INFORMATION regarding the Conexus Baltic Grid natural gas transmission system gas transmission system gas supply facilities, civil engineering and engineering communications protection zones, restrictions on economic activity in these protection zones, hazards and safety measures in the event of industrial accidents

1. General information on restrictions

“Conexus Baltic Grid” (hereinafter – the company) natural gas transmission system gas supply facilities, engineering structures and engineering communications (hereinafter all referred to collectively – objects) shall have operational and safety protection zones in accordance with the law of the protection lanes. The main task of operating protection zones is to ensure the efficient and safe operation and development of the gas transmission system gas pipeline. In turn, the main task of safety protection zones is to ensure the safety of the environment and people during the operation of these facilities and in the event of possible accidents, as well as the safety of the objects themselves and the objects surrounding them.

1. Operating protection zones

In accordance with Section 22 of the Protection Bar Act, operating protection zones around gas pipelines, gas supply equipment and structures, gas warehouses shall be determined to ensure their operation:

1. in the case of gas pipes with a pressure of more than 1,6 megapascals, the protective zones shall be composed of a plot of land and airspace bounded by a conditioned vertical surface on each side of the gas pipeline axis at a distance of 15 metres from the centre of the gas pipeline;
   1. in the case of gas pipes crossing surface water bodies below the water level, the area of water which is surrounded by parallel planes within 100 metres of the centre of the gas from the surface of the water to the bearings;
   1. around gas-adjusting stations, the operating protection zones shall consist of a plot of land and airspace demarcated by conditioned vertical surfaces outside the outer walls, enclosure or enclosed structures of these objects - within 6 metres;
   1. around anti-corrosion electrochemical protection equipment for anode strawberries – 4 metres from the ground contour;

• Safety guard bands

The main task of safety protection zones is to ensure environmental and human safety during the operation of objects and in the event of possible accidents, as well as the safety of the objects themselves and the objects surrounding them. Around gas pipelines, gas-adjusting stations and gas-measuring stations — safety guard bands shall consist of a plot of land and airspace bounded by a conditioned vertical surface on each side of a gas pipeline axis or a conditioned vertical surface outside the outer walls of these objects, enclosed or enclosed structures

In accordance with the protection zone Law 32²the following security guards are defined for objects:

• for gas pipeline and gas-adjusting stations with working pressure above 1.6 megapascals and with a gas pipeline diameter:
  • up to 300 mm at a distance of 75 metres;
  • 300 mm to 600 mm – 125 metres;
  • 600 mm to 800 mm – 150 metres.
  • around gases with a pressure above 1,6 megpascals and gas-adjusting and measuring stations, if these gases and these stations are constructed or rebuilt after 1 September 2002, shall be determined by the calculation of the construction project, but not less than:

2.2.1. 25 metres from the gas pipeline axis — around a gas pipeline with a pressure above 1,6 megapascals;

2.2.2. 100 metres – around gas regulation and measuring stations.

3. Restrictions in protective zones

3.1. General restrictions in protection zones according to Section 35 of the Protection Bar Law:

3.1.1. the general restrictions in the protection zones are laid down by laws and Cabinet regulations, they may also be determined by the binding regulations of local governments, which have been issued within the scope of their competence;

3.1.2. if a protective zone has been specified for the object, the owner or possessor of the object shall be permitted to perform the work necessary for the operation, repair, renewal, reconstruction of the relevant object. The owner or lawful possessor of the land shall be notified in writing at least two weeks before commencement of the work, except in the event of accident prevention or liquidation of the consequences thereof, which may be performed at any time without warning;

3.1.3. the planned operations, repair, renovation and reconstruction work of the protection zones, which are in agricultural land, shall be performed during a period when these areas are not occupied by agricultural crops or when the preservation of agricultural crops is possible, except for the work of the prevention of accidents or the liquidation of the consequences thereof, which may be performed at any time;

3.1.4. after the performance of the work, the owner or possessor of the object shall arrange the land areas in order to be valid for the intended use, as well as reimburse the losses caused to the owner of the land or lawful possessor in the course of the execution of the works. The amount of losses shall be determined and losses shall be reimbursed in accordance with the procedures specified in the laws or by mutual agreement;

3.1.5. if the protection zones coincide or intersection, the activities related to the operation and repair of the relevant objects shall be performed by the owners or possessors of the relevant objects by mutual agreement in the joint protection zone districts;

3.1.6. legal and natural persons, when carrying out works of protection which require objects to be protected from damage, rebuild or move, rebuild, reconstruct or move work, shall be performed after co-ordination with the owner or possessor of the relevant object. The costs related to these activities shall be borne by the relevant legal or natural person or, by mutual agreement, the owner or possessor of the object;

3.1.7. legal and natural persons in protective zones shall fulfil the lawful requirements of the owner or possessor of the relevant object;

3.1.8. the authorities of local governments and responsible State institutions are permitted to visit the areas of the protection zone at any time in accordance with the procedures for carrying out the control laid down in regulatory enactments. The owner or possessor of objects shall be permitted to visit the territory of the protection zone at any time for control and supervision purposes, in advance warning the owner of the land, but if the right to use land has been transferred to another person - the land user;

3.1.9. the owner or possessor of the object to whom the protection zone has been determined shall use this protection zone without paying compensation for the limitation of the right of use of immovable property. This condition shall not restrict the right of the owner, possessor or user of the immovable property to claim compensation for direct losses caused to him or her.

3.2. Special restrictions in operational protective zones pursuant to Article 56 of the protection zones:

3.2.1. it is prohibited to install landfill sites;

3.2.2. it is prohibited to drop the seriousness, discard or dispose of corrosive or corrosion-causing substances, fuel or lubricating materials;

3.2.3. it is prohibited to perform works related to explosion and extraction of mineral resources;

3.2.4. it is prohibited to load and demarcate with fences the roads and approaches to gas pipelines, gas supply equipment and structures, gas warehouses and storage facilities;

3.2.5. it is prohibited to walk along the surface of the overhead gas pipes;

3.2.6. it is prohibited to perform works related to flooding of land;

3.2.7. it is prohibited to drive in protective zones along underwater gas pipelines with discarded anchor or nets, show fishing places and fish, catch aquatic animals and obtain aquatic plants with deep-water tools;

3.2.8. it is prohibited to cultivate trees and bushes in areas indicated in the methodology for the determination of protection zones;

3.2.9. it is prohibited to build any buildings;

3.2.10. it is prohibited to place the feed, mineral fertilizer, dangerous chemical substance and product;
storage of timber, flammable, easily and particularly flammable substances, products and materials;

3.2.11. it is prohibited to place service stations;

3.2.12. it is prohibited to install the berths of ships, large boats and floating buildings, as well as to perform seabed deepen and land-exhaustion works;

3.2.13. it is prohibited to interfere with any activities of the employees of the gas supply undertaking who perform the activities of operation, repair, alteration, accident prevention or the consequences thereof in the protection zone;

3.2.14. if there is no written agreement with the owners of gas pipelines, gas decades and structures, gas warehouses and storage facilities, it is prohibited:

• perform work with fire and flame, drive piles, use impact mechanisms of more than 100 kilowatts,
• to carry out land works deeper than 0.3 metres, but in arable lands - deeper than 0.45 metres, as well as melioration and bottom planting works,
• geological, geodetic and other research activities related to drilling and bottom sampling (except soil samples);
• building, restoring or rebuilding engineering structures;
• to install carriages and crossings of carriages,
• perform other works that interfere with the servicing of gas pipelines, gas supply equipment and structures, gas warehouses and storage facilities or may damage these objects.

3.3. Special restrictions in safety protection zones in accordance with the protection zone Law 58.² Article:

3.3.1. it is prohibited to build new buildings or rebuild non-residential buildings on residential buildings, as well as – if there is no written agreement with the owner of gas pipelines, gas supply equipment and structures, gas warehouses and storage facilities – to rebuild existing buildings;

3.3.2. it is prohibited to build or open new sports, educational and recreational structures or institutions or to rebuild existing buildings as sports, educational and recreational structures or institutions;

3.3.3. it is prohibited to install game areas and recreational areas;

3.3.4. it is prohibited to organise public events;

3.3.5. it is prohibited to place service stations;

3.3.6. it is prohibited to perform other works (or activities) which prevent the provision of environmental and human safety for gas pipelines, gas regulation stations, gas control points, natural gas compressor stations, gas storage, liquefied hydrocarbon gas warehouses, storage and refuelling stations, liquefied hydrocarbon gas cylinders and trade points or car gas stations during operation and in case of possible accidents;

3.3.7. the owner of the gas pipeline, together with the road manager, shall ensure the prohibition of stopping of vehicles in safety protection zones along a gas pipeline with a pressure above 1,6 megapascals.

• Additional information
  • Subject to the provisions of Section 35, Paragraph six of the Protection Bar Act, the company shall indicate that any natural or legal person, in carrying out works in a protective zone, is obliged to co-ordinate with the company any work in the protection zone of objects, including:
    • prior to the commencement of the design of the project documentation, any type of construction company, receive the technical regulations of the company by sending a submission by post to the company's legal address in Riga, stigu street 14, LV-1021, or electronically to e-mail: info@conexus.lv; (if construction is proposed in the construction information system, the technical regulations are prepared and sent in accordance with the procedures laid down in this system);
  • Section 61, Paragraph eleven of the Protection Bar Law prescribes that the owner or possessor of immovable property shall provide the owner or possessor of the property with access to the object and the protection zone thereof in order to ensure the maintenance of the protection zone and perform the necessary works necessary for the operation, repair, renovation and reconstruction of the relevant object.
  • Failure to comply with the requirements of the Protective Bar Law may result in an emergency situation of a transmission gas pipeline, which may result in damage to material values and persons, as well as a continuous break of gas supply to consumers, thus natural and legal persons who violate the abovementioned requirements may be held liable in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations.
  • In accordance with Paragraph 66 of the Protection Zone Law.⁷ a fine shall be imposed on a natural person from fourteen to four hundred fine units, but a legal person from twenty-eight to eight hundred fines shall be subject to a fine for the violation of requirements and restrictions laid down in regulatory enactments in the safety zones around gas pipelines, gas storage facilities and buildings, gas warehouses and storage facilities.

Joint stock company Conexus Baltic Grid