{"operation":"document","citation":"PHMSA Guidance, Valve Rule FAQs - Batch 1","title":"Valve Rule FAQs - Batch 1","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2023-10-13","effective_on":"2023-10-13","summary":"Valve Rule FAQs - Batch 1 Document Date: October 13, 2023 Valve-Rule-Faqs.pdf (177.66 KB) Year: 2023 Document Date: October 13, 2023 Description: Valve Rule FAQs - Batch 1 (PDF) Issued Date: Friday, October 13, 2023","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-guidance-valve-rule-faqs-batch-1-d2e05b9c.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-guidance-valve-rule-faqs-batch-1-d2e05b9c.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-guidance-valve-rule-faqs-batch-1-d2e05b9c","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/regulatory-compliance/phmsa-guidance/valve-rule-faqs-batch-1","body":"Valve Rule FAQs - Batch 1\n\nDocument Date: October 13, 2023\n\n Valve-Rule-Faqs.pdf (177.66 KB)\n\n                  Year: 2023\n\n                  Document Date: October 13, 2023\n\n                  Description:\n\n          Valve Rule FAQs - Batch 1 (PDF)\n\n          Issued Date: Friday, October 13, 2023\n\n<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nFrequently Asked Questions for Pipeline Safety:\nRequirement of Valve Installation and Minimum Rupture Detection Standards\n(Valve Rule)\nThe Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published the\nPipeline Safety: Requirement of Valve Installation and Minimum Rupture Detection\nStandards Final Rule on April 8, 2022, with an effective date of October 5, 2022 (87 FR\n20940) (Valve Rule). PHMSA amended the regulations in 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195\nregarding installation of rupture-mitigation valves (RMVs) after considering comments\nfrom industry, stakeholders, and members of the public. This Valve Rule Frequently Asked\nQuestions (FAQs) guidance document provides additional information on installation of\nRMVs and other requirements introduced in the Valve Rule.\nPHMSA provides FAQs to help the public understand how to comply with the existing\nrequirements under the regulations. FAQs are not substantive rules; are not meant to bind the\npublic in any way; and do not assign duties, create legally enforceable rights, or impose new\nobligations not otherwise contained in the existing regulations. However, an operator who\ndemonstrates compliance with the FAQs is likely to be able to demonstrate compliance with\nthe relevant regulations.\n1. Do the valve spacing requirements only apply to the entirely replaced segment,\nand not the entire pipeline?\nFor an “entirely replaced onshore hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline\nsegment” or an “entirely replaced onshore gas transmission pipeline segment”\nreplaced after April 10, 2023, operators must install RMVs or alternative equivalent\ntechnology whenever a valve must be installed in order to meet valve spacing\nrequirements set forth in parts 192 or 195, as applicable, with respect to the replaced\npipeline segment. See §§ 192.179 and 195.258. Operators may place the RMV or\nalternative equivalent technology on the replaced pipeline segment or on existing in-\nplace segments of the pipeline and may choose to install RMVs or alternative\nequivalent technology in closer proximity than what is required in parts 192 and 195,\nso long as the valve spacing requirements of parts 192 and 195 are satisfied at all\npoints on the replaced pipeline segment. For valve spacing requirements, please see,\ne.g., §§ 192.179, 192.610, 192.634(b), 195.258, 195.260, and 195.418(b).\n2. If an operator of an onshore hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline installs\n2 miles of replacement pipe within 5 contiguous miles during any 24-month\nperiod; if the replacement pipe is 6-inches or greater in diameter; and if a valve\nis located within 15 miles of the replacement pipe, does the operator need to\ninstall an RMV?\nThe answer depends on whether the replaced pipeline segment is within or could\naffect a high consequence area (HCA) as defined in § 195.450, and whether the\npipeline segment is carrying highly volatile liquids (HVLs).\nPursuant to § 195.260(c), for newly constructed or entirely replaced onshore\nhazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline segments (as that term is defined at §\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n195.2) installed after April 10, 2023, valve spacing must not exceed 15 miles for\npipeline segments that could affect or are in HCAs, and 20 miles for pipeline\nsegments that could not affect HCAs. Valves on pipeline segments located in HCAs\nor that could affect HCAs must be installed at locations as determined by the\noperator’s process for identifying preventive and mitigative measures established\npursuant to § 195.452(i) and by using the selection process in section I.B of appendix\nC of part 195. However, the maximum distance of these valves must not exceed 7½\nmiles from the endpoints of the HCA segment or the segment that could affect an\nHCA. See §§ 195.260(c) and 195.418; 87 FR 20975-76.\nPursuant to § 195.258(c) and (d), for newly constructed or entirely replaced onshore\nhazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline segments with diameters greater than or\nequal to 6 inches and constructed or replaced after April 10, 2023, an operator must\ninstall RMVs or an alternative equivalent technology in order to meet the foregoing\nvalve spacing requirements.\nFurther, pursuant to § 195.418(b)(2), newly constructed and entirely replaced onshore\nhazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline segments subject to § 195.418(a) that\ncould affect HCAs or are located in HCAs must be protected on the upstream and\ndownstream side with RMVs or alternative equivalent technologies. The distance\nbetween RMVs or alternative equivalent technologies must not exceed 15 miles, with\na maximum distance not to exceed 7½ miles from the endpoints of a shut-off\nsegment, for pipeline segments carrying non-HVLs.\nFor pipeline segments carrying HVLs, the distance between RMVs or alternative\nequivalent technologies generally must not exceed 7½ miles, with the option to\nincrease the maximum valve spacing intervals by 1.25 times the spacing distance, up\nto a 9⅜-mile spacing at an endpoint, provided the operator notify PHMSA in\naccordance with § 195.260(g).\n3. What is the interaction between § 192.179(a) & (h) regarding valve spacing\nfor pipe replacements?\nSection 192.179(h) is the exception to the valve spacing requirements established in\n§ 192.179(a) for pipe replacement projects, provided the project does not involve a\nclass location change pursuant to § 192.610(b) and/or (c).\nHowever, if a class location change occurs and results in pipe replacement of less\nthan 2 miles within 5 contiguous miles during a 24-month period in order to meet the\nMAOP requirements in § 192.611 (one class bump or class location change), the\noperator must meet the requirements in either § 192.610(b) or (c).\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\n4. Pursuant to §§ 195.402(c)(12) and 195.402(e)(7), can an operator call 911 during\nan emergency and not be required to notify additional parties?\nAs explained in the preamble to the Final Rule, and as established in § 195.402,\noperators must establish adequate means of communication with fire, police, and\nother public officials as needed. The preamble to the Final Rule states the following:\nOperators must determine the jurisdictional areas, responsibilities, resources, and\nemergency contact numbers for those government organizations that may respond to\npipeline emergencies involving their pipeline facilities. To the points commenters\nmade on liaising with the appropriate local emergency coordinating entities and\nallowing coordination with a lead agency if recognized by State and local law,\nPHMSA will note that it did not propose to amend the long-standing requirements\nabout coordinating with local officials, including fire and police officials. The NPRM\nintended to add the explicit requirement, when applicable, for operators to call 9–1–1\nafter the notification of a potential rupture. Per this final rule, to meet these\nrequirements of this section, operators may liaise with the appropriate emergency\nresponse coordinating agencies, such as 9–1–1 emergency call centers or county\nemergency managers, in lieu of communicating individually with each fire, police,\nor other public entity. 87 FR 20970.\nIf an operator determines, pursuant to § 195.402(c)(12), that the 911 call center will\nnotify all federal, state, and local government organizations that may respond to a\npipeline emergency, then the operator may call 911 in lieu of communicating\nindividually with each fire, police, or other public entity in order to satisfy the new\nemergency notification requirements. After the initial emergency notification,\noperators remain subject to requirements to continue coordinating with local officials,\nincluding fire and police officials.\nHowever, if the operator determines, pursuant to § 195.402(c)(12), the 911 call center\nwill not notify all federal, state, and local government organizations that may respond\nto a pipeline emergency, or if a 911 call center does not exist in the applicable area,\nthen the operator must communicate directly with each fire, police, or other public\nentity, as applicable, that will not be notified by the operator’s call to a 911 call\ncenter, in order to satisfy the initial emergency notification requirement.\n5. What does the word “failure” mean in the Valve Rule, as found in §§ 192.617\nand 195.402?\nAs explained in the preamble to the Final Rule,1 PHMSA uses the term “failure”\nthroughout parts 192 and 195 as it is defined in ASME B31.4 and B31.8 and\nreferenced in ASME B31.8S—a “general term used to imply that a part in service has\nbecome completely inoperable; is still operable but is incapable of satisfactorily\nperforming its intended function; or has deteriorated seriously, to the point that it has\nbecome unreliable or unsafe for continued use.” PHMSA uses this definition of\n“failure” when implementing the requirements set forth in §§ 192.617 and\n195.402(c)(5).\n1 87 FR 20969.","truncated":false,"body_characters":9135}