This notice announces that the FY 2009 user fee assessments (Third & Final Billing) were mailed to pipeline operators on May 28th, 2009.

As stated in our “First and Second billing” letters, shortly after our first billing Congress enacted an annual FY 2009 appropriation, and therefore PHMSA’s Office of Pipeline Safety sent a “Second Billing” letter to collect the remaining amount of user fees not billed in the first billing. Unfortunately, due to an accounting error, the “Second” billing rate was calculated based on FY 2008 funding levels when it should have been established based on the FY 2009 funding levels. This adjustment recoups the remaining funds not collected as a result of the increased funding in the FY 2009 budget.

As a general note, your total bill rate per mile for the FY 2009 User Fee Cycle, had we not done partial billings, would be the total of the three partial billing rates ($198.10/mile total for natural gas transmission pipelines and ($111.92/mile total for hazardous liquid operators).

The fees to be assessed in the third & final billing for natural gas transmission and hazardous liquid operators are as indicated below:

Natural gas transmission pipelines: $33.64 per mile (based on 298,913 miles of pipeline).

Hazardous liquid pipelines: $37.87 per mile (based on 166,796 miles of pipeline).

Section 60301 of Title 49, United States Code, authorizes the assessment and collection of pipeline user fees to fund the pipeline safety activities conducted under 49 U.S.C. 60101 et seq. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) assesses each operator of regulated interstate and intrastate natural gas transmission pipelines (as defined in 49 CFR Part 192), and hazardous liquid pipelines carrying petroleum, petroleum products, anhydrous ammonia and carbon dioxide (as defined in 49 CFR Part 195) to pay a share of the total Federal pipeline safety program costs in proportion to the number of miles of pipeline each operator has in service the end of calendar year 2007.  Onshore gathering pipelines in rural areas, non-HVL hazardous liquid pipelines located outside populated areas and navigable waterways that operate at less than 20% of SMYS, and other pipelines excluded from regulation by 49 CFR 195, are not included.  Operators of LNG facilities are assessed based on total storage capacity (as defined in 49 CFR Part 193).

In accordance with the provisions of 49 U.S.C. §60301, Departmental resources were taken into consideration for determining total program costs. 

In accordance with the regulations of the Department of the Treasury, user fees will be due 30 days after the date of the assessment.  Interest, penalties, and administrative charges will be assessed on delinquent debts in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3717.

Payments can be sent to:

Regular Mail
DOT/PHMSA
c/o ESC, AMZ-300
PO BOX 269039
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73125

or

Overnight Mail
DOT/PHMSA
c/o ESC, AMZ-300
6500 S. MACARTHUR BLVD
HQS BLDG RM 181
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73169

For further information contact User Fee Manager.

This notice announces that the FY 2009 user fee assessments (Second Billing) were mailed to pipeline operators on May 12th, 2009.

At the time of the “First Billing” we were still operating under a Continuing Resolution because Congress had not enacted an annual FY 2009 appropriation. Therefore, the first billing was based on FY 2008 funding levels. However, shortly after our first billing Congress enacted an annual FY 2009 appropriation, and therefore PHMSA’s Office of Pipeline Safety sent out the “Second Billing” letter to collect the remaining amount of user fees not billed in the first billing which went out on 2/27/2009.

The fees to be assessed in the second billing for natural gas transmission and hazardous liquid operators are as indicated below:

Natural gas transmission pipelines: $97.23 per mile (based on 298,913 miles of pipeline).

Hazardous liquid pipelines: $45.17 per mile (based on 166,796 miles of pipeline).

Section 60301 of Title 49, United States Code, authorizes the assessment and collection of pipeline user fees to fund the pipeline safety activities conducted under 49 U.S.C. 60101 et seq. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) assesses each operator of regulated interstate and intrastate natural gas transmission pipelines (as defined in 49 CFR Part 192), and hazardous liquid pipelines carrying petroleum, petroleum products, anhydrous ammonia and carbon dioxide (as defined in 49 CFR Part 195) to pay a share of the total Federal pipeline safety program costs in proportion to the number of miles of pipeline each operator has in service the end of calendar year 2007.  Onshore gathering pipelines in rural areas, non-HVL hazardous liquid pipelines located outside populated areas and navigable waterways that operate at less than 20% of SMYS, and other pipelines excluded from regulation by 49 CFR 195, are not included.  Operators of LNG facilities are assessed based on total storage capacity (as defined in 49 CFR Part 193).

In accordance with the provisions of 49 U.S.C. §60301, Departmental resources were taken into consideration for determining total program costs. 

In accordance with the regulations of the Department of the Treasury, user fees will be due 30 days after the date of the assessment.  Interest, penalties, and administrative charges will be assessed on delinquent debts in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3717.

Payments can be sent to:

Regular Mail
DOT/PHMSA
c/o ESC, AMZ-300
PO BOX 269039
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73125

or

Overnight Mail
DOT/PHMSA
c/o ESC, AMZ-300
6500 S. MACARTHUR BLVD
HQS BLDG RM 181
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73169

For further information contact User Fee Manager.

This notice announces that the Fiscal Year 2009 user fee assessments (First Billing) were mailed to pipeline operators on February 27th, 2009.

Currently, Congress has not enacted an annual Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 appropriation. However, it has enacted a Continuing Resolution (CR) through March 6, 2009. Once Congress enacts an annual FY 2009 appropriation, PHMSA's, Office of Pipeline Safety will send out a second billing to collect the remaining amount of user fees not billed in the first billing. The fees to be assessed in the first billing for natural gas transmission and hazardous liquid operators are as indicated below:

Natural gas transmission pipelines: $67.23 per mile (based on 298,913 miles of pipeline).

Hazardous liquid pipelines: $28.88 per mile (based on 166,796 miles of pipeline).

User fees for liquefied natural gas (LNG) operators are based on the number of plants and total storage capacity of each plant.

Section 60301 of Title 49, United States Code, authorizes the assessment and collection of pipeline user fees to fund the pipeline safety activities conducted under 49 U.S.C. 60101 et seq. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) assesses each operator of regulated interstate and intrastate natural gas transmission pipelines (as defined in 49 CFR Part 192), and hazardous liquid pipelines carrying petroleum, petroleum products, anhydrous ammonia and carbon dioxide (as defined in 49 CFR Part 195) to pay a share of the total Federal pipeline safety program costs in proportion to the number of miles of pipeline each operator has in service the end of calendar year 2007.  Onshore gathering pipelines in rural areas, non-HVL hazardous liquid pipelines located outside populated areas and navigable waterways that operate at less than 20% of SMYS, and other pipelines excluded from regulation by 49 CFR 195, are not included.  Operators of LNG facilities are assessed based on total storage capacity (as defined in 49 CFR Part 193).

In accordance with the provisions of 49 U.S.C. §60301, Departmental resources were taken into consideration for determining total program costs. 

In accordance with the regulations of the Department of the Treasury, user fees will be due 30 days after the date of the assessment.  Interest, penalties, and administrative charges will be assessed on delinquent debts in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3717.

Payments can be sent to:

Regular Mail
DOT/PHMSA
c/o ESC, AMZ-300
PO BOX 269039
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73125

or

Overnight Mail
DOT/PHMSA
c/o ESC, AMZ-300
6500 S. MACARTHUR BLVD
HQS BLDG RM 181
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73169

For further information contact User Fee Manager.