OMB Approves PHMSA Pipeline NPRM

Yesterday the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) announced that it had approved the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) notice of proposed rulemaking for Safety of On-Shore Liquid Hazardous Pipelines. An advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) was published in 2010.

The Unified Agenda notes that:

“This NPRM responds to NTSB recommendations, a GAO recommendation, public safety community input, consideration of research and technology advancements and the review of recent incident and accident reports. Additionally, the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-90) [link added], includes several provisions and mandates that are relevant to the 49 CFR particularly section 195.452 [link added].”

There were 24 comments submitted on the ANPRM. They included one from me concerning toxic inhalation hazard pipelines.

In the normal course of events I would expect this proposed rule to be published sometime next week.