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United States Department of Transportation
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) will have a Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC), meeting from November 27 to December 1, 2023.
PHMSA is preparing the GPAC meeting to discuss the proposed rules (NPRMs) titled: "Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair," and "Class Location Change Requirements."
Summary
The purpose of the 2-day R&D Forum is for public, government, and industry pipeline stakeholders to identify technology and knowledge gaps within certain topic areas. PHMSA then incorporates these areas into our research solicitations. This forum will provide PHMSA leadership and staff with an opportunity to generate a national research agenda and discuss key industry and government challenges with pipeline industry stakeholders. By fostering the exchange of essential information, this discussion will help to improve pipeline safety and protect the environment.
The Pipeline R&D Forum, is a two-day public meeting, including a general Session and five concurrently running working group sessions. The agenda and additional information on the forum will be published on a dedicated meeting web page.
The purpose of the two-day CO2 Public Meeting is to inform rulemaking decisions, by discussing key topics such as public awareness, emergency response and effective communication with emergency responders and the public, dispersion modeling, safety measures to address other constituents besides CO2 in CO2 Pipelines, leak detection and reporting, and Geohazards. The CO2 meeting will be webcast for those who cannot attend in person.
PHMSA will host a two-day Safety of Underground Natural Gas Storage (UNGS) Public Meeting and Forum in May in Broomfield, Colorado. The Agency is hosting this informational meeting as part of its core mission to improve safety through better communications between PHMSA, the public, and the regulated community. PHMSA intends to answer questions, address concerns, and provide an opportunity to speak with the regulated community.
The meeting will provide a forum for discussion of multiple topics related to UNGS, including: drivers for UNGS regulation, state partners, Interim Final Rule (IFR) to Final Rule (FR) changes, UNGS inspection processes, frequently asked questions (FAQs), jurisdictional coverage, incorporation by reference (IBR) of American Petroleum Institutes'(API) Recommended Practice (RP) 1171 and RP1170, general enforcement processes, common operator challenges, well annulus monitoring and exceedances, surface and subsurface safety valves (SSVs and SSSVs, respectively), best practices, and lessons learned from incidents.
The public meeting and forum will serve as an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss research gaps and challenges in the LNG industry. Furthermore, it will also serve as a venue for PHMSA, public interest groups, industry, academia, intergovernmental partners, and the public to collaborate on PHMSA's future R&D agenda.
This is a virtual public meeting of the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee also known as the Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committee (LPAC), to discuss the interim final rulemaking (IFR) titled: "Unusually Sensitive Areas for the Great Lakes, Coastal Beaches, and Certain Coastal Waters." Members of the public who wish to attend are asked to register no later than August 12, 2022.
The public informational webinar will take place on February 17, 2022. During the webinar, PHMSA will review the requirements of Section 114 and plans for PHMSA and state inspection of the requirements. Following opening remarks, the webinar will address the following topics: 1) Key elements of Section 114; 2) Significant sources of natural gas (primarily methane) emissions from pipelines; 3) Discussion of which types of pipeline facilities must comply with each portion of Section 114; 4) PHMSA and state inspections, including reviews of a pipeline operator's programs and procedures to reduce methane emissions; 5) Inspection topics related to methane reduction and leak-prone pipes; 6) General review of how operators' programs and procedures will be inspected; and 7) The timelines for actions required by Section 114.
The docket number for this meeting is PHMSA-2021-0123.
The purpose of the "Pipeline Transportation: Hydrogen and Emerging Fuels R&D Public Meeting and Forum" is to assist PHMSA in developing its R&D agenda for the next two years and help address one of DOT's strategic goals to develop climate solutions. The first day of the event will be a public meeting and general session focusing on two objectives: (1) the current state of PHMSA's pipeline safety R&D, and (2) the environmental and infrastructure impacts of a shift to clean emerging fuels. The second day will consist of smaller interactive workgroups to develop robust R&D topics for funding consideration by PHMSA. The final day will include a report out from the workgroups to the general session and a public comment period.
The GPAC and the LPAC will meet (virtually) to discuss the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) titled: "Periodic Updates of Regulatory References to Technical Standards and Miscellaneous Amendments." The NPRM is relevant to both gas and liquid pipeline safety.
The GPAC and the LPAC will meet in a joint session (virtually) to discuss a variety of policy issues and topics relevant to both gas and liquid pipeline safety.
PHMSA plans to host a two-day virtual Pipeline Leak Detection, Leak Repair and Methane Emission Reductions public meeting on May 5-6, 2021. The purpose of this meeting is to engage stakeholders on gas pipeline leak detection and repair issues as an important step in fulfilling the requirements of Sections 113 and 114 of the PIPES Act of 2020 ("Act"). During the meeting, stakeholders—including environmental and public safety groups, Federal and state governments, and the pipeline industry—will have the opportunity to share perspectives on improving gas pipeline leak detection and repair. Topics discussed will include the scope of the current problem, as well as advanced technologies and practices to address methane emissions from natural gas pipeline systems.
