The Texas Railroad Commission published in the Texas Register in November final modifications to §8.101.Pipeline Integrity Assessment and Management Plans for Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquids Pipelines (and other pipeline safety regulations, see article later in this newsletter.) The new regulation states that “Natural gas pipeline operators using the risk-based plan shall complete at least 50% of the initial assessments by December 17, 2007, and the remainder by December 17, 2012; operators using the prescriptive plan shall complete the initial integrity testing by December 17, 2007, or December 17, 2012”. The recent change now coincides with the DOT/OPS 49 CFR Part 192 Subpart O pipeline integrity baseline assessment time requirements. The initial Railroad Commission of Texas rule required operators to complete at least 50% of their pipeline baseline assessments by January 1, 2006 and the remainder by January 1, 2011.
The effective date adoption of the modified regulation was November 24, 2004.