Pipeline Safety: Request for Special Permit; Buckeye Partners, LP

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

PHMSA is publishing this notice to solicit public comments on a request for special permit received from Buckeye Partners, LP (Buckeye). The special permit request is seeking relief from compliance with certain requirements in the Federal pipeline safety regulations. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will review the comments received from this notice as part of its evaluation to grant or deny the special permit request.

DATES:

Submit any comments regarding this special permit request by June 24, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Comments should reference the docket number for this special permit request and may be submitted in the following ways:

• E-Gov Website: http://www.Regulations.gov. This site allows the public to enter comments on any Federal Register notice issued by any agency.
• Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
• Mail: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
• Hand Delivery: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Instructions: You should identify the docket number for the special permit request you are commenting on at the beginning of your comments. If you submit your comments by mail, please submit two (2) copies. To receive confirmation that PHMSA has received your comments, please include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Internet users may submit comments at http://www.Regulations.gov.

Note: There is a privacy statement published on http://www.Regulations.gov. Comments, including any personal information provided, are posted without changes or edits to http://www.Regulations.gov.

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 Code of Federal Regulations (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 Kay McIver, DOT, PHMSA-PHP-80, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 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:

General: Ms. Kay McIver by telephone at 202-366-0113, or by email at kay.mciver@dot.gov.

Technical: Mr. Steve Nanney by telephone at 713-272-2855, or by email at steve.nanney@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

PHMSA received a special permit request from Buckeye seeking a waiver from portions of the requirements of 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 195.116: Valves; 195.118: Fittings; 195.228: Welds and welding inspection: Standards of acceptability; 195.230: Welds: Repair or removal of defects; and 195.234: Welds: Nondestructive testing. This special permit is being requested in lieu of replacement of valves, fittings, and girth welds for a pipeline special permit segment consisting of approximately 2,600 feet of 12.750-inch diameter pipeline and approximately 100 feet of 8.625-inch diameter pipeline. This pipeline special permit segment was not designed, pressure tested, and constructed in accordance with 49 CFR part 195. The special permit was requested by Buckeye for the following reasons:

• The special permit valves were not factory pressure tested to meet all the requirements of 49 CFR 195.116.
• The fittings were not manufactured to the standards referenced in 49 CFR 195.118.
• The welding procedures, welding, nondestructive testing, and weld repairs for the pipeline girth welds for the pipe, valves and fittings were not originally performed during construction in accordance with 49 CFR 195.228, 195.230, and 195.234.

Buckeye has proposed special permit conditions to remediate any pipeline safety issues with the original installation of the special permit segment. The location of this proposed special permit segment is in Buckeye's Tampa North Terminal in Hillsborough County, Florida. The Buckeye pipeline special permit segment consists of the following:

• The special permit segment includes approximately 2,600 feet of 12.750-inch diameter, steel pipe strength of 52,000 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) with a wall thickness of 0.375 inches, and approximately 100 feet of 8.625-inch diameter, steel pipe strength of 52,000 psig with a wall thickness of 0.322 inches.
• The special permit segment is above ground and has been coated with a coating to provide atmospheric corrosion protection.
• The special permit segment will have a maximum operating pressure of 220 psig.
• The special permit segment was constructed between 2018 and 2020.
• The special permit segment is situated within the Tampa North Terminal tank dike, with a 500-foot section of 12.750-inch diameter piping located outside of dike containment.

The special permit request, proposed special permit with conditions, and Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) for the above listed Buckeye pipeline segments are available for review and public comments in Docket No. PHMSA-2020-0003. PHMSA invites interested persons to review and submit comments on the special permit request and DEA in the docket. Please include any comments on potential safety and environmental impacts that may result if the special permit is granted. Comments may include relevant data.

Before issuing a decision on the special permit request, PHMSA will evaluate all comments received on or before the comments closing date. Comments received after the closing date will be evaluated, if it is possible to do so without incurring additional expense or delay. PHMSA will consider each relevant comment it receives in making its decision to grant or deny this special permit request.