Gosgortechnadzor informs about safe work in gas pipeline protection zones

The Vitebsk Regional Inspectorate for Safe Operation in Industry reminds economic entities that the Regulation on the Procedure for Establishing Protection Zones of Gas Distribution System Facilities, their Sizes and Usage Regimes (hereinafter referred to as the Regulation) was approved by Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 726 dated October 25, 2022. In accordance with the Regulation, the following sizes of protection zones are defined:

- along high-pressure gas pipelines of category I - in the form of a land plot bounded by imaginary lines running 10 meters from the axis of the gas pipeline on each side;

- along high-pressure gas pipelines of category II - in the form of a land plot bounded by imaginary lines running 7 meters from the axis of the gas pipeline on each side;

- along medium-pressure gas pipelines - in the form of a land plot bounded by imaginary lines running 4 meters from the axis of the gas pipeline on each side;

- along low-pressure gas pipelines - in the form of a land plot bounded by imaginary lines running 2 meters from the axis of the gas pipeline on each side;

- along underwater crossings of gas pipelines - in the form of a water area from the water surface to the bottom, enclosed between parallel planes located 50 meters from the axes of the extreme lines of gas pipeline crossings on each side;

- around GRP, SHRP buildings, AGZS territories, RU and group cylinder units - in the form of a land plot bounded by an imaginary line located 10 meters from the boundaries of the territories of the specified facilities in all directions.

Within the boundaries of hazardous zones, the following are prohibited:

- moving, dismantling, backfilling, damaging markers of underground gas pipeline routes and locations of network facilities on them, and control and measuring points;

- unauthorized opening of gas well manholes and covers, RU gates and GRP, SHRP doors, gas pipeline corrosion protection stations, opening and closing valves and shut-off valves, disconnecting and connecting gas pipeline power supply and telemechanics means;

- arranging dumps, pouring aggressive liquids, including solutions of acids, salts, and alkalis;

- storing materials and equipment, including for temporary storage, along the route of an underground gas pipeline within 2 meters on each side of its axis;

- destroying structures and devices that protect gas pipelines and facilities on them from damage;

- dropping anchors, passing with anchors, chains, sounding leads, drags deployed, conducting trawling with rigid and semi-rigid trawls;

- lighting fires and placing any open or closed sources of fire;

- carrying out any events involving large gatherings of people not engaged in permitted work;

- carrying out construction of buildings, structures and facilities in violation of minimum distances to gas distribution system facilities established by technical normative legal acts, including building codes, and other rules;

- carrying out planting, cultivation, allowing trees to grow within:

1 meter on each side of the axis of an underground polyethylene gas pipeline with a diameter of up to 63 mm inclusive;

2 meters on each side of the axis of an underground steel gas pipeline regardless of its diameter, or an underground polyethylene gas pipeline with a diameter of more than 63 mm.

- carrying out repair, construction, and excavation work without a permit issued by the gas supply organization (unless otherwise determined by the Regulations).

A legal entity or individual entrepreneur, if repair, construction, or excavation work needs to be carried out in the protection zone of a gas distribution system facility, shall submit to the gas supply organization or its structural unit, in written or electronic form via the unified portal of electronic services, the following to obtain a permit:

an application for a permit to carry out repair, construction, and excavation work in the protection zone of a gas distribution system facility;

a work execution project that complies with the requirements of the legislation on architectural, town-planning, and construction activities.

The gas supply organization (its structural unit) shall review the application for work execution and the work execution project and make a decision to issue a permit to the legal entity or individual entrepreneur or to refuse to issue it (to refuse to perform the administrative procedure) within the period established in subparagraph 3.15.1 of paragraph 3.15 of the unified list of administrative procedures carried out with respect to business entities, approved by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated September 24, 2021 No. 548 (5 working days, and in case of sending a request to other state bodies, other organizations – 15 working days).

Legal entities and individual entrepreneurs who have obtained a permit are obliged to comply with (fulfill) the requirements (conditions) specified therein for carrying out repair, construction, and excavation work within the protection zone.

Upon expiration of the permit, the interested party has the right to apply for a new permit in the manner established by these Regulations, if the duration of repair, construction, and excavation work exceeds or has exceeded three months.

Work within the protection zone shall be carried out in the presence of the work supervisor, as well as a representative of the gas supply organization (owner of the gas distribution system facility), in the manner determined by the permit.

Legal entities and individual entrepreneurs carrying out repair, construction, and excavation work within protection zones are obliged, no later than one day before the commencement of work, in the manner determined by the permit, to summon a representative of the gas supply organization (owner of the gas distribution system facility) to the work site.

Agricultural work within protection zones shall be carried out by land users with prior notification to the owners of the gas distribution system facilities about their commencement.

We draw the attention of business entities to the fact that, in accordance with Article 18.34 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offenses dated January 6, 2021, No. 91-3, taking into account amendments and additions, violation of the rules for the protection of main and other pipelines entails the imposition of a fine in the following amounts: on an individual – from ten to forty base units, on an individual entrepreneur – up to fifty base units, on a legal entity – up to two hundred base units.

Vitebsk Regional Department of Gospromnadzor.