US proposes new regulations to strengthen pipeline safety requirements

The US Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has proposed new regulations that are aimed at strengthening safety requirements for pipelines carrying natural gas.

The proposal will add new assessment and repair criteria for gas transmission pipelines and expand the protocols to include pipelines that are in areas of medium population density or moderate consequence areas.

Providing regulatory certainty to pipeline operators, the rule also addresses four congressional mandates from the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011, one GAO recommendation, as well as six NTSB recommendations.

Pipeline operators need certainty at the time of making decisions and investments in order to improve gas transmission infrastructure.

US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said: "The significant growth in the nation’s production, usage and commercialisation of natural gas is placing unprecedented demands on the nation’s pipeline system.

"This proposal includes a number of common sense measures that will better ensure the safety of communities living alongside pipeline infrastructure and protect our environment."

Certain pipeline safety regulations exclude pipelines built before 1970 as they were constructed and placed into operation prior to developing the regulations.

PHMSA administrator Marie Therese Dominguez said: "Following significant pipeline incidents such as the 2010 San Bruno, California tragedy, there was a pressing need to enhance public safety and the integrity of the nation’s pipeline system.

"The proposal’s components address the emerging needs of America’s natural gas pipeline system and adapt and expand risk-based safety practices to pipelines located in areas where incidents could have serious consequences."

It is expected that net annual average reductions of 900t-1,500t of carbon dioxide and 4,600t-8,100t of methane can be achieved once the rule is in place.

By amending repair criteria for pipelines inside and outside of high consequence areas and providing additional direction on how to evaluate internal inspection results to identify anomalies, the proposal is expected to bolster federal pipeline safety regulations.