INTRODUCTION

Public Law 104-304 requires the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to develop and enforce minimum safety regulations for the transportation of gases by pipeline. Safety regulations became effective in 1970, and are published in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 190, 191, 192, 199 and Part 40. The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) of DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is charged with their enforcement.

The purpose of this manual is to identify and clarify those regulations which apply to jurisdictional LP gas operators.

Jurisdictional system scenarios:

1) More than one customer from a single source in a public place (The term “public place” means a place which is generally open to all persons in a community as opposed to being restricted to specific persons. Churches, schools, and commercial buildings as well as any publicly owned rights-of-way or property which if frequented by persons are public places).

2) Ten or more customers from a single source (source can be a single tank or tanks manifolded together). The location does not matter.

3) A single customer is not jurisdictional if the system is located entirely on the customer’s premises (no matter if a portion of the system is located in a public place).

The pipeline safety regulations require operators of LP gas systems to:

• deliver gas safely and reliably to customers;
• provide training and written instructions for employees;
• establish written procedures to minimize the hazards resulting from LP gas pipeline emergencies; and
• keep records of inspection and testing based on suggested forms found in Appendix B.

LP gas operators that do not comply with the safety regulations may be subject to civil penalties, compliance orders or both. If safety problems are severe, a "Hazardous Facility Order" may be issued by federal or state pipeline safety inspectors. This could result in the shutdown of the system.

Often, state agencies enforce pipeline safety regulations under certification by OPS. The state agency is allowed to adopt additional or more stringent safety regulations for intrastate pipeline transportation as long as such regulations are compatible with the federal minimum regulations. However, if a state agency is not certified, the U.S. Department of Transportation retains jurisdiction over intrastate pipeline systems.

Operators should check with the pipeline safety agency in their state (listed in Appendix A) to determine:

• whether a state agency has safety jurisdiction over their specific type of LP gas system;
• whether the state agency has pipeline safety requirements that exceed the federal regulations; and
• the inspection and enforcement procedures of the state agency.

DEFINITIONS AND TERMS

To understand this manual, LP gas system operators need to know the meaning of some commonly used terms in the gas industry. The terms are defined below for the purpose of this guidance manual. The reader is referred to 49 CFR Part 192 and ANSI/NFPA Standards for additional definitions.

Cathodic protection - a procedure by which underground metallic pipe is protected against rust. Basic theory, concepts and practical considerations for cathodic protection are contained in Chapter VIII.

Customer meter - a device that measures the volume of gas transferred from an operator to the consumer.

LP gas operator - an LP gas operator could be a gas utility company, a municipality, an individual or supplier operating an LP gas system in a housing project, apartment complex, condominium, mobile home park, shopping center or other systems.

Incident -an event that involves a release of gas from a pipeline facility that results in:

i. a death or personal injury necessitating in-patient hospitalization;

ii. estimated property damage of $50,000 or more; or

iii. an event that the operator deems significant.

LP gas – liquefied petroleum gas. A product in either a liquid or vapor form, depending upon the product pressure and temperature, composed primarily of propane, propylene, butane and butylene either by themselves or as a mixture.

Main – an LP gas distribution line that serves as a common source of supply for more than one service line.

Municipality - a city, county or any other political subdivision of a state.

Operating and maintenance plan -written procedures for operations and maintenance on LP gas systems.

Pipeline - all facilities through which gas moves in transportation. This includes pipes, valves and other items attached to the pipe, meter stations, regulator stations, delivery stations and fabricated assemblies.

psig - an abbreviation for pounds per square inch gauge pressure. See Chapter IX for more information on psig.

Pressure regulator - automatically reduces and controls the gas pressure in a pipeline downstream from a higher pressure source of LP gas.

Service line - a gas distribution line that transports gas from a common source of supply to a customer's meter or to the connection to a customer's piping if the piping is farther downstream or if there is no meter.

Service regulator - a device designed to reduce and limit the gas pressure provided to a customer.

Service riser - the section of a service line which extends out of the ground and is often near the wall of a building. This usually includes a shutoff valve and a service regulator.

Shutoff valve - a valve installed to allow the gas supply to a building to be shut off. The valve may be located upstream of the service regulator or belowground at the property line or where the service line connects to the main.

49 CFR - Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This document contains the actual safety regulations that must be complied with by the LP gas operator. Parts 190, 191 and 192 of 49 CFR contain the federal pipeline safety regulations relevant to operators of LP gas pipeline systems.

COMMONLY ABBREVIATED ORGANIZATIONS AGA -American Gas Association. ANSI -American National Standards Institute, formerly the United States of America

Standards Institute (USASI). All current standards issued by USASI and ASA have been re-designated as American National Standards Institute and continue in effect. API - American Petroleum Institute. ASME - American Society of Mechanical Engineers. ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials.

DOT - U.S. Department of Transportation. OPS - Office of Pipeline Safety. The pipeline safety division of the DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

MSS - Manufacturers Standardization Society of the Valve and Fittings Industry. NACE - National Association of Corrosion Engineers. NARUC - National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. NFPA - National Fire Protection Association. NPGA – National Propane Gas Association. PHMSA - Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. A major subdivision of the

DOT, it is responsible for development and enforcement of the pipeline safety regulations. For addresses of PHMSA regional offices, see the attached list of agencies and organizations.