Pipeline Safety: Information Collection Activities

AGENCY:

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, PHMSA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew the following information collections that are scheduled to expire in 2021 under OMB control numbers: 2137-0632 Post-Accident Drug Testing for Operators (6/30/21); 2137-0594 Customer-Owned Service Lines (8/31/21); 2137-0622 Public Awareness Program (9/30/21); 2137-0048 Recordkeeping Requirements for Liquefied Natural Gas Facilities (9/30/21); 2137-0618 Periodic Underwater Inspection and Notification of Abandoned Underwater Pipelines (10/31/21); 2137-0600 Qualification of Pipeline Safety Training (10/31/21), and 2137-0634 Recordkeeping for Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities (10/31/21). PHMSA has reviewed each of these collections and considers them vital to the continuity of promoting and maintaining pipeline safety. As such, PHMSA will request a renewal, without change, to each of the information collections detailed below.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before April 19, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Comments may be submitted in the following ways:

E-Gov website: http://www.regulations.gov. This site allows the public to submit comments on any Federal Register notice issued by any agency.

Fax: 1-202-493-2251.

Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the ground level of DOT, West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Instructions: Identify the docket number, PHMSA-2021-0003, at the beginning of your comments. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information provided. You should know that anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). Therefore, you may want to review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000, (65 FR 19477) or visit http://www.regulations.gov before submitting any such comments.

Docket: For access to the docket or to read background documents or comments, go to http://www.regulations.gov at any time or to Room W12-140 on the ground level of DOT, West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. If you wish to receive confirmation of receipt of your written comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard with the following statement: “Comments on: PHMSA-2021-0003.” The Docket Clerk will date stamp the postcard prior to returning it to you via the U.S. mail. Please note that due to delays in the delivery of U.S. mail to Federal offices in Washington, DC, we recommend that persons consider an alternative method (internet, fax, or professional delivery service) of submitting comments to the docket and ensuring their timely receipt at DOT.

Privacy Act Statement: DOT may solicit comments from the public regarding certain general notices. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov,, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at www.dot.gov/privacy.

Confidential Business Information: Confidential Business Information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to this notice contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to this notice, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Pursuant to 49 CFR 190.343, you may ask PHMSA to give confidential treatment to information you give to the Agency by taking the following steps: (1) Mark each page of the original document submission containing CBI as “Confidential”; (2) send PHMSA, along with the original document, a second copy of the original document with the CBI deleted; and (3) explain why the information you are submitting is CBI. Unless you are notified otherwise, PHMSA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public docket of this notice. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Angela Hill, DOT, PHMSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, PHP-30, Washington, DC 20590-0001. Any commentary PHMSA receives that is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this matter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Angela Hill by telephone at 202-366-1246 or by email at Angela.Hill@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 1320.8(d), Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, requires PHMSA to provide interested members of the public and affected agencies an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping requests. This notice identifies information collection requests that PHMSA will submit to OMB for revision.

The following information is provided for these information collections: (1) Title of the information collection; (2) OMB control number; (3) Current expiration date; (4) Type of request; (5) Abstract of the information collection activity; (6) Description of affected public; (7) Estimate of total annual reporting and recordkeeping burden; and (8) Frequency of collection.

PHMSA will request a 3-year term of approval for each of the following information collection activities. PHMSA requests comments on the following information:

1. Title: Post-Accident Drug Testing for Pipeline Operators.

OMB Control Number: 2137-0632.

Current Expiration Date: 6/30/2021.

Type of Request: Renewal of a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: Pursuant to 49 CFR 199.227, operators are required to maintain records of its alcohol misuse prevention program. The Post-Accident Drug Testing for Pipeline Operators Information Collection pertains specifically to 49 CFR 199.227(b)(4), which requires operators to maintain records of decisions not to administer post-accident employee alcohol tests for a minimum of three years. Operators must make those records available to the Secretary of Transportation upon request.

Affected Public: Operators of PHMSA-regulated pipelines.

Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:

Total Annual Responses: 609.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,218.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

2. Title: Customer-Owned Service Lines.

OMB Control Number: 2137-0594.

Current Expiration Date: 8/31/2021.

Type of Request: Renewal of a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: Pursuant to 49 CFR 192.16, operators of gas service lines who do not maintain their customers' buried piping between service lines and building walls or gas utilization equipment are required to send written notices to their customers prescribing the proper maintenance of these gas lines and of the potential hazards of not properly maintaining these gas lines. Operators also must maintain records that include a copy of the notice currently in use and evidence that notices were sent to customers within the previous three years. The purpose of the collection is to provide the Office of Pipeline Safety with adequate information about how customer-owned service lines are being maintained to prevent the potential hazards associated with not maintaining the lines. Examples of sufficient notification include a prepared notification with the customer's bill.

Affected Public: State and local governments.

Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:

Estimated number of responses: 550,000.

Estimated annual burden hours: 9,167.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

3. Title: Public Awareness Program.

OMB Control Number: 2137-0622.

Current Expiration Date: 9/30/2021.

Type of Request: Renewal of a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: Pursuant to the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations in 49 CFR 192.616 and 49 CFR 195.440 each pipeline operator is required to develop and implement a written continuing public education program that follows the guidance provided in the American Petroleum Institute's (API) Recommended Practice (RP) 1162. Upon request, operators must submit their completed programs to PHMSA or, in the case of an intrastate pipeline facility operator, the appropriate state agency. The operator's program documentation and evaluation results must also be available for periodic review by appropriate regulatory agencies ( ). The purpose of the collection is to educate the public, appropriate government organizations, and persons engaged in excavation activities on the use of a one-call notification system, possible hazards associated with unintended releases, physical indications that a release may have occurred, steps that should be taken for public safety in the event of a release and procedures for reporting releases.

Affected Public: Operators of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines.

Estimated number of responses: 45,000.

Estimated annual burden hours: 517,500 hours.

Frequency of collection: Annual.

Title: Recordkeeping Requirements for Liquefied Natural Gas Facilities.

OMB Control Number: 2137-0048.

Current Expiration Date: 09/30/2021.

Type of Request: Renewal with no change of a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: Pursuant to the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations, liquefied natural gas facility owners and operators are required to maintain various records, make reports, and provide information regarding their liquefied natural gas facilities to the Secretary of Transportation at the Secretary's request.

Affected Public: Operators and owners of liquefied natural gas facilities.

Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:

Estimated number of responses: 40,400.

Estimated annual burden hours: 12,120.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

Title: Qualification of Pipeline Safety Training.

OMB Control Number: 2137-0600.

Current Expiration Date: 10/31/2021.

Type of Request: Renewal with no change of a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: The Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations require that all individuals responsible for the operation and maintenance of pipeline facilities are required to be properly qualified to safely perform their tasks. 49 CFR 192.807 requires each operator to maintain records that demonstrate compliance with the mandated qualification criteria. Operators are required to maintain records demonstrating compliance and provide them to PHMSA upon request.

Affected Public: Operators of pipeline facilities.

Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:

Estimated number of responses: 29,167.

Estimated annual burden hours: 7,292.

Frequency of collection: On occasion.

4. Title: Periodic Underwater Inspection and Notification of Abandoned Underwater Pipelines.

OMB Control Number: 2137-0618.

Current Expiration Date: 10/31/2021.

Type of Request: Renewal with no change of a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: The Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations at 49 CFR 192.612 and 49 CFR 195.413 require operators of pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico and its inlets in waters less than 15 feet (4.6 meters) deep to conduct appropriate periodic underwater inspections to determine whether the pipelines are exposed underwater pipelines or pose a hazard to navigation. If an operator discovers that its underwater pipeline is exposed or poses a hazard to navigation, among other remedial actions, the operator must contact the National Response Center by telephone within 24 hours of discovery and report the location of the exposed pipeline or hazardous pipeline.

PHMSA's regulations for reporting the abandonment of underwater pipelines can be found at 49 CFR 192.727 and 49 CFR 195.59. These provisions contain certain requirements for disconnecting and purging abandoned pipelines and require operators to notify PHMSA of each abandoned offshore pipeline facility and each abandoned onshore pipeline facility that crosses over, under, or through a commercially navigable waterway.

Affected Public: Operators of pipeline facilities (except master meter operators).

Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:

Estimated number of responses: 92.

Estimated annual burden hours: 1,372.

Frequency of collection: On occasion.

5. Title: Recordkeeping for Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities.

OMB Control Number: 2137-0634.

Current Expiration Date: 10/31/2021.

Type of Request: Renewal of a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: The Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations at 49 CFR 192.12 requires operators of underground natural gas storage facilities to maintain documentation and provide information to the Secretary of Transportation at the Secretary's request. Examples of the required records include operations and maintenance procedures, results of required tests, records of inspections and repairs, and notifications to the public.

Affected Public: Operators of underground natural gas storage facilities.

Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden:

Estimated number of responses: 136.

Estimated annual burden hours: 220.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion.

Comments are invited on:

(a) The need for the renewal and revision of these collections of information for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(b) The accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.