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On September 7, 2023, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA or the
Agency) published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) titled, “Pipeline
Safety: Safety of Gas Distribution and Other Pipeline Safety Initiatives.” The NPRM implements
provisions from the Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act – part of the Protecting Our Infrastructure of
Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2020 – as well as a National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) recommendation issued in response to an incident that occurred on a gas distribution pipeline
system in Massachusetts’ Merrimack Valley on September 13, 2018.
PHMSA proposes to revise certain pipeline safety regulations in 49 C.F.R. Parts 191, 192, and 198.
While the NPRM focuses largely on gas distribution pipelines, PHMSA also proposes changes that
would apply to all Part 192 regulated pipelines, including gas transmission and gathering pipelines.
Finally, PHMSA proposes to apply annual reporting requirements to small liquified petroleum gas
(LPG) operators.
On August 24, 2022, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a new final rule for onshore gas transmission pipelines (the Rule). The Rule marks the completion of a three-phase rulemaking process, commonly referred to as the Gas Mega Rule, that began more than a decade ago. While this part of the Gas Mega Rule is commonly known as the “Repair Rule,” there are numerous other safety provisions that are included in the new regulation that should not be overlooked. The Rule amends or adds various provisions in 49 C.F.R. Part 192 and will become effective on May 24, 2023.
Terri Larson covers 6 things she learned about Initial Response during her time working in Marshall, Michigan after a Type 1 incident.
The Accidental PIO: 6 Things a Pipeline Crisis Communicator Learned about Initial Response
On April 8, 2022, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a final rule in the Federal Register introducing new valve installation and rupture detection requirements for certain onshore gas, hazardous liquid, and carbon dioxide pipelines (the Final Rule). PHMSA issued the Final Rule in response to National Transportation Safety Board recommendations and congressional mandates from the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 (2011 PIPES Act), as well as related studies prepared by the Government Accountability Office and Oak Ridge National Laboratories. Below is a summary of the key changes that the Final Rule makes to PHMSA’s regulations.
AGA (American Gas Association): represents companies that provide natural gas to American consumers and takes an advocacy position promoting the safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of natural gas.
AOPL (Association of Oil Pipe Lines): represents the interests of liquid pipeline owners and operators in legislative, regulatory, and judicial settings. AOPL testifies before Congressional committees and submits public comments on behalf of its members.
APGA (American Public Gas Association): represents the interests of municipal natural gas utilities at the federal level by developing legislative and regulatory policies that further the goals of their municipal gas system members.
API (American Petroleum Institute): a national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry.
FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission): regulates, monitors, and investigates electricity, natural gas, hydropower, oil matters, natural gas pipelines, LNG terminals, hydroelectric dams, electric transmission, energy markets, and pricing.
GPA (Gas Processors Association a/k/a GPA Midstream Association): sets the industry standards to measure natural gas liquids, publishes technical reports, and represents the interests of their affiliates before regulatory bodies.
INGAA (Interstate Natural Gas Association of America): a trade organization that advocates regulatory and legislative positions of importance to the natural gas pipeline industry in North America.
ISA (Instrumentation Society of America): a trade organization that sets the standard for applying engineering and technology to improve the management, safety, and cybersecurity of modern automation and control systems used across industry and critical infrastructure.
ISA (International Society of Automation): develops standards and certifies industry professionals through the PE (professional engineer) exam.
Mega Rule: a set of new pipeline safety standards issued by PHMSA in October 2019 that brings 500,000 miles of pipeline under federal jurisdiction to ensure the safe transport of gas product.
PHMSA (Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration): responsible for providing pipeline safety oversight through regulatory rulemaking, NTSB recommendations, and other important functions to protect people and the environment through the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials.
PHMSA Pipeline Advisory Committees (GPAC and LPAC): review PHMSA’s proposed regulatory initiatives to assure the technical feasibility, reasonableness, cost-effectiveness and practicability of each proposal. The committees also evaluate the cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment information of the proposals.
PODS (Pipeline Open Data Standard): supports the growing and changing needs of the pipeline industry through ongoing development, maintenance and advancement of the Data Model and Standards. PODS also serves as a member association to maintain the PODS Data Model.
PST (Pipeline Safety Trust): a nonprofit public charity promoting pipeline safety through education, advocacy, and relationship-building with stakeholders.