The DC Circuit Court has returned a decision vacating some portions of PHMSA's gas pipeline safety regulations implemented with the Final Rule Amdt. 192-132, Pipeline Safety: Safety of Gas Transmission Pipelines: Repair Criteria, Integrity Management Improvements, Cathodic Protection, Management of Change, and Other Related Amendments.
The court's decision states
"...we grant the petition in part and deny it in part. We vacate 49 C.F.R. § 192.712(c) (the dent-safety-factor standard and related provisions); 49 C.F.R. §§ 192.714(d)(1)(v)(C) and 192.933(d)(1)(v)(C) (the crack- MAOP standard); and 49 C.F.R. § 192.478 (the corrosiveconstituent standard). We also vacate 49 C.F.R. §§ 192.714(d)(1)(iv) and 192.933(d)(1)(iv) (the highfrequency- ERW standard), but only as applied to seams formed by high-frequency electric resistance welding. We deny the petition as to 49 C.F.R. § 192.929(b)(3) (the pipeline-segment standard).
(Court decision PDF)