{"abstract":"Pursuant to the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2006, this final rule establishes review criteria for State excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs as a prerequisite for PHMSA to conduct an enforcement proceeding against an excavator in the absence of an adequate enforcement program in the State where a pipeline damage prevention violation occurs. This final rule amends the pipeline safety regulations to establish the following: Criteria and procedures for determining the adequacy of State pipeline excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs; an administrative process for making State adequacy determinations; the Federal requirements PHMSA will enforce in States with inadequate excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs; and the adjudication process for administrative enforcement proceedings against excavators where Federal authority is exercised. The development of the review criteria and the subsequent determination of the adequacy of State excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs is intended to encourage States to develop effective excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs to protect the public from the risk of pipeline ruptures caused by excavation damage and allow for Federal administrative enforcement action in States with inadequate enforcement programs.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION","name":"Transportation Department","id":492,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/transportation-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/492","parent_id":null,"slug":"transportation-department"},{"raw_name":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","name":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","id":408,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/pipeline-and-hazardous-materials-safety-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/408","parent_id":492,"slug":"pipeline-and-hazardous-materials-safety-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2015/07/23/2015-17259.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":196,"title":49},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":198,"title":49}],"citation":"80 FR 43836","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This final rule is effective January 1, 2016.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. PHMSA-2009-0192","Amdt. No. 196-1","198-7"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Regulatory Evaluation - Pipeline Damage Prevention Program (Final Rule)","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0244"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Final Environemental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact - Pipeline Damage Prevention Enforcement Program (Final Rule)","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0243"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Draft Environmental Assessment - Pipeline Damage Prevention Program - April 2011","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0200"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Preliminary Regulatory Evaluation - Pipeline Damage Prevention Program - August 2011","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0199"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR), \"Suggested Criteria for Meeting the 9 Elements of an Effective Damage Prevention Program\", July 2007","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0005"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Excavation Damage Prevention Initiative (EDPI) Guide to the 9 Elements","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0004"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Mechanical Damage Report","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0003"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Integrity Management for Gas Distribution (DIMP) Phase 1 Report, December 2005","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0002"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Damage Prevention Assistance Program (DPAP) Guide","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0001"}],"agency_name":null,"documents":[{"comment_count":1,"comment_start_date":"2015-07-23","updated_at":"2023-03-01T13:19:10.186-05:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/PHMSA-2009-0192-0245","allow_late_comments":null,"id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0245","comment_end_date":null,"regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":9,"id":"PHMSA-2009-0192","title":"Excavation Damage Rule"}],"document_number":"2015-17259","effective_on":"2016-01-01","end_page":43869,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2015/07/23/2015-17259.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/07/23/2015-17259/pipeline-safety-pipeline-damage-prevention-programs","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2015-17259?publication_date=2015-07-23","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2015-07-23/2015-17259/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":34,"page_views":{"count":5246,"last_updated":"2026-10-23 04:15:03 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2015-07-23/pdf/2015-17259.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2015-17259.pdf?1437569115","publication_date":"2015-07-23","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2015/07/23/2015-17259.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2137-AE43":{"issue":"201510","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2137-AE43/pipeline-safety-enforcement-of-state-excavation-damage-laws","title":"Pipeline Safety: Enforcement of State Excavation Damage Laws","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201510&RIN=2137-AE43&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Substantive, Nonsignificant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2137-AE43"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Regulatory Evaluation - Pipeline Damage Prevention Program (Final Rule)","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0244"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Final Environemental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact - Pipeline Damage Prevention Enforcement Program (Final Rule)","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0243"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Draft Environmental Assessment - Pipeline Damage Prevention Program - April 2011","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0200"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Preliminary Regulatory Evaluation - Pipeline Damage Prevention Program - August 2011","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0199"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR), \"Suggested Criteria for Meeting the 9 Elements of an Effective Damage Prevention Program\", July 2007","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0005"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Excavation Damage Prevention Initiative (EDPI) Guide to the 9 Elements","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0004"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Mechanical Damage Report","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0003"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Integrity Management for Gas Distribution (DIMP) Phase 1 Report, December 2005","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0002"},{"title":"U.S. DOT/PHMSA - Damage Prevention Assistance Program (DPAP) Guide","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0001"}],"comments_count":1,"agency_id":"PHMSA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=PHMSA-2009-0192","supporting_documents_count":9,"docket_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192","document_id":"PHMSA-2009-0192-0245","regulation_id_number":null,"title":"Excavation Damage Rule","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2023-03-01T18:19:09Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":false,"signing_date":null,"start_page":43836,"subtype":null,"title":"Pipeline Safety: Pipeline Damage Prevention Programs","toc_doc":"Pipeline Damage Prevention Programs","toc_subject":"Pipeline Safety:","topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Grant programs-transportation","Pipeline safety","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements"],"type":"Rule","volume":80}