Transmission Companies Push For Easing Class Location Reach And Requirements

Gas transmission companies are trying to convince federal regulators to use integrity management guidelines to determine when pipe needs to be replaced outside high consequence areas (HCAs). The 2011 pipeline safety law requires the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to decide whether an expansion of the integrity management (IM) program beyond HCAs would eliminate the need for the class location system.