§195.450. Definitions. — Inbound Citations

(c) On each pipeline at locations along the pipeline system that will minimize or prevent safety risks, property damage, or environmental harm from accidental hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide discharges, as appropriate for onshore areas, offshore areas, and high-consequence areas (HCA). For newly constructed or entirely replaced onshore hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline segments, as that term is defined at § 195.2, that are installed after April 10, 2023, valve spacing must not exceed 15 miles for pipeline segments that could affect or are in HCAs, as defined in § 195.450, and 20 miles for pipeline segments that could not affect HCAs. Valves on pipeline segments that are located in HCAs or which could affect HCAs must be installed at locations as determined by the operator's process for identifying preventive and mitigative measures established pursuant to § 195.452(i) and by using the selection process in section I.B of appendix C of part 195, but with a maximum distance that does not exceed 7 1/2 miles from the endpoints of the HCA segment or the segment that could affect an HCA. An operator may request an exemption from the compliance deadline requirements of this section for valve installation at the specified valve spacing if it can demonstrate to PHMSA, in accordance with the notification procedures in § 195.18, that those compliance deadline requirements would be economically, technically, or operationally infeasible.

(2) If an operator obtains information (whether from the information analysis required under paragraph (g) of this section, Census Bureau maps, or any other source) demonstrating that the area around a pipeline segment has changed to meet the definition of a high consequence area (see § 195.450), that area must be incorporated into the operator's baseline assessment plan within 1 year from the date that the information is obtained. An operator must complete the baseline assessment of any pipeline segment that could affect a newly identified high consequence area within 5 years from the date an operator identifies the area.