On April 8, 2022, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published amendments to 49 CFR Part 192 in the Federal Register issuing new valve installation and rupture detection requirements for onshore transmission pipelines and gathering pipelines. The effective date of the Final Rule (“Valve Rule”) is October 5, 2022.
GENERAL OVERVIEW
As a result of two high-profile transmission pipeline accidents in 2010 , the congressional Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 (2011 PIPES Act) was enacted. The legislation contained several mandates for PHMSA to issue regulations addressing improvements to pipeline safety. One of the mandates required PHMSA to issue regulations for the use of Automatic Shut-off Valves (ASV) or Remote-Control Valves (RCVs), or equivalent technology, on newly constructed or replaced gas transmission pipeline facilities. The Valve Rule addresses this congressional mandate by establishing minimum standards for the installation of Rupture Mitigation Valves (RMVs) or alternative equivalent technology (AET) on specified newly constructed or entirely replaced onshore natural gas transmission, Type A gas gathering and hazardous liq
The Valve Rule covers the following topics:
- New Definitions
- Rupture Mitigation Valves (RMVs)
- Changes in Class Location and Valve Spacing
- Emergency Plans and Response
- Failure and Incident Investigation
- Notification of Potential Rupture and Response to Rupture Identification
- Valve Shutoff Requirements for Rupture Mitigation
- RMV Valve Maintenance
- Preventative and Mitigative Measures for Pipelines in HCAs
The new rule is complex and creates challenges for operators. Since 2011, Structural Integrity has been advancing practical and cost-efficient methods to address pipeline safety.
