New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 14 - PUBLIC UTILITIES › Chapter 7 - NATURAL GAS PIPELINES › Subchapter 1 - CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION, AND MAINTENANCE OF TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION NATURAL GAS PIPELINES › Section 14:7-1.19 - Gas leak classification and repair

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
(a) An operator
				shall investigate each gas leak and assign a grade classification upon
				discovery based on the severity of the leak. Operators who repair all leaks
				when found, meaning they treat all leaks as Grade 1 leaks, are exempt from the
				grading requirements of this section. Effective July 1, 2023, leaks shall be
				graded and prioritized for repair as follows:
1. Grade 1: Grade 1 leaks represent an
				existing or probable hazard to persons, property, or the environment that shall
				be repaired immediately or require continuous action until the hazard is
				eliminated. The operator shall take all measures necessary, consistent with
				established safety practices and procedures, to eliminate the hazard. The
				existence of an environmental hazard shall be determined by the operator based
				upon the estimated volume of gas released to the atmosphere over a period of
				time. All Grade 1 leaks must be permanently repaired immediately, not to exceed
				one week from the date of detection, unless prevented by extenuating
				circumstances that shall be reported to Board staff.
2. Grade 2: Grade 2 leaks are determined by
				the operator to be non-hazardous at the time of detection, but pose an
				environmental threat and have the potential to become a future hazard to
				persons or property. Grade 2 leaks shall be repaired within six months from the
				date of detection. The existence of an environmental threat shall be determined
				by the operator based upon the estimated volume of gas released to the
				atmosphere over a period of time. The operator shall reevaluate all Grade 2
				leaks at least once every 30 days until the leak is eliminated. Grade 2 leaks
				detected on pipelines scheduled for replacement within one year of detection
				may have their scheduled repair extended for an additional six months, provided
				the leaks continue to be reevaluated every 30 days. Grade 2 leaks detected
				before July 1, 2023, shall be considered legacy leaks. All Grade 2 legacy leaks
				shall be permanently repaired within two years of July 1, 2023, with at least
				50 percent of the legacy leaks permanently repaired by July 1, 2024. Grade 2
				legacy leaks shall be reevaluated based on the operator's maintenance practices
				in effect at the time of leak detection.
3. Grade 3: Grade 3 leaks are determined by
				the operator to be non-hazardous at the time of detection and are expected to
				remain non-hazardous to persons and property, but pose a potential
				environmental threat. The existence of a potential environmental threat shall
				be determined by the operator based upon the estimated volume of gas released
				to the atmosphere over a period of time. Grade 3 leaks shall be reevaluated
				every six months from the date the leak was detected until the leak is
				eliminated. All Grade 3 leaks must be eliminated within two years of detection.
				Grade 3 leaks detected on pipelines scheduled for replacement within three
				years of detection may have their scheduled repair extended for an additional
				year, provided the leaks continue to be reevaluated every six months. Grade 3
				leaks discovered before July 1, 2023, shall be considered legacy leaks. All
				Grade 3 legacy leaks shall be permanently repaired within four years of July 1,
				2023, with at least 25 percent of the total legacy leaks repaired in each
				12-month interval. Grade 3 legacy leaks shall be reevaluated based on the
				operator's maintenance practices in effect at the time of leak
				discovery.