PHMSA’s New Rules Effective July 1, 2020

Pipeline Safety: Safety of Hazardous Liquid Pipelines

Published in 84 FR 52260 on October 1, 2019 this final rule becomes effective July 1, 2020.

PHMSA is amending the Pipeline Safety Regulations to improve the safety of pipelines transporting hazardous liquids:

• 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.

Pipeline Safety: Safety of Gas Transmission Pipelines: MAOP Reconfirmation, Expansion of Assessment Requirements, and Other Related Amendments

Published in 84 FR 52180 on October 1, 2019 this final rule becomes effective July 1, 2020.

PHMSA is revising the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations to improve the safety of onshore gas transmission pipelines. This final rule addresses congressional mandates, National Transportation Safety Board recommendations, and responds to public input. The amendments in this final rule address: integrity management requirements and other requirements, and they focus on the actions an operator must take to reconfirm the maximum allowable operating pressure of previously untested natural gas transmission pipelines and pipelines lacking certain material or operational records, the periodic assessment of pipelines in populated areas not designated as “high consequence areas,” the reporting of exceedances of maximum allowable operating pressure, the consideration of seismicity as a risk factor in integrity management, safety features on in-line inspection launchers and receivers, a 6-month grace period for 7-calendar-year integrity management reassessment intervals, and related recordkeeping provisions.