PHMSA Issues Major Gas and Hazardous Liquid Safety Rules

摘要

Years after receiving congressional directives to change pipeline safety laws - with similar suggestions coming from the National Transportation Safety Administration - the federal pipeline safety agency finally issued two major rules, one directed at interstate gas pipelines the other at hazardous liquids pipelines.The two very detailed, technical rules are similar in some respects to the extent they extend "integrity management" programs beyond high-consequence areas (HCA), and force a more thorough and timely effort to find leaks in both sectors.There are also provisions on use of inspection tools, such as changes to where direct assessment can be used, and some leeway on use of inline tools, known as "pigs." The gas rule also mandates new inspections of pre-1970-installed pipes and other segments, which will need to have maximum allowable operating pressures (MAOP) reconfirmed.