2017-20389. 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 continue the discussion on the need for, and the identification of, a voluntary information-sharing system.

DATES:

The VIS Working Group will meet on November 29, 2017, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on November 30, 2017, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., ET. Members of the public who wish to attend in person are asked to register no later than November 19, 2017. Individuals requiring accommodations, such as sign language interpretation or other ancillary aids, are asked to notify the working group by November 22, 2017. For additional information see the ADDRESSES section.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held at the Hilton Arlington, 950 North Stafford Street, Arlington, Virginia 22203. The meeting 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=​126.

The meeting will not be web cast; however, any documents presented will be available on the meeting Web site and posted on the E-Gov Web site: http://www.regulations.gov under docket number PHMSA-2016-0128 within 30 days following the meeting.

Public Participation

This meeting will be open to the public. Members of the public who wish to attend in person are asked to register at: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/​meetings/​MtgHome.mtg?​mtg=​126 to facilitate entry and guarantee seating. Members of the public who attend in person will also be provided an opportunity to make a statement during the meeting.

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].

Written comments: Written comments on the meeting may be submitted to the docket in the following ways:

E-Gov Web site: http://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 www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information provided. You should know that anyone is able to 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, you may want to review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000, (65 FR 19477) or view the Privacy Notice at www.regulations.gov before submitting any such comments.

Docket: For access to the docket or to read background documents or comments, go to http://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

DOT may solicit comments from the public regarding certain general notices. 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.

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). On December 15, 2016, the Secretary of Transportation (the Secretary) appointed 24 members to the committee. The first committee meeting convened on December 19, 2016, to conduct committee and staff introductions, review the mandate requirements, review the committee charter and bylaws, introduce the concept of voluntary information-sharing, and discuss plans for future meetings. The last committee meeting was on June 29-30, 2017, to discuss existing integrity management regulations, assessment types and tools, geographic information system pipeline data, operator implementation, and the potential need for short-term subcommittees.

II. Meeting Details and Agenda

The VIS Working Group agenda will include briefings on topics such as the mission and objective of the VIS effort, best practices, examples of existing information-sharing systems, safety management systems, and the establishment of subcommittees. 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 Web site. The VIS Working Group will fulfill its purpose once its recommendations are published online.

The agenda will be published on the PHMSA meeting page https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/​meetings/​MtgHome.mtg?​mtg=​126,, once it is finalized.

Issued in Washington, DC on September 19, 2017, under authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.

Alan K. Mayberry,

Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.