{"operation":"document","citation":"16 TAC § 8.206","title":"Risk-Based Leak Survey Program","source_type":"regulation","agency":"Railroad Commission of Texas","status":"current","official":true,"published_on":null,"effective_on":"2020-01-06","summary":"(a) This section applies to each operator of a gas distribution system that is subject to the requirements of 49 CFR Part 192. (b) Each operator shall have either a prescriptive or a risk- based program for leak surveys for its pipeline systems that complies with the requirements of this section. Su","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/tx-tac-16-8-206.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/tx-tac-16-8-206.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/tx-tac-16-8-206","source_url":"https://texas-sos.appianportalsgov.com/rules-and-meetings?chapter=8&interface=VIEW_TAC&part=1&title=16","body":"(a) This section applies to each operator of a gas\ndistribution system that is subject to the requirements of 49\nCFR Part 192.\n(b) Each operator shall have either a prescriptive or a risk-\nbased program for leak surveys for its pipeline systems that\ncomplies with the requirements of this section. Such program\nshall require a designation on a system by system basis or by\nsegments within each system whether the operator has\nchosen to use the risk based leak survey program that\ncomplies with the requirements of subsections (c) through (f)\nof this section or the prescriptive leak survey program that\ncomplies with the requirements of subsection (g) of this\nsection.\n(c) Each operator shall create a risk model on which to\nbase its leak survey program to identify those systems or\nsegments within systems that pose the greatest hazard and\nthus will be inspected for leaks more frequently. The risk\nmodel shall identify risk factors and determine the degree of\nhazard associated with those risk factors. The operator shall\nestablish the leak survey frequency based on the degree of\nhazard for each system or segment within a system.\n(d) Each operator shall periodically re-evaluate each\npipeline system or system segment and update its leak survey\ninspection program to address any changes that may be\nidentified through the monitoring of the pipeline system in\naccordance with the requirements imposed by 49 CFR\n§192.613 (relating to Continuing Surveillance). Each\noperator shall not less than every three years at intervals not\nexceeding 39 months review its leak survey inspection\nprogram. Each operator shall review its leak survey\ninspection program within 30 days in the following\ncircumstances:\n(1) to add a new system or segment being put into\noperation; or\n(2) if, for any system or segment, there has been a ten\npercent increase in the number of leaks being upgraded or a\nten percent increase in the number of unrepaired leaks.\n(e) Based on the particular circumstances and conditions,\nan increased frequency beyond that required by 49 CFR\n§192.723(b)(1) and (2), may be warranted. Surveys should\nbe conducted more frequently in those areas with the greatest\npotential for leakage and where leakage could be expected to\ncreate a hazard. Each operator should consider the following\nfactors in establishing an increased frequency of leakage\nsurveys:\n(1) pipe location, which means proximity to buildings or\nother structures and the type and use of the buildings and\nproximity to areas of concentrations of people;\n(2) composition and nature of the piping system, which\nmeans the age of the pipe, materials, type of facilities,\noperating pressures, leak history records, and other studies;\n(3) the corrosion history of the pipeline, which means\nknown areas of significant corrosion or areas where\ncorrosive environments are known to exist, cased crossings\nof roads, highways, railroads, or other similar locations\nwhere there is susceptibility to unique corrosive conditions;\n(4) environmental factors that affect gas migration, which\nmeans conditions that could increase the potential for\nleakage or cause leaking gas to migrate to an area where it\ncould create a hazard, such as extreme weather conditions or\nevents (significant amounts or extended periods of rainfall,\nextended periods of drought, unusual or prolonged freezing\n\nweather, hurricanes, etc.), particular soil conditions, unstable\nsoil or areas subject to earth movement, subsidence, or\nextensive growth of tree roots around pipeline facilities that\ncan exert substantial longitudinal force on the pipe and\nnearby joints; and\n(5) any other condition known to the operator that has\nsignificant potential to initiate a leak or to permit leaking gas\nto migrate to an area where it could result in a hazard, which\ncould include construction activity near the pipeline, wall-to-\nwall pavement, trenchless excavation activities (e.g., boring),\nblasting, large earth-moving equipment, heavy traffic,\nincrease in operating pressure, and other similar activities or\nconditions.\n(f) The assignment of inspection priorities is based on the\ndegree of hazard associated with the risk factors assigned to\nthe pipeline system or segments within a system. The\ndetermination of leak survey frequency is determined by\nclassifying each pipeline segment based on its degree of\nhazard associated with each risk factor. Each operator shall\nestablish its own risk ranking for pipeline segments to\ndetermine the frequency of leakage surveys. Based on a\nranking from high to low, each operator shall schedule leak\ninspections for a given pipeline system or segment within a\nsystem on a time interval necessary to address the risks. The\ntime interval may range from quarterly to every five years.\n(g) Operators electing to use a prescriptive leak survey\nprogram shall conduct leak surveys no less frequently than:\n(1) Once each calendar year at intervals not exceeding 15\nmonths for all systems within a business district;\n(2) every five calendar years at intervals not exceeding\n63 months for non-business district polyethylene systems or\nsegments within a system;\n(3) every three calendar years at intervals not exceeding\n39 months for all other non-business district cathodically\nprotected steel systems or segments within a system; and\n(4) every two calendar years at intervals not exceeding\n27 months for all other non-business district systems or\nsegments within a system.","truncated":false,"body_characters":5426}