2137-AF22 201604 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 2137 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration PHMSA 2100 Department of Transportation DOT Pipeline Safety: Underground Storage Facilities for Natural Gas

PHMSA has safety authority over the underground storage facilities used in natural gas pipeline transportation, but has no safety regulations in the DOT Code (49 CFR part 192) that apply to the downhole underground storage reservoir for natural gas. PHMSA is planning to issue an interim final rule to require operators of underground storage facilities for natural gas to comply with minimum safety standards, including compliance with API RP 1171, Functional Integrity of Natural Gas Storage in Depleted Hydrocarbon Reservoirs and Aquifer Reservoirs, and API RP 1170, Design and Operation of Solution-mined Salt Caverns Used for Natural Gas Storage. PHMSA is considering adopting the non-mandatory provisions of the RPs in a manner that would make them mandatory, except that operators would be permitted to deviate from the RPs if they provide justification.

]]> Substantive, Nonsignificant First Time Published in The Unified Agenda Final Rule Stage No No 49 CFR 192 49 CFR 1.97 49 U.S.C 60102 No Interim Final Rule 08/00/2016 No Businesses Federal State No Yes www.regulations.gov www.regulations.gov No No Ashlin Bollacker Technical Writer 2137 Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration PHMSA 202 366-4203 ashlin.bollacker@dot.gov 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington DC DC 20590