Illinois Commerce Commission

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Illinois Commerce Commission

• Darin Burk
• Manager Pipeline Safety

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Distribution Integrity Management

• Proposed Rule published in the Federal Register
  on June 25, 2008
• Numerous comments were received by the Pipeline
  and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
  (PHMSA)
• Final Rule expected in September of 2009

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Why is PHMSA Proposing DIMP?

• Additional prescriptive requirements would bee
  too burdensome on the pipeline industry.
• More effective to allow operators to analyze
  their system, identify weaknesses that could
  result in high consequence incidents and address
  those weaknesses.

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Program Implementation

• Distribution system operators will have 18 months
  from the published date of the final rule to
  develop and implement a Distribution Integrity
  Management Program.
• The DIMP will address 7 basic elements.

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Element 1 Knowledge

• Identify the characteristics of the system and
  the environmental factors necessary to assess
  applicable threats and risks to the system.
• Understand the design and operation.
• Identify the additional information needed
• Determine how to obtain additional information
• Have a process to refine plan
• Record data for newly installed facilities

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Element 2 Identify Threats

• Threat Categories
• Corrosion
• Natural Forces
• Excavation Damage
• Other Outside Force
• Material or Weld Failure
• Equipment Malfunction
• Inappropriate Operation
• Other Concerns

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Element 3 Evaluate and Prioritize Risk

• Determine the relative probability of each threat
• Determine likelihood of failure
• Determine potential consequences
• System may be subdivide the system into regions
  of similar characteristics and consistent risk

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Element 4 Identify and Implement Measures to
Address Risks

• Effective leak management program
• Enhanced damage prevention
• Assuring individual performance (Training
  Operator Qualification)
• Quality assessment

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Element 5 Measure Performance, Monitor Results
Evaluate Effectiveness

• Number of hazardous leaks either eliminated or
  repaired
• Number of excavation damages
• Number of excavation tickets
• Number of EFVs installed
• Total number of leaks eliminated or repaired
• Additional measures

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Element 6 Periodic Evaluation

• Continually re-evaluate threats and risks on the
  entire system
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the program for
  assuring individual performance to reduce the
  risk of human error
• Determine appropriate period for complete program
  re-evaluation based on complexity and changes in
  factors
• Maximum of 5 year re-evaluation interval

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Element 7 Reporting Results

• Must report plastic pipe material failures
  including fittings, couplings, valves, and
  mechanical joints
• Must be reported no later than 90 days after
  failure
• Include location, pipe size, material type,
  nature of failure, pipe manufacturer, lot number,
  date of manufacture and other information found
  in markings on failed pipe

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Excess Flow Valves

• Required on all single family residences
• New installations and replacements
• Not require if
• System operates below 10 psig
• Operator has knowledge of contaminates
• Could interfere with necessary operation and
  maintenance activities
• If EFV meeting performance standards is not
  available to operator

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Deviation from Required Inspections

• Operators will be allowed to propose inspection
  intervals that are outside the current required
  time limits
• The ICC will review the request and determine if
  the operator will be allowed to extend inspection
  intervals

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Does This Rule Apply To Master Meter Operators?

• Yes.
• Master Meter operators will be required to meet 5
  elements
• Infrastructure Knowledge
• Identify Threats
• Identify Implement Measures to Mitigate Risks
• Measure Performance, Monitor Results, Evaluate
  Effectiveness
• Periodic Evaluation and Improvement

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Questions?