Section 958 Of Article 2. Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act Of 2011 From California Public Utilities Code >> Division 1. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 4.5. >> Article 2.
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. (a) Each gas corporation shall prepare and submit to the
commission a proposed comprehensive pressure testing implementation
plan for all intrastate transmission lines to either pressure test
those lines or to replace all segments of intrastate transmission
lines that were not pressure tested or that lack sufficient details
related to performance of pressure testing. The comprehensive
pressure testing implementation plan shall provide for testing or
replacing all intrastate transmission lines as soon as practicable.
The comprehensive pressure testing implementation plan shall set
forth criteria on which pipeline segments were identified for
replacement instead of pressure testing.
(b) The comprehensive pressure testing implementation plan shall
include a timeline for completion that is as soon as practicable, and
includes interim safety enhancement measures, including increased
patrols and leak surveys, pressure reductions, prioritization of
pressure testing for critical pipelines that must run at or near
maximum allowable operating pressure values that result in hoop
stress levels at or above 30 percent of specified minimum yield
stress, and any other measure that the commission determines will
enhance public safety during the implementation period.
Engineering-based assumptions may be used to determine maximum
allowable operating pressure in the absence of complete records, but
only as an interim measure until such time as all the lines have been
tested or replaced, in order to allow the gas system to continue to
operate.
(c) At the completion of the implementation period, all California
natural gas intrastate transmission line segments shall meet all of
the following:
(1) Have been pressure tested.
(2) Have traceable, verifiable, and complete records readily
available.
(3) Where warranted, be capable of accommodating in-line
inspection devices.