2018-01476. Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Voluntary Information-Sharing System Working Group

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

This notice announces a public meeting of the Voluntary Information-Sharing System (VIS) Working Group. The VIS Working Group will convene to discuss and identify recommendations to establish a voluntary information-sharing system.

DATES:

The meeting will be held on February 28, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Members of the public who wish to attend in person should register no later than February 23, 2018. Individuals requiring accommodations, such as sign language interpretation or other ancillary aids, may notify PHMSA by February 23, 2018. For additional information, see the ADDRESSES section.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held at a location yet to be determined in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. The meeting location, agenda and any additional information will be published on the following VIS Working Group and registration page at: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/​meetings/​MtgHome.mtg?​mtg=​130. The meetings will not be webcast; however, presentations will be available on the meeting website and posted on the E-Gov website, https://www.regulations.gov/​,, under docket number PHMSA-2016-0128 within 30 days following the meeting.

Public Participation: These meetings will be open to the public. Members of the public who attend in person will also be provided an opportunity to make a statement during the meetings.

Written comments: Persons who wish to submit written comments on the meetings may submit them to the docket in the following ways:

E-Gov website: https://www.regulations.gov. This site allows the public to enter comments on any Federal Register notice issued by any agency.

Fax: [phone].

Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the ground level of the DOT West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays.

Instructions: Identify the docket number PHMSA-2016-0128 at the beginning of your comments. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information provided.

Anyone can search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). Therefore, consider reviewing DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000, (65 FR 19477), or view the Privacy Notice at https://www.regulations.gov before submitting comments.

Docket: For docket access or to read background documents or comments, go to https://www.regulations.gov at any time or to Room W12-140 on the ground level of the DOT West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

If you wish to receive confirmation of receipt of your written comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard with the following statement: “Comments on PHMSA-2016-0128.” The docket clerk will date stamp the postcard prior to returning it to you via the U.S. mail.

Privacy Act Statement

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), the DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. The DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to www.regulations.gov as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL- 14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at www.dot.gov/​privacy.

Services for Individuals with Disabilities: The public meeting will be physically accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals requiring accommodations, such as sign language interpretation or other ancillary aids, are asked to notify Cheryl Whetsel at [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For information about the meeting, contact Cheryl Whetsel by phone at 202-366-4431 or by email at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The VIS Working Group is a recently created advisory committee established in accordance with Section 10 of the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2016 (Pub. L. 114-183), the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., App. 2, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.50(a).

II. Meeting Details and Agenda

The VIS Working Group agenda will include briefings on topics such as mandate requirements, integrity management, data types and tools, in-line inspection repair and other direct assessment methods, geographic information system implementation, subcommittee considerations, lessons learned, examples of existing information-sharing systems, safety management systems, and more. As part of its work, the committee will ultimately provide recommendations to the Secretary, as required and specifically outlined in Section 10 of Public Law 114-183, addressing:

(a) The need for, and the identification of, a system to ensure that dig verification data are shared with in-line inspection operators to the extent consistent with the need to maintain proprietary and security-sensitive data in a confidential manner to improve pipeline safety and inspection technology;

(b) Ways to encourage the exchange of pipeline inspection information and the development of advanced pipeline inspection technologies and enhanced risk analysis;

(c) Opportunities to share data, including dig verification data between operators of pipeline facilities and in-line inspector vendors to expand knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of in-line inspection technology and methodologies;

(d) Options to create a secure system that protects proprietary data while encouraging the exchange of pipeline inspection information and the development of advanced pipeline inspection technologies and enhanced risk analysis;

(e) Means and best practices for the protection of safety and security-sensitive information and proprietary information; and

(f) Regulatory, funding, and legal barriers to sharing the information described in paragraphs (a) through (d).

The Secretary will publish the VIS Working Group's recommendations on a publicly available DOT website and in the docket. The VIS Working Group will fulfill its purpose once its recommendations are published online. PHMSA will publish the agenda on the PHMSA meeting page https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/​meetings/​MtgHome.mtg?​mtg=​130,, once it is finalized.

Issued in Washington, DC, on January 23, 2018, under authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.

Alan K. Mayberry,

Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.