PHMSA Breakout Tank Inspection Rule (API 653 5th Edition)

Current understanding

PHMSA has proposed updating its breakout tank inspection regulations to incorporate the 5th edition of API Standard 653 and to authorize risk-based inspection (RBI) procedures for setting inspection intervals. The practical effect would align federal pipeline facility tank inspection requirements with the current industry consensus standard and allow operators to justify inspection frequency based on documented risk assessments rather than fixed intervals. Status: proposed rule.

Evidence log

• 2026-07-08 — Pipeline Safety: Repair Criteria for Hazardous Liquid and Gas Transmission Pipelines: cross-connection with phmsa-pipeline-repair-criteria-rule: Both are PHMSA proposed rules modernizing pipeline-related inspection/repair criteria by incorporating updated engineering standards. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-02 — Pipeline Safety: Breakout Tank Inspection Rule: cross-connection with pipeline-safety-authorization-act-2026: Both fall under PHMSA’s pipeline safety mandate — the authorization bill sets the statutory framework while the breakout tank rule is a concurrent regulatory implementation update. (novelty: 2)

Open questions

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