1. (a) Responsibility. Each public utility shall at all times use every reasonable effort to properly warn and protect the public from danger, and shall exercise reasonable care to reduce the hazards to which employees, customers and others may be subjected to by reason of its equipment and facilities.
2. (b) Safety code. The minimum safety standards for all natural gas public utilities in this Commonwealth shall be those issued under the pipeline safety laws found in 49 U.S.C. § § 60101—60503 and as implemented at 49 CFR Parts 191—193 and 199, including all subsequent amendments thereto. Future Federal amendments to 49 CFR Parts 191—193 and 199, as amended or modified by the Federal government, shall have the effect of amending or modifying the Commission’s regulations with regard to the minimum safety standards for all natural gas public utilities. The amendment or modification shall take effect 60 days after the effective date of the Federal amendment or modification, unless the Commission publishes a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin stating that the amendment or modification may not take effect.
3. (c) [Reserved.]
4. (d) Enforcement. Each public utility shall be subject to inspections as may be necessary to assure compliance with this section. The facilities, books and records of each public utility shall be accessible to the Commission and its staff for the inspections. Each public utility shall provide the Commission or its staff the reports, supplemental data and information as it shall from time to time request in the administration and enforcement of this section.
5. (e) Records. Each public utility shall keep adequate records as required for compliance with the code in subsection (b). The records shall be accessible to the Commission and its staff.

Authority

The provisions of this § 59.33 issued and amended under 66 Pa.C.S. § § 102, 331, 501, 1501, 1504, 1507 and 1508.

Source

The provisions of this § 59.33 amended through May 30, 1986, effective May 31, 1986, 16 Pa.B. 1901; amended July 2, 1998, effective August 3, 1998, 28 Pa.B. 3050; amended June 23, 2006, effective June 24, 2006, 36 Pa.B. 3092; amended September 21, 2012, effective September 22, 2012, 42 Pa.B. 5967; amended September 13, 2024, effective 60 days after publication, 54 Pa.B. 5729. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (363659) to (373660).

(Editor’s Note: Publication of notice ratifying the amendments to 49 CFR Parts 191, 192, 193 and 199 appeared at 27 Pa.B. 851 (February 15, 1997), 33 Pa.B. 5486 (November 1, 2003) and 34 Pa.B. 3655 (July 10, 2004). See serial pages (800645) to (800646)).

Cross References

This section cited in 52 Pa. Code § 59.34 (relating to leakage surveys of customer-owned service lines); 52 Pa. Code § 59.35 (relating to increasing pressure in distribution facilities and transmission facilities); and 52 Pa. Code § 59.36 (relating to abandonment of inactive service lines).