Pipeline Safety: Protecting Unusually Sensitive Areas From Rural Low-Stress Hazardous Liquid Pipelines

Summary: In this supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) PHMSA is modifying its pending proposal for regulating rural low-stress hazardous liquid pipelines within a prescribed buffer of an ``unusually sensitive area'' (USA). This modification addresses new requirements in the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006 (PIPES Act). We propose to apply all Federal hazardous liquid pipeline safety regulations to these pipelines instead of the narrower, threat-focused set of requirements we originally proposed to apply to these pipelines. This action will help protect USAs from the potential adverse impacts of releases from low-stress hazardous liquid pipelines in rural areas.