Operators shall comply or ensure compliance with the following requirements for the installation and construction of new pipeline metallic systems, the relocation or replacement of existing facilities, and the operation and maintenance of steel pipelines.

1. (1) Atmospheric corrosion control. Each aboveground pipeline or portion of pipeline exposed to the atmosphere shall be cleaned and coated or jacketed with material suitable for the prevention of atmospheric corrosion. For onshore pipelines, the intervals between inspections shall not exceed five years; for offshore pipelines, reevaluations shall be required at least once each calendar year, with intervals not to exceed 15 months.
2. (2) Coatings. All coated pipe used for the transport of hazardous liquids or carbon dioxide shall be electrically inspected prior to placement using coating deficiency (holiday) detectors to check for any faults not observable by visual examination. The holiday detector shall be operated in accordance with manufacturer's instructions and at a voltage level appropriate for the electrical characteristics of the pipeline system being tested.
3. (3) Installation. Joints, fittings, and tie-ins shall be coated with materials compatible with the coatings on the pipe.

4. (4) Cathodic protection test stations. Each cathodically protected pipeline shall have test stations or other electrical measurement contact points sufficient to determine the adequacy of cathodic protection. These locations shall include but are not limited to pipe casing installations and all foreign metallic cathodically protected structures. Test stations (electrode locations) used when taking pipe-to-soil readings for determining cathodic protection shall be selected to give representative pipe-to-soil readings. Readings taken at test stations (electrode locations) over or near one or more anodes shall not, by themselves, be considered representative.

   1. (A) All test lead wire attachments and bared test lead wires shall be coated with an electrically insulating material. Where the pipe is coated, the insulation of the test lead wire material shall be compatible with the pipe coating and wire insulation.
   2. (B) Cathodic protection systems shall meet or exceed the minimum criteria set forth in Criteria For Cathodic Protection of the most current edition of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) Standard RP-01-69.

5. (5) Monitoring and inspection.

   1. (A) Each cathodic protection rectifier or impressed current power source shall be inspected at least six times each calendar year, with intervals not to exceed 2 1/2 months, to ensure that it is operating properly.
   2. (B) Each reverse-current switch, diode, and interference bond whose failure would jeopardize structure protection shall be checked electrically for proper performance six times each calendar year, with intervals not to exceed 2 1/2 months. Each remaining interference bond shall be checked at least once each calendar year, with intervals not to exceed 15 months.
   3. (C) Each operator shall utilize right-of-way inspections to determine areas where interfering currents are suspected. In the course of these inspections, personnel shall be alert for electrical or physical conditions which could indicate interference from a neighboring source. Whenever suspected areas are identified, the operator shall conduct appropriate electrical tests within six months to determine the extent of interference and take appropriate action.
6. (6) Remedial action. Each operator shall take prompt remedial action to correct any deficiencies observed during monitoring.

Source Note:The provisions of this §8.305 adopted to be effective November 24, 2004, 29 TexReg 10733.