The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would revise federal pipeline safety regulations by requiring the installation of remotely controlled or automatic shutoff valves – or equivalent technologies – on certain newly constructed or entirely replaced natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. The proposed rule would enhance safety by mitigating the consequences of large-volume pipeline releases and establishing minimum standards for rupture detection.
The NPRM requires that remote-control or automatic shutoff valves be installed on new or replaced pipelines greater than six inches in diameter. Leak detection systems must be capable of closing valves to isolate a ruptured pipeline segment within 40 minutes.
Press Release Courtesy of PHMSA.