OMB Announces Receipt of Two PHMSA Pipeline NPRM

Yesterday the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) announced that it had received to notice of proposed rulemakings (NPRM) from DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administrations (PHMSA); “Excess Flow Valves In Applications Other Than Single-Family Residences in Gas Distribution Systems” and “Safety of On-Shore Liquid Hazardous Pipelines”.

Excess Flow Valve NPRM

According to the OIRA web site this rule would “require excess flow valves (EFVs) be installed in all new and renewed gas service lines, for structures other than single family dwellings, when the operating conditions are compatible with readily available valves”. The advance notice of proposed rulemakings was published on November 11^th, 2011 and I briefly described the rulemaking on the same date. Nineteen public comments were received on the ANPRM.

Liquid Hazardous Pipeline NPRM

According to the OIRA web site this rule would “address effective procedures that hazardous liquid operators can use to improve the protection of High Consequence Areas (HCA) and other vulnerable areas along their hazardous liquid onshore pipelines”. The advance notice of proposed rulemakings was published on October 18^th, 2010 and I briefly described the rulemaking on the same date. Twenty-four public comments were received on the ANPRM, including mine.

Moving Forward

There is no telling how long it will take OIRA to review these proposed rulemakings. It could take weeks to years, though I expect it to be closer to a couple of months. It is unlikely that they would both be published in the Federal Register on the same day.