Pipeline Safety: Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Oil Pollution Act Facility Response Plans

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration

[Docket No. RSPA-99-6157]

Pipeline Safety: Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Oil

Pollution Act Facility Response Plans

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Availability of the environmental assessment for the Office of

Pipeline Safety's Response Plan Review and Exercise Program.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Council on Environmental Quality regulations and

Department of Transportation policy, the Research and Special Programs

Administration announces the availability of an Environmental

Assessment for the Office of Pipeline Safety's (OPS) Response Plan

Review and Exercise Program. The Environmental Assessment examines the

effects of the program on the environment and on pipeline operators'

ability to respond to oil spills affecting waters of the United States.

The Research and Special Programs Administration is soliciting comments

on this Environmental Assessment. These comments will be considered in

evaluating it and in making decisions pursuant to the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Environmental Assessment should be submitted

to: Jim Taylor, Response Plans Officer, US Department of

Transportation, Research and Special Programs Administration, Office of

Pipeline Safety, Room 7128, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590 or

email [email protected]. A limited number of copies of the

Environmental Assessment are available on request. Public reading

copies of the Environmental Assessment will be available at the

Department of Transportation Docket Center, Room PL-401, 400 7th

Street, SW, Washington DC, 20590. The Dockets Facility is open from 10

a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

[[Page 47229]]

DATES: The Environmental Assessment will remain available for public

comment through September 29, 1999. Written comments should be received

no later than September 29, 1999. Late comments will be considered so

far as practicable.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons with questions about the

Environmental Assessment may contact Jim Taylor at (202) 366-8860 or

email [email protected]. Persons with questions about viewing the

Environmental Assessment in the DOT Docket Center may contact Dorothy

Walker at (202) 366-9329 or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1990, the United States Congress passed

Public Law 101-380, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), to improve the

nation's ability to respond to, and limit the economic and

environmental impact from, marine spills of oil and other pollutants.

Section 4202 of the OPA modifies the planning and response system

created under the authority of Section 311(j) of the Federal Water

Pollution Control Act (also known as the Clean Water Act). OPA required

response plans for vessels and facilities that produce, store,

transport, refine, and market oil.

Just as oil tankers are required to submit oil spill response plans

to the Coast Guard and refineries are required to submit such plans to

the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), oil pipelines are required

to submit their facility response plans (FRP) to OPS for review and

approval. To date, more than 1300 facility response plans have been

submitted to OPS. They represent some 200 oil pipeline operators, and

lines that vary from 3-inch gathering systems to 36-inch product lines

to the 48-inch Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. OPS conducts a thorough

review of the plans, with particular emphasis on the adequacy of the

pipeline operator's response resources, incident command system, and

ability to protect environmentally sensitive areas from harm. OPS also

makes sure that pipeline operators' plans are consistent with both the

National Contingency Plan and the local Area Contingency Plan, which

are developed by the Coast Guard and EPA.

In addition to reviewing operators' plans, OPS conducts exercises

to test pipeline operators' ability to implement their facility

response plans. To date, OPS has conducted sixty-nine Tabletop

Exercises, scenario-driven discussions in which operators explain how

they would implement their plans to respond to a worst-case spill. OPS

has also conducted nine full-scale Area Exercises with pipeline

operators in which they deploy people and equipment to the field in

response to a simulated spill. In both Tabletop and Area Exercises, OPS

makes every effort to have other Federal, State, and local

environmental and emergency response agencies participate. Their

participation makes exercises more realistic, and builds relationships

between industry and public sector responders that make the response to

real spills go more smoothly.

The Environmental Assessment concisely describes OPS's recent

review of the effectiveness of its Response Plan Review and Exercise

Program, its proposed action to continue implementation of the current

program, the alternative programmatic approaches considered, the

environment affected by this action, the consequences to the

environment of the alternatives considered, and a list of the agencies

and organizations consulted.

Issued in Washington, DC, on August 24, 1999.

Richard B. Felder,

Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.

[FR Doc. 99-22332 Filed 8-27-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-60-P