{"abstract":"PHMSA is updating its regulations to allow operators to apply modern risk management principles in addressing the safety of gas pipelines affected by class location changes. Relying on an approach originally developed in the 1950s, PHMSA's regulations use class locations to provide an additional margin of safety in the design, construction, testing, operation, and maintenance of gas pipelines based on population density. When the class location of a pipeline changes due to an increase in population density, an operator may need to take certain actions to confirm or to revise the maximum allowable operating pressure of a segment. Because the methods traditionally used for that purpose do not account for modern risk management principles, PHMSA has granted special permits for more than two decades allowing operators to use an integrity-management-based alternative. This final rule adopts that `IM alternative' by regulation to provide operators with an additional method for confirming or restoring the maximum allowable operating pressure of certain eligible segments that experience class location changes.","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/2026/01/14/2026-00566.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":192,"title":49}],"citation":"91 FR 1608","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2026-03-16","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This rule is effective March 16, 2026. The incorporation by reference of certain material listed in this rule is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of March 16, 2026. Comment related to the information collection may be submitted by March 16, 2026, as detailed in Section VII.H.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. PHMSA-2017-0151","Amdt. No. 192-155"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Class Location Change EA 1.12.26 final","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0084"},{"title":"Class Location Change RIA January 2026","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0083"},{"title":"PHMSA Day 5 Class Location Requirements Transcript 03292024","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0070"},{"title":"Class Location-GPAC Presentation Slide Deck for Members and Public","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0069"},{"title":"NTSB Carlsbad NM Accident Report 8-19-00","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0052"},{"title":"2008 Alternate MAOP Final Rule","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0051"},{"title":"2003 IM Rule","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0050"},{"title":"2011 Pipeline Safety Act","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0049"},{"title":"2013 Notice of Inquiry","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0048"},{"title":"2016 Gas Transmission NPRM","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0047"}],"agency_name":"PHMSA","documents":[{"comment_count":12,"comment_start_date":"2026-01-14","updated_at":"2026-03-17T01:56:16.756-04:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/PHMSA-2017-0151-0085","allow_late_comments":false,"id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0085","comment_end_date":"2026-03-17","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":28,"id":"PHMSA-2017-0151","title":"Pipeline Safety:  Class Location Change Requirements"}],"document_number":"2026-00566","effective_on":"2026-03-16","end_page":1655,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2026/01/14/2026-00566.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/14/2026-00566/pipeline-safety-class-location-change-requirements","images":{"ER14JA26.015":{"large":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER14JA26.015/ER14JA26.015_large.png","medium":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER14JA26.015/ER14JA26.015_medium.png","original_size":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER14JA26.015/ER14JA26.015_original_size.png"}},"images_metadata":{"ER14JA26.015":{"large":{"identifier":"ER14JA26.015","content_type":"image/png","size":29721,"width":822,"sha":"a5c81e38d5a2f4eee92d5dc82109aef0","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER14JA26.015/ER14JA26.015_large.png","height":402},"medium":{"identifier":"ER14JA26.015","content_type":"image/png","size":11791,"width":485,"sha":"dc028bf549763baab26d558bd88a91f7","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER14JA26.015/ER14JA26.015_medium.png","height":237},"original_size":{"identifier":"ER14JA26.015","content_type":"image/png","size":133134,"width":3664,"sha":"78061902768bc737f71e7feff1c72f7d","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER14JA26.015/ER14JA26.015_original_size.png","height":1792}}},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2026-00566?publication_date=2026-01-14","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2026-01-14/2026-00566/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":48,"page_views":{"count":2296,"last_updated":"2026-04-04 14:15:05 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-01-14/pdf/2026-00566.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-00566.pdf?1768311921","publication_date":"2026-01-14","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2026/01/14/2026-00566.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2137-AF29":{"issue":"202504","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2137-AF29/pipeline-safety-class-location-requirements","title":"Pipeline Safety: Class Location Requirements","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202504&RIN=2137-AF29&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Economically Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2137-AF29"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Class Location Change EA 1.12.26 final","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0084"},{"title":"Class Location Change RIA January 2026","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0083"},{"title":"PHMSA Day 5 Class Location Requirements Transcript 03292024","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0070"},{"title":"Class Location-GPAC Presentation Slide Deck for Members and Public","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0069"},{"title":"NTSB Carlsbad NM Accident Report 8-19-00","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0052"},{"title":"2008 Alternate MAOP Final Rule","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0051"},{"title":"2003 IM Rule","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0050"},{"title":"2011 Pipeline Safety Act","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0049"},{"title":"2013 Notice of Inquiry","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0048"},{"title":"2016 Gas Transmission NPRM","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0047"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2137-AF29/pipeline-safety-class-location-requirements","title":"Pipeline Safety: Class Location Requirements"},"comments_count":12,"agency_id":"PHMSA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=PHMSA-2017-0151","supporting_documents_count":28,"docket_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151","document_id":"PHMSA-2017-0151-0085","regulation_id_number":"2137-AF29","title":"Pipeline Safety:  Class Location Change Requirements","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2026-03-18T08:55:04Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":1608,"subtype":null,"title":"Pipeline Safety: Class Location Change Requirements","toc_doc":"Class Location Change Requirements","toc_subject":"Pipeline Safety","topics":["Incorporation by reference","Natural gas","Pipeline safety","Pipelines"],"type":"Rule","volume":91}