Pipeline Safety: Intent To Approve Waiver and Environmental Assessment of Waiver for Duke Energy

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The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) is conducting a Risk Management Demonstration Program with pipeline operators to determine how risk management might be used to complement and improve the existing Federal pipeline safety regulatory process. OPS selected Duke Energy (Duke) as a candidate for participation in the Demonstration Program; subsequently, OPS and Duke held discussions as part of a consultation process. During the consultation, Duke identified a portion of its system where it believed performing alternative risk control activities in lieu of compliance with current regulations would result in a comparable margin of safety and environmental protection. Duke submitted an application to OPS to temporarily waive certain regulatory requirements relating to class location changes for five locations in a 3-line system, ranging from 0.5 miles to 0.88 miles in length and totaling 12.2 miles in fifteen pipeline segments. Duke had previously reduced the operating pressure along the fifteen segments in accordance with these requirements and seeks to return the pipeline to its historical operating pressure. Duke has completed many of the proposed alternative risk control activities r