July 28, 2023
Dave W. Shellhouse
Vice President of Operations
Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC
2405 Lucien Way, Suite 200
Maitland, Florida 32751
Re: Docket No. PHMSA-2020-0044
Special Permit from March 30, 2022, to March 30, 2032
Dear Mr. Shellhouse:
On March 24, 2023, pursuant to 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 190.341, Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC (FGT)1 applied to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for five (5) special permit segment extensions. FGT requested a special permit to waive compliance with 49 CFR §§ 192.611(a)(3)(iii) for Class 1 or 2 to Class 3 location changes. The class location changes consist of five (5) pipeline segments of approximately 0.721 miles of 18-inch diameter, approximately 1.175 miles of 30-inch diameter, and approximately 0.040 miles of 36-inch diameter gas transmission pipeline (Pipeline) located in Hernando, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties, Florida.
On May 31, 2023, PHMSA published a Federal Register notice (88 FR 34926) 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.
PHMSA-2020-0044 in the Federal Docket Management System located at www.regulations.gov.2
Subject to the stated terms and conditions, PHMSA grants this special permit (enclosed) based on the information provided by FGT and the findings set forth in the SPAF, FEA, and FONSI. This special permit provides relief from the Federal pipeline safety regulations for the Pipeline and requires FGT to comply with certain conditions and limitations designed to maintain pipeline safety as defined in the special permit. Note that in accordance with 49 CFR § 190.341(j), PHMSA reserves the right to revoke, suspend, or modify this special permit if circumstances occur in which its continuance would be inconsistent with pipeline safety. If FGT elects not to implement the special permit conditions, FGT must notify PHMSA and comply with 49 CFR § 192.611(a)(3)(iii) within 18 months of the special permit grant date.
In granting FGT’s request, PHMSA notes the Pipeline is already subject to an existing PHMSA special permit at Docket No. PHMSA-2008-0077 for an Alternative Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure. PHMSA emphasizes that the required conditions specified for the five (5) extensions of special permit segments 166347, 166349, 166250, 166256, and 166129 addressed in Docket PHMSA-2020-0044 will control, superseding any inconsistent requirements applicable to the five (5) pipeline segments in the previous special permit (PHMSA-2008-0077). The implementation date of the special permit conditions for the five (5) special permit segment extensions is the date this letter is signed.
My staff is available 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 Bryan Lethcoe, Director, Office of Pipeline Safety, Southwest Region, may be contacted at (713) 773-7215, for operational matters specific to this special permit.
Sincerely,
Alan K. Mayberry
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety
Enclosure: Special Permit – PHMSA-2020-0044
1. Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC is owned by Energy Transfer and Kinder Morgan, Inc.
2. https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=PHMSA-2020-0044.