Review – PHMSA Updates 23 Direct Final Rules

Today DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published 23 notices in the Federal Register, most related to direct final rules that were published in the Federal Register on July 1^st, 2025. Three of the notices were withdrawing the final rule due to adverse public comments, and the other 20 (all standards update rules) were confirming the effective dates published with the original rule.

The comment period on the original rules ended on September 2^nd, 2025.

Withdrawn Final Rules

The following rulemakings were withdrawn:

•Pipeline Safety: Adjust Annual Report Filing Timelines (comments),

•Pipeline Safety: Integration of Innovative Remote Sensing Technologies for Right-of-Way Patrols on Gas and Hazardous Liquid Pipelines (comments), and

•Pipeline Safety: Property Damage Definition for Incident Reporting on Gas Pipelines and Accidents on Hazardous Liquid Pipelines (comments).

Note: These three rulemakings were not listed in the earlier post since these were not Standards Update rules. The remote sensing technologies rulemaking was listed in the ‘Short Takes’ post on July 1^st. The other two rulemakings were not covered in this blog.

 

For more information about the rulemakings involved, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/phmsa-updates-23-direct-final-rules - subscription required.