# Houston Natural Gas Corporation — Pipeline Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** PI-71-0108
- **title:** Houston Natural Gas Corporation — Pipeline Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 1971-05-25
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** PI-71-0108 response to Houston Natural Gas Corporation concerning 192.363.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-71-0108.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-71-0108.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-71-0108
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/Pipeline/1971/g71-05-25_Smith_192.363-nlmx.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

PI-71-0108
Office of the Secretary of Transportation
Washington, D.C. 20590
May 25, 1971
Mr. Raymond R. Smith, P.E.
Chief Engineer
Houston Natural Gas Corporation
1200 Travis, Box 1188
Houston, Texas 77001
Dear Mr. Smith:
This is in reply to your letter of March 10, 1971, concerning the requirements of 49 CFR, Section 192.363(c) for tamper-
proof service line valves.
We interpret this section to also permit the use of a locking device on the valve, or a locked enclosure such as a fence or
building around the valve, as a means of meeting the requirement "to minimize the possibility of removal of the core of
the valve with other than specialized tools".
Therefore, in order to comply with the regulations you must use the above described or similar methods of protection.
Sincerely,
Joseph C. Caldwell
Acting Director
Office of Pipeline Safety

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Houston Natural Gas Corporation
Houston Natural Gas Building
1200 Travis
Box 1188
Houston, Texas 77001
March 10, 1971
Mr. Joseph C. Caldwell
Acting Director
Office of Pipeline Safety
Department of Transportation
400 6th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Reference: OPS - Minimum Standards - August 12, 1970
§ 192.363 (c)
Service Lines: Valve Requirements
Dear Mr. Caldwell:
Under above referenced regulations all service line valves installed after March 12, 1971 are to be of tamper-proof
classification. To date, Houston Natural Gas Corporation has been able to acquire tamper-proof service valves in all
required sizes except 3/4". Suppliers have notified us that the 3/4" tamper-proof valves will not be available for at least
4-to-6 weeks. Therefore, until we are able to acquire a supply of 3/4" tamper-proof service line valves we will continue
to use our present stock of-3/47 valves.
Every effort will be made to acquire the tamper-proof valves at the earliest date.
Yours very truly,
Houston Natural Gas Corp.
Raymond R. Smith, P.E.
Chief Engineer
- **truncated:** false
- **body characters:** 1938
