# Chapter 420, § 10: State Regulation Waivers

**Citation:** 65-407 C.M.R. ch. 420, § 10  
**Type / status:** regulation / current  
**Agency:** Maine Public Utilities Commission  
**Effective:** 2026-06-30  
**Published:** 2026-06-30

Upon the request of any person subject to this Chapter or upon its own motion, the MPUC may, for good cause and upon a finding that the requested waiver is consistent with gas pipeline safety and is otherwise justified, waive any requirement of this Chapter that is not required by federal pipeline safety regulations or state or federal statute. The waiver may not be inconsistent with the purposes of this Chapter or Title 35-A. The MPUC, the Director of Consumer Assistance and Safety, the Gas Safety Manager, the attorney assigned to the Gas Safety Staff, or the presiding officer assigned to a proceeding related to this Chapter may grant the waiver.

## Document text

Upon the request of any person subject to this Chapter or upon its own
motion, the MPUC may, for good cause and upon a finding that the
requested waiver is consistent with gas pipeline safety and is otherwise
justified, waive any requirement of this Chapter that is not required by
federal pipeline safety regulations or state or federal statute. The
waiver may not be inconsistent with the purposes of this Chapter or
Title 35‑A. The MPUC, the Director of Consumer Assistance and Safety,
the Gas Safety Manager, the attorney assigned to the Gas Safety Staff,
or the presiding officer assigned to a proceeding related to this
Chapter may grant the waiver.

BASIS STATEMENT: The factual and policy basis for this Rule is set forth
in the Commission’s Order Adopting Rule and Statement of Factual and
Policy Basis, Docket No. 2025-00330 issued on June 9, 2026. Copies of
this Statement and Order have been filed with this rule at the Office of
the Secretary of State. Copies may also be obtained from the
Administrative Director, Public Utilities Commission, 18 State House
Station, Augusta, Maine 04330-0018.

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.maine.gov/sos/sites/maine.gov.sos/files/inline-files/407c420-2026-135-AMD.docx>
- Source ID: `me-puc-pipeline-safety`
- SHA-256: `d51922cd8cb6c4bbaacb7cc56b65159aad8b46201ea8178d78eebd410b7989d9`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T10:06:50.037Z
- Exported: 2026-08-25T23:43:47.771Z
- Document slug: `me-cmr-65-407-420-10`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "jurisdiction": "US-ME",
  "code": "65-407 C.M.R.",
  "chapter": "420",
  "section": "10",
  "corpusScope": "complete-current-chapters-420-and-421",
  "publicationObservedOn": "2026-08-20",
  "exactScope": "This bounded corpus contains the complete current operative text of all 10 top-level sections of 65-407 C.M.R. Chapter 420 and all 7 top-level sections of Chapter 421. Chapter 420 governs intrastate natural-gas and LNG pipeline operators; Chapter 421 separately governs jurisdictional LPG distribution systems within 49 C.F.R. Part 192.",
  "excludedScope": "Chapter 895 damage prevention, Chapters 130 and 140 reporting and mapping, gas accounting, rates, metering, customer protection, siting, environmental permits, statutes, dockets, orders, forms, federal text, interstate pipelines, hazardous-liquid pipelines, and private standards are not standalone searchable documents in this rules connector. Their exclusion does not imply legal irrelevance.",
  "applicabilityCaveat": "Maine's certified program covers intrastate gas pipeline operators, including covered natural-gas, LNG, and jurisdictional LPG facilities. Chapter 420 expressly excludes interstate natural-gas facilities and transportation. PHMSA retains gas interstate and gas/hazardous-liquid responsibilities not assumed by Maine; neither the MPUC program page nor PHMSA fact sheet establishes Maine hazardous-liquid certification.",
  "incorporationCaveat": "Chapter 420 dynamically incorporates amendments to 49 C.F.R. Parts 40, 190, 191, 192, 193, 198, and 199. Chapter 421 dynamically incorporates Parts 191 and 192 but fixes its NFPA 58 baseline to the 2004 edition with stated exceptions. This connector records those links without reproducing federal or private standards or deciding the legal effect of prospective incorporation.",
  "publicationCaveat": "The Maine Secretary of State warns that online rule copies are not certified copies for adjudicatory or evidentiary use. Chapter 420's controlling online copy is filing 2026-135, effective June 30, 2026; older MPUC gas pages that still identify the 2021 version are stale. Chapter 421's history says filing 2012-156 was filed May 15, 2010, an apparent source typo preserved rather than silently corrected. The PHMSA state page is corroborative program-scope evidence, not controlling Maine rule text.",
  "rightsCaveat": "Maine and federal government source artifacts are archived with attribution and SHA-256 provenance. Public availability does not settle rights in site presentation, seals, agency marks, forms, incorporated federal material, or private standards such as NFPA 58; downstream redistribution requires separate review.",
  "federalIncorporation": "dynamic",
  "references": [],
  "region": "ME"
}
```