I thought HCA simply meant living close to a pipeline’s blast zone. But really…it conversely defines areas requiring safer thicker pipe. High population urban areas require thicker safer pipe…sparsely populated areas allow for cheaper thinner pipe. Meaning…the federal government PHMSA does not define an HCA as a rural area with thin cheap pipe where no safety inspections occur and there is no safety evacuation plan in case of explosion …….none.
Instead, it looks at high-density populations and defines them as HCAs and thus requires thicker safer pipe. Translates into your safety and life is less valuable to the government/PHSMA if you live in a rural area. You are disposable and live in a sacrifice zone.
“Back in the Day” even PHMSA would abbreviate by saying “HCAs were areas where the most people will die and most financial losses occur in an explosion.”
Pretty sure someone on this thread picked up the really important factor of reduced pipeline wall thickness in rural areas…that may well be HCAs in a perpetual climbing definition
Note Sunoco’s circa 1930s ME1 pipeline – now in HCAs and only patched up for the repurposing of fuel and direction…and BTW, since the requirement for soil cover was no existent in the 30s even the current depth of 24” can’t be applied since the pipe is grandfathered. The result, once cow pastures, ME1 now is 20 ft from foundations in clustered developments – one landowner measured ME1 to have a 12” soil cover next to his home. PHMSA – good thing he knows to be careful!
Identified site
Identified site means each of the following areas:
(a) An outside area or open structure that is occupied by twenty (20) or more persons on at least 50 days in any twelve (12)-month period. (The days need not be consecutive.) Examples include but are not limited to, beaches, playgrounds, recreational facilities, camping grounds, outdoor theaters, stadiums, recreational areas near a body of water, or areas outside a rural building such as a religious facility; or
(b) A building that is occupied by twenty (20) or more persons on at least five (5) days a week for ten (10) weeks in any twelve (12)-month period. (The days and weeks need not be consecutive.) Examples include, but are not limited to, religious facilities, office buildings, community centers, general stores, 4-H facilities, or roller skating rinks; or
(c) A facility occupied by persons who are confined, are of impaired mobility, or would be difficult to evacuate. Examples include but are not limited to hospitals, prisons, schools, day-care facilities, retirement facilities or assisted-living facilities.