RSPA 22-02
Thursday, July 25, 2002
Contacts: James Mitchell
Joe Delcambre
Tel.: (202) 366-4831
Federal Advisory Committee Votes Clear Way for Improved RSPA Pipeline Safety Rules
Regulations to improve the safety of natural gas transmission pipeline operations moved closer to realization with key votes by a federal advisory committee that advises the Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA).
The votes, at a July 18 public meeting of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (TPSSC), are an important step in the process of developing the Integrity Management Program for gas transmission pipelines.
Integrity management is a new regulatory approach to pipeline safety, incorporating risk assessment and prioritization of natural gas transmission pipeline inspection, repair, prevention and mitigation to focus on pipelines that traverse High Consequence Areas. High Consequence Areas are those areas that are deserving of higher protection because the impact of a failure would do substantial harm.
The TPSSC voted to endorse a definition of High Consequence Areas. Separately, the TPSSC also agreed that the benefits of the integrity management approach justify the costs of new regulations.
“The unanimous support of the TPSSC on these two matters enables us to move ahead now to propose regulations that will foster continuous improvement in pipeline safety,” said Ellen G. Engleman, RSPA administrator. “The gas pipeline infrastructure must keep pace with the nation’s increasing need for energy, but we cannot compromise safety.”
Under the Integrity Management Program, companies would have to meet standards that require them to address each threat to pipeline safety in relation to the damage that could be caused by pipeline failure.
The High Consequence Area definition supported by the TPSSC identifies the locations where operators of gas transmission pipelines would be required to provide additional protections to pipelines near areas of housing, as well as facilities where people have restricted mobility or would be difficult to evacuate, such as hospitals, retirement homes and prisons. Moreover, near larger pipelines operating under higher pressure, the High Consequence Areas would be expanded. This definition was included in a proposed rulemaking issued earlier this year by RSPA’s Office of Pipeline Safety.
With this vote, a final regulation on the High Consequence Area definition can be issued and then used as the basis of a rulemaking for the Integrity Management Program. Similar regulations for pipelines carrying hazardous liquids were issued in January.
Engleman said that the Integrity Management Program will raise the bar on pipeline safety, provide the best way to improve industry performance, and assure that the best protection would be provided to areas where pipeline failures pose risk to people and property.
RSPA has public responsibilities for safe and secure movement of hazardous materials to industry and consumers by all transportation modes, including the nation=s pipelines; rapid response to emergencies by government agencies; training for transportation safety professionals; and applying science and technology to meet national transportation needs.
For additional information: go to www.rspa.dot.gov (click on Pipeline Safety), or contact James.Mitchell@rspa.dot.gov or Gordon.Delcambre@rspa.dot.gov.
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