSA-2010-0148-0006/attachment_1.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION\nPIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (PHMSA)\nSpecial Permit Analysis and Findings\nSpecial Permit Information:\nDocket Number: PHMSA-2010-0148\nPipeline Operator: TransCanada Pipelines Limited, operator ofPNGTS Pipeline Company\nDate Requested: May 26,2010\nCode Section(s): 49 CFR § 192.611\nPurpose:\nThe Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) provides this\ninformation to describe the facts of the subject special permit application submitted by\nTransCanada Pipelines Limited (TCPL), operator of the PNGTS Pipeline Company (PNGTS), to\ndiscuss any relevant public comments received with respect to the application, to present the\nengineering/safety analysis of the special permit application, and to make findings regarding\nwhether the requested special permit should be granted and if so under what conditions.\nPipeline System Affected:\nThis special permit request involves one (1) special permit segment along the PNGTS 24-inch\nMainline pipeline, a natural gas transmission pipeline, located in Coos County, New Hampshire.\nThe special permit segment class location along the pipeline has changed from an original Class\n1 location to a Class 31 location.\nThis special permit would allow, if granted, TCPL to continue to operate the one (1) pipeline\nsegment at its current maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) of 1440 pounds per\nsquare inch gauge (psig) for the PNGTS 24-inch Mainline pipeline.\nI The Class 3 location special permit segment was originally a Class 1 location that was upgraded to Class 2 location\nin accordance with 49 CFR 192.611 (a) hydrostatic test.\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nThis special pennit application applies to the special permit segment defined as follows using the\nPNGTS 24-inch Mainline pipeline mile post (MP) or survey station (Sta.) references:\n• Special permit segment is defined as the PNGTS 24-inch Mainline pipeline beginning at Mile\nPost 70.18 (Survey Station 3705+59 feet) between Valve Site 7 and Valve Site 8. The\nspecial permit segment extends for 114 feet along the PNGTS 24-inch Mainline pipeline and\nconcludes at Mile Post 70.20 (Survey Station 3706+73 feet), also between Valve Site 7 and\nValve Site 8. The special permit segment is located in Coos County, New Hampshire.\nThis special pennit application applies to the special permit inspection area defined as the area\nthat extends 220 yards on each side ofthe centerline along the entire length ofthe PNGTS 24-\ninch Mainline pipeline as follows:\n• Special permit inspection area is defined as the pipeline that begins at Mile Post 45.18\n(Survey Station 2385+59 feet) between Valve Site 5 and Valve Site 6 in Coos County, New\nHampshire. The special permit inspection area extends to Mile Post 95.20 (Survey Station\n5026+73 feet) between Valve Site 9 and Valve Site 10 in Oxford County, Maine. The\nproposed special permit inspection area is located in Coos County, New Hampshire and\nOxford County, Maine.\nThe total length of the proposed special permit inspection area is approximately 50.02 miles and\nincludes the special permit segment.\nSpecial Permit Request\nTCPL submitted an application to PHMSA on May 26,2010, for a special pennit seeking relief\nfrom the Federal pipeline safety regulations in 49 CFR 192.611(a) for one (1) segment of\nTCPL's PNGTS 24-inch Mainline natural gas transmission pipeline, where a change has\noccurred from an original Class I location to a Class 3 location in Coos County, New\nHampshire. As requested, this special pennit would allow TCPL to continue to operate the\npipeline segment at its current maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) of 1,440 pounds\nper square inch gauge (psig). The Federal pipeline safety regulations in 49 CFR 192.611(a)\nrequire natural gas pipeline operators to confinn or revise the MAOP of a pipeline segment after\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\na change in class location. A special permit, if granted, would allow TCPL to continue to\noperate the special permit segment at their existing MAOP's despite a change in class location.\nIn its application, TCPL suggested that the special permit segment be included in a special\npermit inspection area (see TCPL's application for the specific details). The special permit\ninspection area on the PNGTS 24-inch Mainline pipeline, if granted, would begin approximately\n25 miles upstream of the beginning of the special permit segment and approximately 25 miles\ndownstream of the special permit segment. The special permit inspection area would be\napproximately 50.02 miles in length and would include the special permit segment, if granted.\nPublic Notice:\nOn March 3, 2011, PHMSA posted a notice of this special permit request in the Federal Register\n(76 FR 11853). The request letter, Federal Register notice, and all other pertinent documents\nare available for review in Docket No. PHMSA-201 0-0148 in the Federal Docket Management\nSystem (FDMS) located on the internet at www.Regulations.gov.\nPHMSA did not receive any public comments on this application for a class location special\npermit.\nAnalysis:\nBackground: On June 29,2004, PHMSA published in the Federal Register (69 FR 38948) the\ncriteria it uses for the consideration of class location change waivers, now being granted through\na special permit. First, certain threshold requirements must be met for a pipeline section to be\nfurther evaluated for a class location change special permit. Second, the age and manufacturing\nprocess of the pipe; system design and construction; environmental, operating and maintenance\nhistories; and integrity management program elements are evaluated as significant criteria.\nThese significant criteria are presented in matrix form and can be reviewed in the FDMS, Docket\nNumber PHMSA-RSPA-2004-17401. Third, such special permits will only then be granted\nwhen pipe conditions and active integrity management provides a level of safety greater than or\nequal to a pipe replacement or pressure reduction.\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nThreshold Requirements: Each ofthe threshold requirements published by PHMSA in the\nJune 29, 2004, FR notice is discussed below in regards to the TCPL special permit petition for\nthe PNGTS 24-inch Mainline.\n1) No pipeline segments in a class location changing to Class 4 location will be considered.\nThis special permit request is for one (1) segment where a class location change has occurred\nfrom Class 1 to Class 3 location. TCPL has met this requirement.\n2) No bare pipe will be considered. This TCPL special permit segment is coated with fusion\nbonded epoxy (FBE). TCPL has met this requirement.\n3) No pipe containing wrinkle bends will be considered. There are no wrinkle bends in the\n4) 5) 6) 7) special permit segment. TCPL has met this requirement.\nNo pipe segments operating above 72% ofthe specified minimum yield strength (SMYS)\nwill be considered for a Class 3 special permit. The special permit segment operates at or\nbelow 72% SMYS. TCPL has met this requirement.\nRecords must be produced that show a hydrostatic test to at least 1.25 x maximum allowable\noperating pressure (MAOP) and 90% ofSMYS. TCPL records submitted show that the\nsection of the PNGTS 24-inch Mainline pipeline containing the special permit segment has\nbeen hydrostatically tested to 1807 psig, which is 1.255 x MAOP and 90.3% of SMYS.\nTCPL has met this requirement.\nIn-line inspection (ILl) must have been performed with no significant anomalies identified\nthat indicate systemic problems. The proposed special permit segment was last inspected by\nILl on February 29,2008, with no immediate or one (1) year actionable anomalies found.\nTCPL has met this requirement and would be required to re-inspect the special permit\ninspection area and special permit segment with ILl tools by February 29,2015, if the\nspecial permit is granted.\nCriteria for consideration of class location change waiver, now being granted through special\npermit, published by PHMSA in the Federal Register (69 FR 38948), define a waiver\ninspection area (special permit inspection area) as up to 25 miles of pipe either side of the\nwaiver segment (special permit segment). The special permit inspection area must be\ninspected according to TCPL's integrity management program and periodically inspected\nwith an in-line inspection technique. The special permit inspection area is approximately\n50.02 miles long. This special permit, if granted, would be contingent upon TCPL's\n\n<<<PAGE 5>>>\n\n2008 through the present time. PHMSA was not notified of this special\npermit modification.\n• TCPLIPNGTS performed quarterly ground patrols until the 4th-quarter of\n2004, and annual ground patrols were conducted in 2005,2006, and 2007.\nQuarterly ground patrols were resumed in 2008. PHMSA was not notified\nof this special permit modification.\nPHMSA finds that TCPLIPNGTS lack of diligence in following all of the conditions of the\nexisting special permit to be inconsistent with pipeline safety.\nCompliance History - 2004 through 2011:\nA review ofPHMSA enforcement actions ofTCPL operations on the PNGTS pipeline from\nAugust 3, 2004, through April 28, 2011, shows the following closed enforcement actions against\nTCPL during the time interval they have owned and operated PNGTS (OPID 31145).\n• Letters - of Concern or Warning - 1 matters closed\n• Notices - of Amendment or of Probable Violation - 3 matters closed\n• Collected Civil Penalties - none collected\nThis enforcement history reveals a few compliance issues, including pipeline maintenance\nissues. TCPL has owned and operated PNGTS pipeline since August 3,2004.\nFindings:\nBased on the information submitted by TCPL and PHMSA's analysis of the technical,\noperational, and existing special permit non-compliance issues on the PNGTS pipeline, PHMSA\nfinds that granting this special permit to TCPL to operate this special permit segment of the\nPNGTS 24-inch Mainline pipeline, a natural gas transmission pipeline, at the current MAOP\nwhere a change in class location has occurred from an original Class 1 location to a Class 3\nlocation is inconsistent with pipeline safety.\nCompleted in Washington DC on: __ -\"o.UlI.,L.IIN~'~71--1-2J../.O-L.I11,--__ _\nPrepared by: Engineering and Research Division","truncated":false,"body_characters":10178}