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Pipeline Safety: Safety of Hazardous Liquid Pipelines; Final Rule
Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 190 / Tuesday, October 1, 2019 /
[Rules and Regulations] [Pages 52260-52298]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
49 CFR Part 195
[Docket No. PHMSA-2010-0229; Amdt. No. 195-102] RIN 2137-AE66
Pipeline Safety: Safety of Hazardous Liquid Pipelines
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: In response to congressional mandates, NTSB and GAO recommendations, lessons learned, and public input, PHMSA is amending the Pipeline Safety Regulations to improve the safety of pipelines transporting hazardous liquids. Specifically, PHMSA is extending reporting requirements to certain hazardous liquid gravity and rural gathering lines; requiring the inspection of pipelines in areas affected by extreme weather and natural disasters; requiring integrity assessments at least once every 10 years of onshore hazardous liquid pipeline segments located outside of high consequence areas and that are ``piggable'' (i.e., can accommodate in-line inspection devices); extending the required use of leak detection systems beyond high consequence areas to all regulated, non-gathering hazardous liquid pipelines; and requiring that all pipelines in or affecting high consequence areas be capable of accommodating in-line inspection tools within 20 years, unless the basic construction of a pipeline cannot be modified to permit that accommodation. Additionally, PHMSA is clarifying other regulations and is incorporating Sections 14 and 25 of the PIPES Act of 2016 to improve regulatory certainty and compliance.
DATES: The effective date of this final rule is July 1, 2020. The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the rule was approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of March 24, 2017 and March 6, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Technical questions: Steve Nanney, Project Manager, by telephone at 713-272-2855.
General information: Robert Jagger, Senior Transportation Specialist, by telephone at 202-366-4361.
(ViaData note: see above to download the PDF of the entire final rule)