The Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (TPSSC) and the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (THLPSSC) will meet on Wednesday, December 9 from 1 pm to 5 pm EST and on Thursday, December 10 from 9 am to 5 pm EST to discuss proposed rules on reporting requirements & standards publications and several future regulatory initiatives. The agenda will include committee discussions on two proposed rules:

  • "Pipeline Safety: Updates to Pipeline and Liquefied Natural Gas Reporting" published in the Federal Register on July 2, 2009 (74 FR 31675); and
  • "Pipeline Safety: Periodic Updates of Regulatory References to Technical Standards and Miscellaneous Edits" published in the Federal Register on July 22, 2009 (74 FR 36139).
  • PHMSA staff will also brief the committees on several regulatory and policy initiatives.

The meeting will be at The Westin Alexandria, 400 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314. The phone number is 1-866-837-4210. Attendees should register in advance at https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/Mtg62.mtg. On-site registration will be available starting at noon on Wednesday.

PHMSA will post any new information or changes on the PHMSA/Office of Pipeline Safety website about 15 days before the meeting takes place. The meeting will not be web cast; however, presentations will be available on the meeting Web site within 30 days following the meeting.

Underwater Inspection Season

It has been 5 years since the DOT published final amendments to 49 CFR 195.413 and 45 CFR 192.612 for Periodic Underwater Inspections and Reburial of regulated pipeline facilities located in water depths of 15 feet. In addition, operators of certain hazardous liquid and gas pipelines are required to have procedures in place to identify, inspect, and address those pipelines that are exposed or pose a hazard to navigation.

This is a reminder to those that have plans that you may want to review them now. RCP has made some major improvements to our Interval Risk Model (IIRM) to include additional inspection trigger results for hazardous liquid pipelines that cross navigable waterways within Inlets of the Gulf of Mexico which include:

  • A toggle switch that adjusts the IIRM questions based upon the type of line (gas, liquid, shallow water, deep water, etc.)
  • Allows for further granularity of the pipeline segments being analyzed
  • A deep water inspection risk model for lines located offshore and deeper than 15'

For more information on RCP's Underwater Inspection Program or Interval Risk Model, contact Jessica Roger.

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