# Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** PHMSA Guidance, Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards
- **title:** Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2019-05-02
- **effective on:** 2019-05-02
- **summary:** Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards Document 2019-08984.pdf (295.31 KB) PHMSA is issuing this advisory bulletin to remind owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines of the potential for damage to pipeline facilities caused by earth movement from both landslides and subsidence in variable, steep, and rugged terrain and for varied geological 
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Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards

Document

 2019-08984.pdf (295.31 KB)

        PHMSA is issuing this advisory bulletin to remind owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines of the potential for damage to pipeline facilities caused by earth movement from both landslides and subsidence in variable, steep, and rugged terrain and for varied geological conditions. These conditions can pose a threat to the integrity of pipeline facilities if those threats are not identified and mitigated.

          Issued Date: Thursday, May 2, 2019

<<<PAGE 1>>>

Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 85 / Thursday, May 2, 2019 / Notices
18919
closing date will be evaluated if it is
possible to do so without incurring
additional expense or delay. PHMSA
will consider each relevant comment we
receive in making our decision to grant
or deny a request.
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 29,
2019, under authority delegated in 49 CFR
1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2019–08985 Filed 5–1–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–60–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
[Docket No. PHMSA–2019–0087]
Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage
to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth
Movement and Other Geological
Hazards
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice; issuance of advisory
bulletin.
khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY: PHMSA is issuing this
advisory bulletin to remind owners and
operators of gas and hazardous liquid
pipelines of the potential for damage to
pipeline facilities caused by earth
movement from both landslides and
subsidence in variable, steep, and
rugged terrain and for varied geological
conditions. These conditions can pose a
threat to the integrity of pipeline
facilities if those threats are not
identified and mitigated.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Operators of pipelines subject to
regulation by PHMSA should contact
the appropriate PHMSA Region Office.
The PHMSA Region Offices and their
contact information are as follows:
• Eastern Region: 609–771–7800
Connecticut, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Vermont, Virginia, and West
Virginia
• Southern Region: 404–832–1147
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto
Rico, South Carolina, and
Tennessee
• Central Region: 816–329–3800
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Dakota, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin
• Southwest Region: 713–272–2859
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico,
Oklahoma, and Texas
• Western Region: 720–963–3160
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado,
Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada,
Oregon, Utah, Washington, and
Wyoming
Intrastate pipeline operators should
contact the appropriate state pipeline
safety authority. A list of state pipeline
safety authorities is available at http://
www.napsr.org/state-program-
managers.html.
For general information about this
notice contact Mike Yazemboski, Project
Manager, PHMSA Eastern Region, at
609–771–7800 or by email at
Mike.Yazemboski@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The purpose of this advisory bulletin
is to remind owners and operators of gas
and hazardous liquid pipelines,
particularly those with facilities located
in inland areas, about the serious safety-
related issues that can result from earth
movement and other geologic hazards.
Natural gas and hazardous liquid
pipelines are required to be designed to
withstand external loads including
those that may be imposed by geological
forces. Specifically, natural gas
pipelines must be designed in
accordance with 49 CFR 192.103 and
hazardous liquid pipelines must be
designed in accordance with § 195.110.
To comply with these regulations, the
design of new pipelines, including
repairs or replacement, must consider
load that may be imposed by geological
forces.
Once operational, § 192.317(a) of the
pipeline safety regulations for natural
gas pipelines states that ‘‘[t]he operator
must take all practicable steps to protect
each transmission line or main from
washouts, floods, unstable soil,
landslides, or other hazards that may
cause the pipeline to move or to sustain
abnormal loads. In addition, the
operator must take all practicable steps
to protect offshore pipelines from
damage by mud slides, water currents,
hurricanes, ship anchors, and fishing
operations.’’ This advisory bulletin
addresses those protective requirements
associated with damage caused by
geological factors.
In addition, § 192.705 requires
operators of gas transmission lines to
have a patrol program to observe surface
conditions on and adjacent to the
transmission line right-of-way for
indications of leaks, construction
activity, and other factors affecting
safety and operation and the frequency
of patrols must be based upon the size
of the line, operating pressures, class
locations, terrain, seasonal weather
conditions, and other relevant factors.
One of the primary reasons for this
patrol requirement is to monitor
geological movement, both slowly
occurring or acute changes, which may
affect the current or future safe
operation of the pipeline.
Furthermore, § 192.613(a) states that
‘‘[e]ach operator shall have a procedure
for continuing surveillance of its
facilities to determine and take
appropriate action concerning changes
in class location, failures, leakage
history, corrosion, substantial changes
in cathodic protection requirements,
and other unusual operating and
maintenance conditions.’’ Section
192.613(b) further states that ‘‘[i]f a
segment of pipeline is determined to be
in unsatisfactory condition but no
immediate hazard exists, the operator
shall initiate a program to recondition or
phase out the segment involved, or, if
the segment cannot be reconditioned or
phased out, reduce the maximum
allowable operating pressure in
accordance with § 192.619(a) and (b).’’
Section 195.401(b)(1) of the pipeline
safety regulations for hazardous liquid
pipelines states that ‘‘[w]henever an
operator discovers any condition that
could adversely affect the safe operation
of its pipeline system, it must correct
the condition within a reasonable time.
However, if the condition is of such a
nature that it presents an immediate
hazard to persons or property, the
operator may not operate the affected
part of the system until it has corrected
the unsafe condition.’’ Section
195.401(b)(2) further states that ‘‘[w]hen
an operator discovers a condition on a
pipeline covered under [the integrity
management requirements in] § 195.452,
the operator must correct the condition
as prescribed in § 195.452(h).’’ Land
movement, severe flooding, river scour,
and river channel migration are the
types of unusual operating conditions
that can adversely affect the safe
operation of a pipeline and require
corrective action under §§ 192.613(a)
and 195.401(b). Additional guidance for
identifying risk factors and mitigating
natural force hazards on pipeline
segments, that could affect high
consequence areas, are outlined in
Appendix C, section B, to Part 195.
Sections 192.935 and 195.452(i)
require an operator to take additional
preventative and mitigative measures to
prevent a pipeline failure and to
mitigate the consequences of a pipeline
failure that could affect a high
consequence area. An operator must
base the additional measures on the
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threats the operator has identified for
each pipeline segment. If an operator
determines there is a threat to the
pipeline, such as outside force damage
(e.g., earth movement, floods), the
operator must take steps to prevent a
failure and to minimize the
consequences of a failure under these
regulations.
PHMSA is aware of recent earth
movement and other geological-related
incidents/accidents and safety-related
conditions throughout the county,
particularly in the eastern portion of the
United States. Seven of the more notable
events are briefly described below:
• On October 21, 2016, a pipeline
release of over 1,238 barrels of gasoline
spilled into the Loyalsock Creek in
Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. The
release was caused by extreme localized
flooding and soil erosion.
• On December 5, 2016,
approximately 12,615 barrels of crude
oil was released into Ash Coulee Creek
in Billings County, North Dakota. The
metallurgical and root cause failure
analysis indicated the failure was
caused by compressive and bending
forces due to a landslide impacting the
pipeline. The landslide was the result of
excessive moisture within the hillside
creating unstable soil conditions.
• On April 30, 2018, a pipeline
failure occurred in a remote
mountainous region of Marshall County,
West Virginia resulting in the release of
2,658 barrels of propane. The failure
and subsequent release was caused by
lateral movement of the 8-inch intrastate
pipeline due to earth movement along
the right-of-way.
• On June 7, 2018, a rupture occurred
on a 36-inch pipeline located in a rural,
mountainous area near Moundsville,
West Virginia, resulting in the release of
approximately 165,000 MCF of natural
gas. The failed sections of the pipeline
were sent to a metallurgical laboratory
to determine the probable cause behind
the failure of the pipeline. According to
the analysis, the cause of the rupture
was due to earth movement on the right-
of-way due to a single overload event.
Overloading of the pipeline likely
resulted from a series of lateral
displacements with accompanying
bending.
• On January 9, 2018, a failure
occurred on a 22-inch transmission
pipeline in Montecito California. The
incident resulted in a fire and explosion
and the release of an estimated 12,000
MFC of natural gas within a Class 3
location.1 It is believed that heavy rains
and localized flooding contributed to
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18920 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 85 / Thursday, May 2, 2019 / Notices
1 See 49 CFR 192.5(b)(3) (defining Class 3
locations).
the incident. Automated safety
equipment designed to stop the flow of
gas to the effected segment activated to
shut off gas flow to the damaged
segment of pipeline.
• On January 31, 2018, a portion of a
pipeline experienced an in-service
rupture near the city of Summerfield,
Ohio. The rupture of the 24-inch
interstate pipeline resulted in the
release of approximately 23,500 MCF of
natural gas in a rural forested area. A
root cause analysis concluded that the
girth weld failure was caused by axial
stress due to movement of the pipe that
exceeded the cross-sectional tensile
strength of the net section weld zone
surrounding the crack initiation
location. This determination is
supported by metallurgical analysis,
strain capacity evaluation and
geotechnical findings.
• On January 29, 2019, a pipeline
ruptured near the town of Lumberport
in Harrison County, West Virginia. The
rupture was located at a girth weld of an
elbow on the 12-inch interstate pipeline.
The root cause investigation concluded
that a landslide about 150 yards from
the rupture moved the pipeline
approximately 10 feet from its original
location causing excessive stress on the
pipe resulting in the rupture.
II. Advisory Bulletin (ADB–2019–02)
To: Owners and Operators of Gas and
Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Systems.
Subject: Potential Damage to Pipeline
Facilities Caused by External Loads
Imposed by Earth Movement and Other
Geologic Hazards on and Adjacent to
Pipeline Right-of-Way Corridors.
Advisory: All owners and operators of
gas and hazardous liquid pipelines are
reminded that earth movement,
particularly in variable, steep, and
rugged terrain and with varied
geological subsurface conditions, can
pose a threat to the integrity of a
pipeline if those threats are not
mitigated. Pipeline operators should
consider taking the following actions to
ensure pipeline safety:
1. Identify areas surrounding the
pipeline that may be prone to large earth
movement, including but not limited to
slope instability, subsidence, frost
heave, soil settlement, erosion,
earthquakes, and other dynamic
geologic conditions that may pose a
safety risk.
2. Utilize geotechnical engineers
during the design, construction, and
ongoing operations of a pipeline system
to ensure that sufficient information is
available to avoid or minimize the
impact of earth movement on the
integrity of the pipeline system. At a
minimum, this should include soil
strength characteristics, ground and
surface water conditions, propensity for
erosion or scour of underlying soils, and
the propensity of earthquakes or frost
heave.
3. Develop design, construction, and
monitoring plans and procedures for
each identified location, based on the
site-specific hazards identified. When
constructing new pipelines, develop
and implement procedures for pipe and
girth weld designs to increase their
effectiveness for taking loads, either
stresses or strains, exerted from pipe
movement in areas where geological
subsurface conditions and movement
are a hazard to the pipeline integrity.
4. Monitoring plans may include:
• Ensuring during construction of
new pipelines that excavators do not
steepen, load (including changing the
groundwater levels) or undercut slopes
which may cause excessive ground
movement during construction or after
operations commence.
• Conducting periodic visits and site
inspections; increased patrolling may be
necessary due to potential hazards
identified and existing/pending weather
conditions. Right-of-way patrol staff
must be trained on how to detect and
report to appropriate staff the conditions
that may lead to or exhibit ground
movement.
• Identifying geodetic monitoring
points (i.e., survey bench marks) to track
potential ground movement;
• Installing slope inclinometers to
track ground movement at depth which
may otherwise not be detectable during
ROW patrols;
• Installing standpipe piezometers to
track changes in groundwater
conditions that may affect slope
stability;
• Evaluating the accumulation of
strain in the pipeline by installing strain
gauges on the pipeline.
• Conducting stress/strain analysis
utilizing in-line inspection tools
equipped with Inertia Mapping Unit
technology and High Resolution
Deformation in-line inspection for pipe
bending and denting from movement.
• Utilizing aerial mapping light
detection and ranging or other
technology to track changes in ground
conditions.
5. Develop mitigation measures to
remediate the identified locations.
6. Mitigation measures should be
based on site-specific conditions and
may include:
• Re-routing the pipeline right-of-way
prior to construction to avoid areas
prone to large ground movement such as
unstable slope areas, earthquake fault
zones, permafrost movement, or scour.
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• Utilize properly designed
horizontal directional drilling (HDD) to
go below areas of potential land
movement.
• Installation of drainage measures in
the trench to mitigate subsurface flows
and enhance surface water draining at
the site including streams, creeks, runs,
gullies or other sources of surface run-
off that may be contributing surface
water to the site or changing
groundwater levels that may exacerbate
earth movement.
• Reducing the steepness of
potentially unstable slopes, including
installing retaining walls, soldier piles,
sheet piles, wire mesh systems,
mechanically stabilized earth systems
and other mechanical structures.
• Installing trench breakers and slope
breakers to mitigate trench seepage and
divert trench flows along the surface to
safe discharge points off the site or
right-of-way.
• Building retaining walls and/or
installing steel piling or concrete
caissons to stabilize steep slope areas as
long as the corrosion control systems are
not compromised.
• Reducing the loading on the site by
removing and/or reducing the excess
backfill materials to off-site locations.
Soil placement should be carefully
planned to avoid triggering earth
movement in other locations.
• Compacting backfill materials at the
site to increase strength, reduce water
infiltration, and to achieve optimal
moisture content.
• Drying the soil using special
additives such as lime-kiln dust or
cement-kiln to allow the materials to be
re-used and worked at the site. Over-
saturated materials may require an
extensive amount of time and space to
dry.
• Regrading the pipeline right-of-way
to minimize scour and erosion.
• Bringing the pipeline above ground
and placing them on supports that can
accommodate large ground movements,
(e.g., transitions across earthquake fault
zones or unstable slopes, without
putting excessive stress or strain on the
pipeline).
• Reducing the operating pressure
temporarily or shutting-in the affected
pipeline segment completely.
• Re-routing the pipeline when other
appropriate mitigation measures cannot
be effectively implemented to maintain
safety.
If a pipeline has suffered damage or
is shut-in as a precautionary measure
due to earth movement or other geologic
hazards, the operator should advise the
appropriate PHMSA regional office or
state pipeline safety authority before
returning the line to service, increasing
its operating pressure, or otherwise
changing its operating status. Per
§ 190.239, PHMSA may propose
additional safety measures, including
testing of the pipeline, or design
changes to address external loads
induced by ground movement, be taken
to ensure that the serviceability of the
pipeline has not been impaired or that
the condition will not worsen over time.
Furthermore, reporting a safety-related
condition as prescribed in §§ 191.23 and
195.55 may also be required.
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 29,
2019, under authority delegated in 49 CFR
1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2019–08984 Filed 5–1–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–60–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service
Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Grant
Program; Availability of 2020 Grant
Application Package
AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
Treasury.
ACTION: Notice.
khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 85 / Thursday, May 2, 2019 / Notices
18921
SUMMARY: This document contains a
notice that the IRS has made available
the 2020 Grant Application Package and
Guidelines (Publication 3319) for
organizations interested in applying for
a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC)
matching grant for the 2020 grant year,
which runs from January 1, 2020,
through December 31, 2020. The
application period runs from May 1,
2019, through June 17, 2019.
DATES: All applications and requests for
continued funding for the 2020 grant
year must be filed electronically by
11:59 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) on
June 17, 2019. The IRS is authorized to
award multi-year grants not to exceed
three years. For an organization not
currently receiving a grant for 2019, an
organization that received a single year
grant in 2019, or an organization whose
multi-year grant ends in 2019, the
organization must apply electronically
at www.grants.gov. For an organization
currently receiving a grant for 2019 that
is requesting funding for the second or
third year of a multi-year grant, the
organization must submit a request for
continued funding electronically at
www.grantsolutions.gov. All
organizations must use the funding
number of TREAS–GRANTS–052020–
001, and the Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance program number is
21.008. See https://beta.sam.gov/. The
LITC Program Office is scheduling a
webinar to cover the application process
on May 15, 2019. See www.irs.gov/
advocate/low-income-taxpayer-clinics
for more details, including registration
information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill
Beard at (949) 575–6200 (not a toll-free
number) or by email at beard.william@
irs.gov. The LITC Program Office is
located at: IRS, Taxpayer Advocate
Service, LITC Grant Program
Administration Office, TA: LITC, 1111
Constitution Avenue NW, Room 1034,
Washington, DC 20224. Copies of the
2020 Grant Application Package and
Guidelines, IRS Publication 3319 (Rev.
5–2019, can be downloaded from the
IRS internet site at www.irs.gov/
advocate or ordered by calling the IRS
Distribution Center toll-free at 1–800–
829–3676.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Pursuant to Internal Revenue Code
(IRC) section 7526, the IRS will
annually award up to $6,000,000 (unless
otherwise provided by specific
Congressional appropriation) to
qualified organizations, subject to the
limitations set forth in the statute.
Grants may be awarded for the
development, expansion, or
continuation of low income taxpayer
clinics. For calendar year 2019,
Congress appropriated a total of
$12,000,000 in federal funds for LITC
grants. See Public Law 116–6.
A qualified organization may receive
a matching grant of up to $100,000 per
year for up to a three-year project
period. A qualified organization is one
that represents low income taxpayers in
controversies with the IRS and informs
individuals for whom English is a
second language (ESL taxpayers) of their
taxpayer rights and responsibilities, and
does not charge more than a nominal fee
for its services (except for
reimbursement of actual costs incurred).
Examples of qualified organizations
include (1) a clinical program at an
accredited law, business, or accounting
school whose students represent low
income taxpayers in tax controversies
with the IRS and (2) an organization
exempt from tax under IRC section
501(a) whose employees and volunteers
represent low income taxpayers in
controversies with the IRS and may also
make referrals to qualified volunteers to
provide representation.
A clinic will be treated as
representing low income taxpayers in
controversies with the IRS if at least 90
percent of the taxpayers represented by
the clinic have incomes that do not
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