Action
Grant of Waiver.
Summary
PHMSA is granting Alliance Pipeline L.P. (APL) a waiver of compliance from certain PHMSA regulations for the United States portion of its pipeline system. This waiver increases the maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) for its pipeline. It also increases the design factor for its compressor station piping, grants relief from the hydrostatic testing requirements for its compressor station piping, and grants relief from equipment requirements for pressure relieving and limiting stations. Before granting the waiver, PHMSA performed a thorough technical review of APL's application for waiver and supporting documents. PHMSA requested and received supplementary information pertaining to numerous technical aspects of APL's design, engineering, operations, and maintenance practices. PHMSA also sought comments from the public and received positive feedback from the impacted States along the pipeline and the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee. The waiver is subject to and conditional upon supplemental safety criteria set forth in this notice. The supplemental safety criteria address the life cycle management of the subject pipeline and require the operator to adhere to maintenance, inspection, monitoring, control, and reporting standards exceeding existing regulatory requirements.