PHMSA Publishes Pipeline Safety NPRM

Today the DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register (80 FR 39915-39939) for proposed revisions to the pipeline safety regulations. The NPRM would address two requirements from the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 (PL 112-90), address NTSB recommendations, requests for clarification from the regulated community, and agency identified issues.

The proposed revisions address the following topics:

∙ Accident and incident notification;

∙ Cost recovery for design reviews;

∙ Operator qualification requirements;

∙ Special permit renewal;

∙ Farm taps;

∙ Reversal of flow or change in product;

∙ Pipeline assessment tools;

∙ Electronic reporting of drug and alcohol testing results;

∙ Information made available to the public and request for confidential treatment;

∙ In service welding;

∙ Editorial amendments;

∙ Availability of standards incorporated by reference.

PHMSA is soliciting public comments on the NPRM. Comments may be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (www.Regulations.gov; Docket # PHMSA-2013-0163). Comments need to be submitted by September 8, 2015.

NOTE: This is not the NPRM that I reported had been approved by OMB on Monday. There is no record of this NPRM having been submitted to OMB for approval.