March 31, 2023
Mr. Garrett Wilkie
Director, Operational Excellence
Enbridge, Inc.
915 N. Eldridge Parkway, Ste. 1100
Houston, TX 77079
Re: Docket No. PHMSA-2022-0167
Special Permit Renewal from March 31, 2023 to March 31, 2033
Dear Mr. Wilkie:
On December 2, 2022, pursuant to 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 190.341, East Tennessee Natural Gas Transmission, LLC (ETNG)1 applied to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for a special permit. ETNG requested a special permit to waive compliance with 49 CFR §§ 192.53(c), 192.121, 192.144, 192.149, 192.150, 192.619(a), 192.624, 192.710, and 192.714 for use of Smartpipe® pipe and components. ETNG has requested to insert approximately 0.64 miles of 7.6-inch diameter Smartpipe® pipe and components into the existing ETNG 8.625-inch diameter Line 3320A-100 (Pipeline) located in Roanoke County, Virginia.
Smartpipe® pipe is a flexible reinforced thermoplastic pipe. The Pipeline is located in a gas transmission Class 3 location as defined in 49 CFR § 192.5. The maximum allowable operating pressure for the Pipeline will be 813 pounds per square inch gauge. The 7.6-inch diameter Smartpipe® pipe will be installed by pulling it into the existing 8.625-inch diameter steel pipe in the Pipeline.
On January 5, 2023, PHMSA published a Federal Register notice (88 FR 909) announcing the special permit request. The special permit request letter, Final Environmental Assessment (FEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), Special Permit Analysis and Findings (SPAF), and all other pertinent documents for this special permit are available in Docket No. PHMSA2022-0167 in the Federal Docket Management System located at www.regulations.gov.
PHMSA grants this special permit (enclosed) based on information provided by ETNG and the findings set forth in the SPAF, FEA, and FONSI. PHMSA’s approval will allow ETNG to operate the Pipeline using Smartpipe® pipe and components after implementing the special permit conditions. This special permit provides relief from certain requirements of the Federal pipeline safety regulations for the Pipeline and requires ETNG to comply with certain conditions and limitations designed to maintain pipeline safety as defined in the special permit.
If ETNG elects not to implement the special permit conditions, ETNG must notify PHMSA within 60 days and comply with 49 CFR §§ 192.53(c), 192.121, 192.144, 192.149, 192.150, 192.619(a), 192.624, 192.710, and 192.714 for usage of steel pipe in the materials, design, operations, and maintenance of the Pipeline within 18 months of the date of this letter.
My staff would be pleased to discuss this special permit or any other regulatory matter with you. Mary McDaniel, Acting Director of PHMSA Engineering and Research Division, may be contacted at 713-272-2847, on technical matters; and Greg Ochs, Director, Office of Pipeline Safety, Central Region, may be contacted at 816-329-3814, for operational matters specific to this special permit.
Sincerely,
Alan K. Mayberry
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety
Enclosure: Special Permit – PHMSA-2022-0167
1. East Tennessee Natural Gas Transmission, LLC is a subsidiary of Enbridge, Inc.