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23930 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 97/ Thursday, May 21, 2009/ Notices

distribution. Please contact the FederalAviation Administration at (907) 271–5438 for a copy.SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SitkaRocky Gutierrez Airport Master Planoutlined development goals and projectsthat are anticipated to be necessary overthe next 20 or more years at the Airport.This Final EIS discusses the proposed

improvements recommended at theAirport over the next five years, whichhave the potential to result in significantadverse environmental impacts. TheFAA and the State of Alaska Departmentof Transportation and Public Facilities(DOT & PF) propose the followingprojects recommended over the nextfive years at the Airport to meet theidentified needs. The major actionsassessed in this Final EIS include:b Improvements to the Runway

Safety Area.b Extension of the Parallel Taxiway.b Relocation of the Airport Seaplane

Pullout.b Installation of an ApproachLighting System.b Repairs and Improvements to the

Airport Seawall.b Acquisition of Sufficient Property

Rights to Lands Needed for Existing andFuture Aviation and Airport Uses.

The proposed Airport improvementswould be completed during the 2010–2015 time period and, depending on thealternatives implemented, may result intemporary or long-term impacts to thecoastal resources, marine environmentand wildlife (including speciesprotected under the Endangered Species

Act), water quality, wetlands, historical,architectural, archaeological, andcultural resources, terrestrial wildlifeand vegetation, and subsistence.

Section 810 of the Alaska NationalLands Conservation Act (ANILCA)requires an evaluation on the effects of alternatives presented in this Final EISon subsistence activities occurring onpublic lands in the planning area. Theevaluation in the Final EIS indicatesthat none of the alternativessignificantly restrict subsistenceactivities.

If the transfer of title option is

selected for the acquisition of propertyrights, the lands would change fromFederal to State ownership. This wouldresult in the loss of Federal subsistenceregulations applying on those lands andthe irreversible loss of opportunities fora subsistence priority for rural residentsfrom loss of Federal public lands. Along-term lease or easement wouldpreserve opportunities for a subsistencepriority for rural residents by retainingFederal ownership of public lands.

The FAA conducted a public hearingon the Draft EIS October 2, 2008 and

received comments on the Draft EISthrough October 14, 2008. The FAA hasreviewed and responded to thecomments received during the Draft EIScomment period and made revisions tothe EIS as appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Patricia Sullivan. EnvironmentalSpecialist, Federal AviationAdministration, Alaskan Region,Airports Division, 222 W. 7th Avenue#14, Anchorage, AK 99513–7504. Ms.Sullivan may be contacted duringbusiness hours at (907) 271–5454(phone) and (907) 271–2851 (facsimile).

Issued in Anchorage, Alaska on May 14,2009.

Byron K. Huffman,

Mananger, Airports Division, Alaskan Region.

[FR Doc. E9–11764 Filed 5–20–09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous MaterialsSafety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA–2009–0148]

Pipeline Safety: Potential Low andVariable Yield and Tensile Strengthand Chemical Composition Propertiesin High Strength Line Pipe

AGENCY: Pipeline and HazardousMaterials Safety Administration(PHMSA); DOT.

ACTION: Notice; Issuance of AdvisoryBulletin.

SUMMARY: PHMSA is issuing an advisorybulletin to owners and operators of natural gas pipeline and hazardousliquid pipeline systems. This bulletinadvises pipeline system owners andoperators of the potential for high gradeline pipe installed on projects to exhibitinconsistent chemical and mechanicalproperties. Yield strength and tensilestrength properties that do not meet theline pipe specification minimums havebeen reported. This advisory bulletinpertains to microalloyed high strengthline pipe grades, generally Grade X–70

and above. PHMSA recently reviewedmetallurgical testing results from severalrecent projects indicating pipe jointsproduced from plate or coil from thesame heat may exhibit variable chemicaland mechanical properties by as muchas 15% lower than the strength valuesspecified by the pipe manufacturer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Alan Mayberry by phone at (202) 366–5124 or by e-mail atalan.mayberry@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Federal pipeline safetyregulations in 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195require operators of natural gastransmission, distribution pipelinesystems, and hazardous liquids pipelinesystems to use pipe manufactured by alisted specification in the design of 

pipelines in accordance with §§ 192.7,192.55(a), 192.105, and §§195.3,195.106, and 195.112.

During pipeline construction in thelate-fall of 2008, several recentlyinstalled natural gas transmissionpipeline systems experienced fieldhydrostatic test failures or excessivelyexpanded pipe joints of large diameter,microalloyed high grade line pipe.Metallurgical, mechanical and chemicalcomposition tests of the line pipe inthese cases have shown pipe to haveyield strengths, tensile strengths and/orchemical compositions that did notmeet the requirements of the American

Petroleum Institute, Specification forLine Pipe—5L, (API 5L), 43rd editionfor the specified pipe grade. API 5L,product specification level (PSL 2),specifies material requirements inSection 6 and inspection and testingstandards in Section 9. Even though thepipe supplier provided the pipelineowner or operator with documentationthat the pipe that was delivered to theowner met these minimum standards,substandard pipe properties were foundin some pipe joints. Specifically,PHMSA was made aware that some of the line pipe that was installed in these

projects had yield strengths that wereup to 15% below the listed API 5Lspecification requirements for thespecific pipe grade.

Pipeline owners and operators shouldclosely review the manufacturingprocedure specifications for theproduction and rolling of the steel plateor coil that is to be used in theproduction of new microalloyed highstrength line pipe to ensure that pipesteel was properly rolled into steel plateor coil prior to the pipe mill rollingprocess. Pipeline owners and operatorsshould request detailed manufacturing

procedure specifications (MPS) from thepipe manufacturer as a basis forensuring critical steel processingparameters such as the detailed rollingschedule, including, but not limited torolling temperature, heating temperatureand temperature uniformity, arecontrolled throughout the steel rollingprocess.

Mechanical property and chemicalcomposition tests should be conductedthroughout the steel making, steelrolling and pipe manufacturing processto ensure uniformity of chemical and

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23931Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 97/ Thursday, May 21, 2009/ Notices

mechanical properties of the pipe priorto being shipped from the steel and piperolling mills. Low yield and tensilestrength test results are defined as anytest results below the minimumspecified yield strength ordered, andtensile strengths below those specifiedfor the specified grade. An example of pipe standard and grades includes API

5L, PSL 2, X70 and X80; where X–70corresponds to steel achieving aspecified minimum yield strength of 70,000 psi; and so on.

II. Advisory Bulletin ADB–09–01

To: Owners and Operators of Hazardous Liquid and Natural GasPipeline Systems.

Subject: Potential Low and VariableYield and Tensile Strength andChemical Composition Properties inHigh Strength Line Pipe.

Advisory: The Federal pipeline safetyregulations in 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195require operators of natural gastransmission, gas distribution, andhazardous liquids pipeline systems touse pipe manufactured by a listedspecification in the design of pipelinesin accordance with §§192.7, 192.55 (a),192.105, and §§195.3, 195.106, and195.112.

PHMSA has identified an integrityissue with respect to microalloyed highgrade line pipe. Tests that have beenconducted on line pipe that has beeninstalled in pipeline systems haveshown that some of the pipe materialhas yield strengths, tensile strengths,and/or chemical compositions that do

not meet the requirements of theAmerican Petroleum Institute,Specification for Line Pipe—5L, (API5L), for PSL 2 and the specified pipegrade. Pipe joints produced from plateor coil from the same heat may exhibitvariable chemical and mechanicalproperties. Yield strengths below theminimum specified yield strength havebeen reported and yield strengths up to15% lower than the strength values onthe pipe manufacturer produced milltest report have also been reported. Insome cases, the affected pipe maysuccessfully pass strength testing

methods contained in currentspecifications but may lead to a futurepipeline integrity issue. The presence of low yield strength line pipe installed ina pipeline system may result inincreased susceptibility to excessivepipe expansion or rupture during thepre in-service field hydrostatic strengthtest.

PHMSA wants to ensure that ownersand operators of recently constructedpipeline systems are aware of the needto investigate whether their pipelinescontain joints of pipe that do not meet

minimum specification requirements.Pipeline owners and operators shouldreview all MPS mill test reports andother appropriate documentation withtheir pipe suppliers to determine if allspecification requirements have beenmet. Pipeline owners and operatorsshould be aware that small deviations insteel rolling schedule parameters canhave a pronounced effect on finalmechanical properties. The MPS shouldprovide adequate informationconcerning process details andinspection methods to ensure that thematerials are uniform and will meet allspecification requirements.

PHMSA advises pipeline owners andoperators of in service pipelines toreview their pipe specifications, pipesteel making and rolling MPS, pipe milltest reports, deformation tool results andall hydrostatic test failure results forboth mill and in place hydrostatic tests

to ensure that inconsistent mechanicaland chemical properties are notinherent in microalloyed line pipegrades on all API 5L—PSL 2, X70 andX80 line pipe installed during recentconstruction projects.

Pipeline owners and operators shouldconduct technical document reviews onall high strength microalloyed line pipeinstalled during this period, reviewhydrostatic test failures that occurred onpipelines installed during this periodand consider using methods to detectpipe expansion such as running

deformation tools that detect expandedpipe in these systems if they have anyknowledge, findings or pipe history thatlead them to believe their newlyconstructed high grade line pipesystems contain line pipe joints that donot meet specification requirements.Should a pipeline owner or operatorhave knowledge of other high gradepipe vintages supplied at early datesthat are in their operating systems thatmay have this problem, they shouldconsider conducting reviews asdescribed above with these operatingpipelines to ensure that operating

pressures and anomaly repairprocedures are not being conductedoutside of their 49 CFR Parts 192 and195 Code parameters.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. chapter 601 and 49CFR 1.53.

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 14,2009.

Jeffrey D. Wiese,

Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.

[FR Doc. E9–11815 Filed 5–20–09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–60–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[AC 187–1C]

Schedule of Charges Outside theUnited States

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) is announcing theavailability of Advisory Circular (AC)187–1C which transmits an updatedschedule of charges for services of FAAFlight Standards Aviation SafetyInspectors outside the United States.The advisory circular has been updatedin accordance with the procedureslisted in 14 CFR Part 187, Appendix A.

DATES: This AC is effective on June 1,2009.

ADDRESSES: How to obtain copies: Acopy of this publication may bedownloaded from: http://rgl.faa.gov/ Regulatory _ and _ Guidance_ Library/ rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/b38e4a75d8e55cae862575b6004e937a/$FILE/ AC%20187-1C.pdf .

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.Geoff McIntyre, Flight StandardsService, AFS–51, Federal AviationAdministration, 800 IndependenceAvenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591,telephone (202) 385–8139.

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 14,2009.

John W. McGraw,Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service.

[FR Doc. E9–11926 Filed 5–20–09; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANSAFFAIRS

Advisory Committee on StructuralSafety of Department of VeteransAffairs Facilities; Notice of Meeting

The Department of Veterans Affairs(VA) gives notice under Public Law 92–

463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act)that a meeting of the AdvisoryCommittee on Structural Safety of Department of Veterans AffairsFacilities will be held on June 18–19,2009, in Room 442, Export Import Bank,811 Vermont Avenue, NW.,Washington, DC. The June 18 sessionwill be from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and theJune 19 session will be from 8:30 a.m.until 12:30 p.m. The meeting is open tothe pubic.

The purpose of the Committee is toadvise the Secretary of Veterans Affairs

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