PSC adopts school natural‑gas pressure‑testing rules tied to recent state law; sets July 15 deadline and immediate leak‑notification requirement
November 05, 2025 | Public Service Commission, Agencies, Organizations, Executive, Mississippi
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Miss Dixon, presenting the final order, said the rulemaking was required by the statute cited in the record (presented in the hearing as House Bill 1186 and codified in the record as Mississippi Code Annotated §77‑11‑401). Staff opened a rulemaking process and received written comments, with Atmos Energy submitting proposed revisions; staff, after internal review and consultation with the pipeline safety division, accepted some revisions and prepared the final order for commission adoption.
Significant changes from the draft presented in the rulemaking included tightening definitions to more closely track the statute, adopting a firm July 15 deadline for annual pressure testing (to provide uniform timing for year‑round and traditional school calendars), requiring immediate notification to the commission and other relevant entities when a leak is detected during testing, and adding a requirement that the person responsible for a school facility notify their gas provider in writing once a detected leak has been repaired so service can be restored promptly.
Staff emphasized the rule text closely tracks the statute and in places aligns with similar regulations enacted in Texas. No party requested a hearing under the Administrative Procedures Act, so staff recommended the commission adopt the order; the commission voted to adopt the final rules by voice vote.
What happens next: The adopted rules become the commission's implementing regulations for the statute and will guide annual testing schedules and reporting obligations for school facilities and gas providers.
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