PHMSA 26-16
Friday, October 7, 2016
Contact: Artealia Gilliard
Tel.: 202-366-4831
Final Rule Expands Requirement for Excess Flow Valves on New and
Replaced Gas Distribution Pipelines
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration today announced a Final Rule that expands safety requirements for Excess Flow Valves (EFVs) to multi-residential and commercial applications. The final rule requires the installation of EFVs in new or replaced service lines for multi-family residences – including apartment buildings and other multi-residential dwellings – and small commercial buildings.
Excess Flow Valves automatically halt the flow of gas caused by damage to service lines that supply gas to buildings and significantly reduce the risk of fires or pipeline explosion. Excess flow valves are already required in new and replaced service lines that supply gas to single-family residences.
The rule also requires gas distribution companies to install curb valves – manually-operated shutoff valves located near the service main – or EFVs for all new or replaced service lines with meter capacities exceeding 1,000 standard cubic feet per hour to protect against uncontrolled gas releases from larger commercial and industrial users.
Customers may request installation of an EFV on existing service lines. Pipeline operators are required to notify all existing multi-family and small commercial customers of their right to request an EFV.
This final rule is effective six months after publication in the Federal Register.
The rule has been transmitted to the Federal Register and will be published in 7-10 days. A preview of the rule transmitted by PHMSA is available here.
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The mission of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives. PHMSA develops and enforces regulations for the safe operation of the nation's 2.6 million mile pipeline transportation system and the nearly 1 million daily shipments of hazardous materials by land, sea, and air. Please visit http://phmsa.dot.gov or https://twitter.com/PHMSA_DOT for more information.