{"operation":"document","citation":"PI-75-009","title":"Opelousas City Planning Commission — Pipeline Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"1975-03-07","effective_on":null,"summary":"PI-75-009 response to Opelousas City Planning Commission concerning 192.609.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-75-009.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-75-009.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-75-009","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/Pipeline/1975/PI75009.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nMarch 7, 1975\nMr. John R. Thistlethwaite, Chairman\nOpelousas City Planning Commission\n705 South Court Street\nOpelousas, LA 70570\nDear Mr. Thistlethwaite:\nThank you for your recent letter asking how we might assist the Opelousas City Planning\nCommission respecting its review of a proposed subdivision overlying a 24-inch, 850 psi Florida\nGas Pipeline and a 4-inch, 250 psi Exxon gas pipeline.\nUnder the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 (49 USC 1671 et seq.), this office administers\nFederal safety standards and reporting requirements applicable to gas pipeline facilities and the\ntransportation of gas in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce. These regulations are\ncontained in Parts 191 and 192 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, a copy of which is\nenclosed.\nThis office monitors gas pipeline facilities on a periodic basis to determine whether the facilities\nare in compliance with the safety standards. In Louisiana, the Department of Conservation is\nauthorized under Section 5(b) of the Act to monitor facilities which are not under the jurisdiction\nof the Federal Power Commission. We are not staffed, however, to routinely examine pipelines\nupon request in situations such as yours, unless a particular hazard to the public or violation of the\nsafety standards is believed to exist.\nIn this regard, the Federal safety standards do not prohibit the transportation of gas in high\npressure pipelines in subdivisions or under houses. In fact, the Act provides that we may not\nprescribe the location or routing of a pipeline. Alternatively, the safety standards are written to\nvary in stringency depending on the proximity of a pipeline to populated areas. You should also\nnote that in the case of significant population changes surrounding certain gas pipelines, sections\n192.609 and 192.611 require pipeline operators to take specific remedial actions if necessary\nunder the circumstances.\ndal\\192\\609\\75-03-07\n1\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nWe believe that the proposed use of the pipeline operator's right-of-way for residential\ndevelopment is a matter for agreement between the operator, the landowner, and the developer,\nsubject to any State or local controls.\nWe trust this adequately responds to your inquiry.\nSincerely,\nJoseph C. Caldwell\nDirector\nOffice of Pipeline Safety\nEnclosure\ndal\\192\\609\\75-03-07\n2","truncated":false,"body_characters":2344}