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One aspect of the Plastic Pipe Rule published by Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on November 20, 2018, was the required use of Category 1 mechanical fittings on plastic pipe. In the American Gas Association’s (AGA) Petition for Reconsideration, AGA raised issue with the commercial availability of fittings four inches or greater that meet the new requirements. The specific concern was for plastic to metallic connection fittings. On March 1, 2019, PHMSA provided a delayed enforcement of this specific requirement until January 22, 2020 to allow additional time to develop and test larger mechanical fittings. After careful consideration, PHMSA has decided to further recommend delayed enforcement of this section until August 31, 2020, and recommends states do the same.

For additional information, please see the letter from PHMSA to the State Pipeline Safety Program Managers for additional information. Click here for a link to the rulemaking docket.

For questions on this article, please contact Erin Kurilla of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-2742 or by email at ekurilla@apga.org.