OMB Approves PHMSA Natural Gas UST Rule

Yesterday the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) announced that it had approved the final rule from the DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) for “Pipeline Safety: Underground Storage Facilities for Natural Gas”. The rule was submitted to OIRA in August.

According to the Fall 2019 Unified Agenda:

“PHMSA issued an interim final rule that requires operators of underground storage facilities for natural gas to comply with minimum safety standards, including compliance with API RP 1171, Functional Integrity of Natural Gas Storage in Depleted Hydrocarbon Reservoirs and Aquifer Reservoirs, and API RP 1170, Design and Operation of Solution-mined Salt Caverns Used for Natural Gas Storage. The next planned action is to finalize the interim final rule.”