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On April 8, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published the Requirement of Valve Installation and Minimum Rupture Detection Standards Gas Transmission Pipelines Rule. This establishes new regulatory requirements for new or entirely replaced transmission pipeline segments that are 6-inches or greater in diameter. An entirely replaced transmission line segment is one that has had two or more miles, in aggregate, of five contiguous miles replaced within 24 months.

There are no direct impacts to gas distribution pipeline operators or operators of existing transmission pipelines. However, it does show a desire from PHMSA for regulations that prescriptively require operators to isolate segments of their pipeline or system within a defined timeframe. It remains to be seen if PHMSA will seek a similar requirement for gas distribution systems.

Starting on October 5, 2022, these new or entirely replaced transmission pipeline operators must:

1. Establish written procedures for identifying and responding to a rupture
2. Respond to an identified rupture by closing rupture mitigation valves (RMV) or alternative equivalent technology to provide complete valve shut-off and segment isolation as soon as practicable no more than 30 minutes after rupture identification
3. Perform post-event reviews of incidents/accidents or other failure events involving the closure of RMVs or alternative equipment technologies to ensure the performance objectives are met and to apply any lessons learned system-wide
4. Perform maintenance on RMVs and alternative equivalent technology, which includes drills for alternative equivalent technology that is manually or locally operated
5. Establish remediation measures for repair or replacement of inoperable RMVs and alternative technology, including an RMV or alternative equivalent technology that cannot be manually shut-off, as soon as practicable
6. Update emergency plans under § 192.615 to reflect new requirements for covered pipelines.