N.H. Admin. Code § En 506.02

Current through Register No. 50, December 12, 2024

Section En 506.02 - Construction, Operations and Maintenance

(a) Except as established herein or by municipal regulations that are more stringent than the state or federal requirement, each utility shall construct, install, operate and maintain its plant, structures, equipment and gas pipelines:

(1) In accordance with all applicable federal and state requirements, including but not limited to the requirements of the "Utilities Accommodation Manual," February 2010 edition, of the New Hampshire state department of transportation adopted by the commissioner pursuant to the powers granted under RSA 228:21, which establishes uniform practice regarding the accommodation of utilities within state highway rights-of-way;

(2) After weighing all factors, including potential delay, cost and safety issues in such a manner to best accommodate the public, giving particular weight to safety issues that affect the public; and

(3) To prevent potential interference with service furnished by other utilities including electric, telephone, water, sewer, steam and other underground or above ground facilities.

(b) Pipelines shall be laid at least 12 inches away from any other underground structure unless such clearance cannot be achieved in which case they shall be laid in proximity with other underground structures as is consistent with good engineering practice. Clearances less than 12 inches shall be documented and records kept for the life of the pipeline.

(c) No new pipeline installation shall be made in any non-accessible areas under any building.

(d) Written construction procedures shall include specific provisions for directional drilling and other trenchless technology installation methods that minimize the potential damage to gas pipelines and other underground facilities as listed in (a)(3).

(e) Gas pipelines, including new proposed construction or replacements, that are to be operated at a pressure greater than 60 pounds per square inch gauge shall not be installed under roads, public waters or railroad crossings without notification to the department's enforcement division at least 10 days prior to construction of the crossing and vicinity.

(f) The utility shall avoid any interfering structure which provides a space in which a substantial accumulation of explosive mixture might accumulate in the event of a leak. Preference shall be given to crossing over rather than under such structure but minimum cover requirements shall be maintained. In those situations where minimum cover cannot be maintained, applicable protective devices such as steel plating or concrete padding shall be installed. Installation of protective devices shall be documented and records kept for the life of the pipeline wherever possible.

(g) Each utility shall design and install all electrical wire fixtures and devices in accordance with the National Electric Code as adopted by RSA 155-A:1, IV.

(h) All meter and regulator station buildings shall be provided with permanent natural draft ventilating devices sufficient to accomplish an average of 5 changes of air per hour.

(i) Each utility shall comply with the requirements for purging pipelines established by the Purging Principles and Practice, 2001 edition, of the American Gas Association, as described in Appendix B.

(j) Within 2 years of a meter being continuously locked or removed, the utility shall disconnect from the main and abandon all gas service lines with the exception of cathodically protected or plastic gas service lines which shall be disconnected from the main and abandoned within 10 years of the meter being continuously locked or removed.

(k) All utilities shall map in their mapping system any main that is abandoned after February 1, 2005.

(l) All utilities shall maintain records of any service line that has been abandoned after February 1, 2005.

(m) All combustible gases transported or distributed by a pipeline shall have a distinctive odor of sufficient intensity so that at a concentration of one-fifth of the applicable lower explosive limit, in accordance with Table 508-1, is readily perceptible to the normal or average olfactory sense of a person coming from fresh, uncontaminated air into a closed room.

(n) Whenever necessary to maintain the level of odorization intensity described in (m) above, a suitable odorant shall be added in accordance with the following specifications:

(1) The odorant shall be harmless to humans, non-toxic, and shall be non-corrosive to steel, iron, brass, and plastic or any other material used by the utility in handling gas;

(2) The odorant shall not be soluble in water to an extent greater than 2.5 parts by weight of the odorant to 100 parts by weight of water;

(3) The products of combustion from the odorant shall be non-toxic to a person breathing air containing these products of combustion and shall not be corrosive or harmful to material which normally would be exposed to such products;

(4) Equipment for introduction of the odorant into the gas shall be so designed and so built as to avoid wide variation in the level of odor in the gas;

(5) The equipment and facilities for handling the odorant shall be located where the escape of odorant would not be a nuisance; and

(6) At least 12 times per calendar year, at intervals not exceeding 45 days, each utility shall sample gas distributed at places downstream of all injection points to assure the presence of odorant in a concentration that is in accordance with (m) above. This testing of samples shall be conducted using equipment manufactured specifically for odorant testing, calibrated per manufacturer's instructions and at locations equivalent to the further points from the source or system extremities of each pressure system. Each utility shall have the capability of promptly injecting odorant if the odorant levels are detected below those of (m) above.

(o) The utility shall provide, upon the request of the department, written verification that the pipeline has been constructed and tested in accordance with all applicable federal and state requirements. Verification documentation shall be maintained for the life of the pipeline segment constructed and tested. A recordable device shall be used for documentation.

(p) The verification required in (o) above shall include, at a minimum, the following information:

(1) Test pressure;

(2) Duration of test;

(3) Test date;

(4) Type of test, such as hydrostatic/air;

(5) Normal and maximum operating pressure to which the pipeline will be subjected;

(6) Material type and fitting type, including specification, tested;

(7) Individual company performing test; and

(8) Location of beginning of segment tested and location of end of segment tested.

(q) The utility shall submit to the department a supplemental verification, including figures and maps, as appropriate, whenever:

(1) Any change of 10% or more is made in the operating pressure; or

(2) Any change in location is made to the pipeline because of road relocations.

(r) Operating and maintenance procedures and emergency plans shall be documented according to a plan as follows:

(1) Each utility shall establish a written operating and maintenance plan pursuant to 49 C.F.R. § 192.603 including the criteria set forth in 49 C.F.R. § 192.605;

(2) Each utility shall establish a written emergency plan pursuant to 49 C.F.R. § 192.615;

(3) Each utility shall file with the department its plans together with any subsequent amendments;

(4) Each utility shall operate, inspect and maintain its system in accordance with its plans; and

(5) Each utility shall inspect any new construction by outside contractors that is or will be incorporated into the utility's system to verify that the resulting installation meets company specifications.

(s) Each utility shall develop and maintain a written security plan outlining actions necessary to protect the utility's facilities from breaches of security or sabotage, and outlining actions to be taken as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive-3 and any subsequent modifications, pursuant to Public Law 107-56, October 26, 2001, as follows:

(1) The written security plan shall include preventive measures that address supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, control centers and systems, and critical supply locations, as well as cyber security considerations;

(2) The utility shall permit the department's enforcement division and the commission to review the written security plan on utility premises; and

(3) The utility shall provide the department with a confidential copy of the security plan upon request.

(t) Integrity management plans for transmission and distribution systems, public awareness plans, and operator qualification plans, shall be documented as follows:

(1) Each utility shall establish plans pursuant to 49 C.F.R. § § 192.901, 192.1003, 192.616, 192.801 and En 506.01(c);

(2) Each utility shall file with the department its plans together with any subsequent amendments or revisions;

(3) Each utility shall design, construct, test, operate, inspect and maintain its system in accordance with its plans; and

(4) Integrity management plans shall address any applicable Federal Advisory Bulletins issued by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and any results of failure investigations as required by 49 C.F.R. § 192.617.

(u) All operator qualification plans shall list all covered tasks and include specific abnormal operating conditions for each task. All operator qualifications covered tasks shall be cross referenced with applicable construction standards or specifications or applicable operation and maintenance activities including emergency response.

(v) Construction quality assurance plans shall be written, followed and documented as follows:

(1) Each utility shall inspect any new construction by outside contractors that is or will be incorporated into the utility's system to verify that the resulting installation meets company specifications;

(2) A representative number of field verification audits shall be conducted after field work is completed for specific tasks;

(3) Performance audits shall be conducted to evaluate a representative sample of various tasks during the actual time that the work is being performed by the employee or contractor;

(4) Construction inspections shall be conducted frequently enough to encompass most of the new facility installation and repairs that are done on the utility system;

(5) Detailed forms shall incorporate activity checklists prepared to cover normal work activities for evaluation or inspection of specified field work and construction;

(6) Audits of employees and crews shall be conducted by management personnel, for example, supervisors, engineers, to ensure that all personnel have reviewed the quality assurance plan and that all construction work is inspected on a regular basis; and

(7) Utilities shall take remedial action within 3 months to correct, or make substantial progress toward correction of, any deficiencies indicated by construction quality assurance audit and inspection findings.

(w) Each utility shall take remedial action within 3 months to correct, or make substantial progress toward correction of, any deficiencies indicated by monitoring of cathodically protected pipelines in accordance with 49 C.F.R. Part 192 Subpart I.

N.H. Admin. Code § En 506.02

Derived from Number 45, Filed November 9, 2023, Proposed by #13796, Effective 10/25/2023, Expires 10/25/2033.