View all text of Subpart L [§ 192.601 - § 192.636]

§ 192.610 - Change in class location: Change in valve spacing.

(a) If a class location change on a transmission pipeline occurs after October 5, 2022, and results in pipe replacement, of 2 or more miles, in the aggregate, within any 5 contiguous miles within a 24-month period, to meet the maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) requirements in § 192.611, § 192.619, or § 192.620, then the requirements in §§ 192.179, 192.634, and 192.636, as applicable, apply to the new class location, and the operator must install valves, including rupture-mitigation valves (RMV) or alternative equivalent technologies, as necessary, to comply with those sections. Such valves must be installed within 24 months of the class location change in accordance with the timing requirement in § 192.611(d) for compliance after a class location change.

(b) If a class location change on a gas transmission pipeline occurs after October 5, 2022, and results in pipe replacement of less than 2 miles within 5 contiguous miles during a 24-month period, to meet the MAOP requirements in § 192.611, § 192.619, or § 192.620, then within 24 months of the class location change, in accordance with § 192.611(d), the operator must either:

(1) Comply with the valve spacing requirements of § 192.179(a) for the replaced pipeline segment; or

(2) Install or use existing RMVs or alternative equivalent technologies so that the entirety of the replaced pipeline segments are between at least two RMVs or alternative equivalent technologies. The distance between RMVs and alternative equivalent technologies for the replaced segment must not exceed 20 miles. The RMVs and alternative equivalent technologies must comply with the applicable requirements of § 192.636.

(c) The provisions of paragraph (b) of this section do not apply to pipeline replacements that amount to less than 1,000 feet within any one contiguous mile during any 24-month period.

[Amdt. 192-130, 87 FR 20983, Apr. 8, 2022, as amended by Amdt. 192-134, 88 FR 50061, Aug. 1, 2023]