PHMSA Publishes Clarification of Gas Pipeline Rule

The DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a final rule clarification in Monday’s (available online Saturday) Federal Register (88 FR 40132-40134) for their rule published on October 1^st 2019 for “Safety of Gas Transmission Pipelines: MAOP Reconfirmation, Expansion of Assessment Requirements, and Other Related Amendments”. The clarification was requested in a Joint Petition to PHMSA by four industry associations.

The Petition requested clarification of the requirements to two sections in the Pipeline Safety Regulations; 49 CFR 192.5(d) and 49 CFR 192.624(a)(1). PHMSA agreed that “that the recordkeeping requirement in § 192.5(d) only applies to transmission pipelines”. Section 192.5(d) is changed to read:

“An operator must have records that document the current class location of each gas transmission pipeline segment and that demonstrate how the operator determined each current class location in accordance with this section.”

PHMSA agreed that “to limit the applicability of the MAOP reconfirmation requirements of §192.624(a)(1) to those pipeline segments that do not have TVC pressure test records under §192.619(a)(2) [link added].”  Section 192.624(a)(1) is changed to read:

“Records necessary to establish the MAOP in accordance with § 192.619(a)(2), including records required by § 192.517(a), are not traceable, verifiable, and complete and the pipeline is located in one of the following locations:”

These two revisions to the PSR take effect on July 1^st, 2020 (the same effective date as the original rule).