[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 50 (Thursday, March 16, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13973-13975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05197]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[Docket Number: 170309252-7252-01]
Office of Policy and Strategic Planning; Construction of
Pipelines Using Domestic Steel and Iron
AGENCY: Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce is seeking information on the
construction and maintenance of American pipelines. This information
will help the Department develop a plan for the domestic sourcing of
materials for the construction, retrofitting, repair, and expansion of
pipelines inside the United States as directed by the January 24, 2017
Presidential Memorandum regarding ``Construction of American
Pipelines'' (Presidential Memorandum). The Secretary of Commerce, in
consultation with relevant agencies, is required to deliver this plan
to the President by July 23, 2017.
In response to this directive, the Department of Commerce is
conducting industry outreach to better understand: Current pipeline
construction technology and requirements; potential advances in
pipeline technology; domestic and foreign supply chain for pipeline
materials; and all other information respondents consider pertinent to
the development of the domestic sourcing plan. Responses to this notice
(posted at https://www.regulations.gov) will inform the Secretary's
plan for the domestic sourcing of materials used in pipelines
[[Page 13974]]
within the boundaries of the United States.
DATES: Comments must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern time on April 7,
2017.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the Presidential Memorandum and
responses to the questions below by one of the following methods:
(a) Electronic Submission
Submit all electronic comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal
at https://www.regulations.gov (at the home page, enter DOC-2017-0002
in the ``Search'' box, click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the
required fields, and enter or attach your comments). The materials in
the docket will not be edited to remove identifying or contact
information, and the Department cautions against including any
information in an electronic submission that the submitter does not
want publicly disclosed. Attachments to electronic comments will be
accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF formats only. Comments
containing references, studies, research, and other empirical data that
are not widely published should include copies of the referenced
materials. Please do not submit additional materials. If you want to
submit a comment with business confidential information that you do not
wish to be made public, submit the comment as a written/paper
submission in the manner detailed below.
(b) Written/Paper Submissions
Send all written/paper submissions to: The Office of Policy and
Strategic Planning, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Ave. NW.,
Room 5863, Washington, DC 20230.
Submissions of ``Business Confidential Information'': Any submissions
containing ``business confidential information'' must be delivered in a
sealed envelope marked ``confidential treatment requested'' to the
address listed above. Please provide an index listing the document(s)
or information that the submitter would like the Department to
withhold. The index should include information such as numbers used to
identify the relevant document(s) or information, document title and
description, and relevant page numbers and/or section numbers within a
document. Provide a statement explaining the submitter's grounds for
objecting to disclosure of the information to the public. The
Department also requests that submitters of business confidential
information include a non-confidential version (either redacted or
summarized) of those confidential submissions, which will be available
for public viewing and posted on https://www.regulations.gov. In the
event that the submitter cannot provide a non-confidential version of
its submission, the Department requests that the submitter post a
notice in the docket stating that it has provided the Department with
business confidential information. Should a submitter fail to docket
either a non-confidential version of its submission or to post a notice
that business confidential information has been provided, the
Department will note the receipt of the submission on the docket with
the submitter's organization or name (to the degree permitted by law)
and the date of submission.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice
contact: Carter Halfman or David Langdon at the U.S. Department of
Commerce, Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, at 202-482-7466 or
202-482-3308. Please direct media inquiries to the Department of
Commerce Office of Public Affairs at 202-482-4883, or
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: President Trump's Memorandum of January 24,
2017, ``Construction of American Pipelines'' (82 FR 8659) directs the
Secretary of Commerce to ``develop a plan under which all new
pipelines, as well as retrofitted, repaired, or expanded pipelines,
inside the borders of the United States, including portions of
pipelines, use materials and equipment produced in the United States,
to the maximum extent possible and to the extent permitted by law.''
For the purposes of this notice the term ``pipeline'' refers to any
conduit of pipe used for conveyance of gases, liquids or other
products. The physical facilities include: Pipes, valves, fittings,
connectors, and other iron and steel assemblies or apparatus attached
to the pipe.
For the purposes of this notice the term ``materials and
equipment'' refers to the iron, steel and all precursors, alloys or
substitutes used in the fabrication of pipelines (as defined above) as
well as pipeline coatings while ``equipment'' refers to valves and
other steel and/or iron apparatus attached to pipe.
Request for Information
Given the nature and import of the Presidential Memorandum, the
Department requests information from all stakeholders involved in the
manufacturing and construction of pipelines (including the retrofit,
repair, or expansion of existing pipelines) as well as the production
and distribution of pipeline materials.
Respondents may address any, all or none of the following
questions, and may address additional topics that have implications for
increasing the domestic material content in pipelines. Please identify,
where possible, the questions your comments are intended to address.
Respondents may organize their submissions in any manner, and all
responses that comply with the requirements listed in the DATES and
ADDRESSES sections of this notice will be considered. Reminder:
Respondents have the burden to request that any information contained
in a submission be treated as ``business confidential information'' and
must certify that such information is business confidential and would
not customarily be released to the public by the submitter; business
confidential information must be clearly designated as such and
provided only by mail carrier as described above.
While the Department welcomes all input considered relevant to the
development of a plan for the domestic sourcing of materials for the
construction, retrofitting, repair, and expansion of pipelines, the
Department specifically seeks the following types of information:
a. What is your role regarding U.S. pipelines?
a. Operation
b. Construction
c. Pipeline manufacturing
d. Steel manufacturing
e. Wholesale distribution
f. Other. Please describe in a few sentences.
b. NAICS code(s)?
c. What types of pipelines does your company operate, construct,
manufacture, or distribute?
d. Where are your operations located?
e. How many employees?
f. Approximate sales revenue?
g. Approximately how many miles of pipeline did your company construct,
repair, fabricate, or distribute in 2016?
1. In a few sentences, describe your assessment of U.S. pipeline demand
(such as miles of pipeline planned for construction) for the next few
years.
2. To what extent are your companies' pipeline materials sourced
domestically? What factors influence this decision (price, quality,
supply shortages, pipeline requirements, domestic sourcing
requirements, etc.)?
3. If applicable, please estimate your company's capacity to fabricate
pipelines or steel for pipelines.
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What was your capacity utilization in 2016? If applicable, what factors
prevented your company from operating at capacity?
4. If applicable, please estimate in days or months supply your
existing inventories of pipe. What share of your inventory is fully
produced in the United States?
5. To what extent are materials other than iron and steel the primary
materials used in your pipelines?
6. To what extent is technology changing the material requirements and
construction techniques in the pipeline industry?
7. If applicable, how many permits from a Federal agency are required
for pipeline construction or repair? Which Federal agencies require
permits and how long does it take to obtain them?
8. Please describe in a few sentences how domestic content requirements
would affect your operations.
Dated: March 10, 2017.
Earl Comstock,
Director of the Office of Policy and Strategic Planning.
[FR Doc. 2017-05197 Filed 3-15-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-17-P