The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently approved a final order that will accelerate the identification of older, at-risk plastic piping and components in natural gas distribution systems statewide. Older plastic materials can be prone to brittle-like cracking.
Under the order, natural gas distribution utilities are required to catalog the presence of older plastic materials and incorporate the appropriate mitigation or replacement of these materials into their pipeline integrity management plans.
The PUC’s Bureau of Technical Utility Services will issue a request to every regulated natural gas utility instructing them to provide detailed inventories of plastic pipe and components. Companies that are unable to provide accurate information will be required to submit a plan to identify and catalog these materials. The plan must explain how the company will differentiate older, at-risk plastic from newer pipe in their federally required pipeline integrity management plans.
“Safety is the foundation of our work as regulators and today’s action underscores the commission’s commitment to addressing risks wherever they may be found – including in older plastic materials that have been linked to failures across the country,” PUC Chairman Stephen DeFrank said. “This final order ensures that Pennsylvania’s natural gas utilities take the necessary steps to identify and address these concerns, advancing our broader mission of protecting communities and maintaining safe and reliable service.”