Pipeline Safety: Chevron Pipe Line Company Approved for Pipeline Risk Management Demonstration Program

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration

[Docket No. RSPA-98-4450; Notice 18]

Pipeline Safety: Chevron Pipe Line Company Approved for Pipeline

Risk Management Demonstration Program

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration, Office of

Pipeline Safety, DOT

ACTION: Notice of risk demonstration project approval and finding of no

significant impact.

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SUMMARY: The Research and Special Programs Administration's (RSPA)

Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) has issued a Risk Management

Demonstration Project Order authorizing Chevron Pipe Line Company

(Chevron) to participate in the Pipeline Risk Management Demonstration

Program. OPS has also made a finding that Chevron's demonstration

project will have no significant impacts on the environment.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this or any other demonstration project will be

accepted in the Docket throughout the 4-year demonstration period.

Comments should be sent to the Dockets Facility, U.S. Department of

Transportation, Plaza 401, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC

20590-0001, or you can E-Mail your comments to

[email protected]. Comments should identify the docket number,

RSPA-98-4450. Persons should submit the original comment document and

one (1) copy. Persons wishing to receive confirmation of receipt of

their comments must include a self-addressed stamped postcard. The

Dockets Facility is located on the plaza level of the Nassif Building

in Room 401, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC. The Dockets

Facility is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except

on Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Callsen, OPS, (202) 366-

4572, regarding the subject matter of this notice and environmental

assessment. Contact the Dockets Unit, (202) 366-9322, for docket

material. Comments may also be reviewed on line at the DOT Docket

Management System website at http://dms.dot.gov/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Project Authorization

On February 17, 1999, OPS, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 60126, issued

Chevron a Risk Management Demonstration Project Order authorizing

Chevron to conduct a risk management project on the 330-mile portion of

its Salt Lake Products Pipeline System extending from Salt Lake City,

Utah, to Boise, Idaho. OPS has determined, after a comprehensive review

of Chevron's demonstration project, that the project is expected to

provide superior safety and environmental protection.

More detailed descriptions of all aspects of the Chevron

demonstration project, including the OPS rationale for approving the

project, are available in the following documents:

(1) 63 FR 71334, ``Pipeline Safety: Intent To Approve Project and

Environmental Assessment for the Chevron Pipe Line Company; Pipeline

Risk Management Demonstration Program'', December 24, 1998.

(2) ``Demonstration Project Prospectus: Chevron'', available by

contacting Elizabeth M. Callsen at 202-366-4572. Includes a map of the

demonstration portion of the Salt Lake Products Pipeline System.

(3) ``Chevron Pipe Line Company--Application and Work Plan for DOT-

OPS Risk Management Demonstration Program'', as modified by the January

28, 1999, letter from Chevron to OPS.

(4) ``OPS Project Review Team Evaluation of Chevron Demonstration

Project''.

(5) ``Risk Management Demonstration Project Order'' for Chevron

Pipe Line Company, February 17, 1999.

These documents and other information pertaining to the Chevron

project are accessible to the public via the Pipeline Risk Management

Information System (PRIMIS), on the OPS Home Page at http://

ops.dot.gov.

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

OPS has reviewed Chevron's project for conformity with section

102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4332),

the Council on Environmental Quality implementing regulations (40 CFR

1500-1508), and Department of Transportation Order 5610.1c, Procedures

for Considering Environmental Impacts. OPS conducted an Environmental

Assessment of Chevron's project (63 FR 71334, ``Pipeline Safety: Intent

To Approve Project and Environmental Assessment for the Chevron Pipe

Line Company; Pipeline Risk Management Demonstration Program'').

OPS received no public comment on the Environmental Assessment.

Based on the analysis and conclusions reached in the Environmental

Assessment and the analyses conducted in the above-listed documents,

OPS has found that there are no significant impacts on the environment

associated with this action. The Environmental Assessment and the other

above-listed documents are incorporated by reference into this FONSI.

To summarize, this project is expected to demonstrate that risk

management techniques can be successfully applied to improve safety and

environmental protection. The project, as now defined, requires no

regulatory exemption. Rather, all activities to be performed by Chevron

as part of the demonstration project--including mapping the

demonstration segment using Geographic Information System technology,

investigating risks with special emphasis on areas vulnerable to

geologic hazards, allocating resources to manage risks, and effectively

communicating about risks with company employees, OPS, and other

stakeholders--exceed current pipeline safety requirements and will not

cause any disruption or adverse changes to the present environment.

This rationale is further discussed in the Environmental Assessment

referenced above. If OPS determines that it plans to grant a regulatory

exemption, it will amend the Environmental Assessment to analyze any

environmental impacts of the proposed exemption.

Issued in Washington, DC on February 17, 1999.

Richard B. Felder,

Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.

[FR Doc. 99-4422 Filed 2-22-99; 8:45 am]

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