Natural gas association urges PHMSA to update class location change requirements

The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) urged the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to consider new technologies and pending integrity regulations as it works to update its class location change requirements.

PHMSA recently announced an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on “Pipeline Safety: Class Location Change Requirements.”

“INGAA strongly supports a common-sense update to the class location change regulations that will enable increased deployment of modern integrity assessment technologies and processes,” Don Santa, President and CEO of INGAA, said. “Despite dramatic engineering and technological shifts that have occurred since 1970, the class location change regulations have never been substantively revised.”

PHMSA is working to finalize two rulemakings that would overhaul its regulations regarding the operations, maintenance and integrity management of gas transmission pipelines. The updates are expected to include additions to the requirements for using modern technologies to assess pipe condition.

“Both pipeline operators and PHMSA have worked to demonstrate the value of integrity assessment technologies over the past two decades. Requirements for deploying these technologies will be codified in the pending PHMSA integrity regulations,” Santa said. “INGAA urges PHMSA to work expeditiously on this important update to the class location change regulations so that homes and businesses near natural gas pipelines can benefit from modern pipeline safety technologies and the natural gas these pipelines deliver.”