PHMSA Extends Comment Period for Sable Offshore Corp. Pipeline Safety Special Permit

Content

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

On February 24, 2026, PHMSA published a notice to solicit public comment on a request for a special permit submitted by Sable
Offshore Corp. (Sable). The comment period is currently set to expire on March 26, 2026. PHMSA is issuing this notice to extend
the comment period until 14 days from the date of this notice to give the public time to review the proposed special permit
in light of recent developments. At the conclusion of the extended comment period, PHMSA will review the comments received
from this notice as part of its evaluation to grant or deny the special permit request.

DATES:

Submit any comments regarding this special permit request by April 3, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

Comments should reference the docket number for this special permit request and may be submitted in the following ways:

• E-Gov Website: http://www.regulations.gov. This site allows the public to enter comments on any
Federal Register
notice issued by any agency.

• Fax: 1-202-493-2251.

• Mail: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

• Hand Delivery: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Instructions: You should identify the docket number for the special permit request you are commenting on at the beginning of your comments.
If you submit your comments by mail, please submit two copies. To receive confirmation that PHMSA has received your comments,
please include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Internet users may submit comments at http://www.regulations.gov.

Note:

There is a privacy statement published on http://www.regulations.gov. Comments, including any personal information provided, are posted without changes or edits to http://www.regulations.gov.

Confidential Business Information: Confidential business information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and treated as private
by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments
responsive to this notice contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you treat
as private, and that is relevant or responsive to this notice, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments
as CBI. Pursuant to 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 190.343, you may ask PHMSA to give confidential treatment to information
you give to the agency by taking the following steps: (1) mark each page of the original document submission containing CBI
as “Confidential”; (2) send PHMSA, along with the original document, a second copy of the original document with the CBI deleted;
and (3) explain why the information you are submitting is CBI. Unless you are notified otherwise, PHMSA will treat such marked
submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public docket of this notice. Submissions containing
CBI should be sent to Lee Cooper, DOT, PHMSA-PHP-80, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001. Any commentary
PHMSA receives that is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this matter.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

General: Mr. Lee Cooper by telephone at 202-913-3171, or by email at lee.cooper@dot.gov.

Technical: Ms. Gabrielle St. Pierre by telephone at 907-202-0029, or by email at gabrielle.st.pierre@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On January 22, 2026, PHMSA received a special permit application from Sable requesting a waiver of the requirement in 49 CFR
195.452(h)(4)(iii)(H) to remediate certain longitudinal seam weld corrosion on hazardous liquid pipelines within 180 days
of discovery. The waiver would apply to two segments of the Santa Ynez Pipeline System, an interstate hazardous liquid pipeline
facility that transports crude oil produced on the Outer Continental Shelf through an onshore processing facility located
in Santa Barbara County, California, to a terminal located in Kern County, California. The two segments that would be subject
to the waiver are known as Lines CA-324 and CA-325 (including CA-325A and CA-325B). On February 24, 2026, PHMSA published
a notice to solicit public comment on a request for a special permit submitted by Sable Offshore Corp. (Sable). The comment
period is currently set to expire on March 26, 2026.

On March 13, 2026, the Secretary of Energy, acting under authority delegated

  in Executive Order “Adjusting Certain Delegations Under the Defense Production Act,” directed Sable to restart transportation
  of crude oil on the pipeline segments subject to this special permit request pursuant to the Defense Production Act (DPA).
  PHMSA is issuing this notice to extend the comment period until 14 days after the date of this notice to give the public time
  to review the proposed special permit in light of the Secretary's recent action. In particular, PHMSA is soliciting public
  comments on any potential impact that the DPA order might have on this proceeding, including whether the special permit remains
  necessary and, if so, whether safety or environmental analysis should be adjusted in light of the restart of the pipeline
  segments.

At the conclusion of the extended comment period, PHMSA will review the comments received from this notice as part of its
evaluation to grant or deny the special permit request.

Issued in Washington, DC, under authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.

Linda Daugherty, Acting Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety. [FR Doc. 2026-05541 Filed 3-19-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-60-P

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