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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Pipeline Safety: Areas Unusually Sensitive to Environmental Damage

Final Rule.

This final rule defines drinking water and ecological areas that are unusually sensitive to environmental damage if there is a hazardous liquid pipeline release. We refer to these areas as unusually sensitive areas (USAs). RSPA created this definition through a series of public workshops, pilot testing, a technical review of the pilot test results, and extensive collaboration with a wide-range of federal, state, public, and industry stakeholders. This final rule does not require specific action by pipeline operators but will be used in existing and future regulations.

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