PHMSA Public Meeting 2022

Webcast Link

https://onlinevideoservice.com/clients/PHMSA/houston1222/

Tristan Brown's Video Link

https://dotmediacenter.onehub.com/d/yxgql/

PURPOSE

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Summary

PHMSA is aggressively pursuing the DOT Strategic Goals of Safety, Climate & Sustainability, and Transformation through a variety of efforts to be profiled in the December public meeting. PHMSA will discuss with the public and industry how it is improving safety through advisory bulletins and lessons learned. PHMSA will weigh public and industry input gained at the meeting to inform potential regulatory changes to potential impact radius (PIR) calculations, an important regulatory requirement designed to provide extra protections to high consequence areas.

*FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:*Linda Daugherty by email at Linda.Daugherty @ dot.gov.

II. Background

During the informational public meeting, PHMSA will discuss with the public and industry how it is improving safety by issuing advisory bulletins based on lessons learned from events such as the geohazard related failure which threatened the community of Satartia, Mississippi and the crude oil spill following an anchor hit on an offshore pipeline near Long Beach, California. PHMSA will highlight technology transformations that combat climate change and keep aging pipeline infrastructure safe for use in transporting energy of the future.

The NTSB recently recommended PHMSA revise its regulations for PIR calculations, and this meeting will provide the Agency an opportunity to gather input from both industry and public stakeholders. Ensuring PIR calculations fully consider the potential impacts to congested urban areas is particularly important and supports equitable safety protections for all people. The meeting will also focus on the Agency's climate and energy transformation efforts, such as reducing methane emissions, and PHMSA's current role regarding carbon dioxide and hydrogen pipelines. The overall purpose of the meeting is to share important safety information with the public and industry as well as gather input to inform future rulemaking decisions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the meeting, contact Linda Daugherty at (202) 368-5530, or Linda.daugherty @ dot.gov.

II. Informational Public Meeting Details and Agenda

The informational public meeting will take place in-person December 13-15, 2022, in Houston, Texas. During the meeting, PHMSA will review a variety of topics and invite participant input. Following opening remarks, the meeting will address the following topics: 1) Recent and Potential Safety Advisories (Geohazard/Land Movement, Maritime Issues, Hard Spots, Flow Reversals); 2) The Future: Fuels and Technology (Technology Transfer: Innovative Tools That Can Be Used by Industry); 3) Failure Investigation Forum (Overview of Recent Accidents/Incidents and Common Enforcement Items Found During Incidents); 4) Potential Impact Radius (Discussion of Incident and NTSB Recommendation); 5) The Future: Climate and Energy Transformation (Reducing Methane Emissions, Hydrogen and Hydrogen Blending, Carbon Dioxide/Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage); and 6) The Future: New Regulatory Requirements (PHMSA's New Regulation Implementation Process).

III. Public Participation

The informational meeting will be open to the public. Members of the public who wish to attend are requested to register on the meeting website and include their names and organization affiliation (see ADDRESSES). PHMSA is committed to providing all participants with equal access to these meetings. If you need special accommodations, please contact Jessica Appel by email at Janice.Morgan @ dot.gov.

PHMSA is not always able to publish a notice in the Federal Register quickly enough to provide timely notification regarding last minute changes that impact a previously announced meeting. Therefore, individuals should check the meeting website listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice regarding any possible changes.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on November 23, 2022, under authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.