[RIN No. 2105-AE80]
In accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015, this final rule provides the 2019 inflation adjustment to civil penalty amounts that may be imposed for violations of certain DOT regulations. PHMSA’s 2019 civil penalty adjustments are summarized in the chart below (49 CFR Part 190 Administrative practice and procedure, penalties, pipeline safety).
| Maximum Penalty for: | Existing Penalty | New Penalty |
| Hazardous materials violation | $79,976 | $81,993 |
| Hazardous materials violation that results in death, serious illness/injury or substantial destruction of property | $186,610 | $191,316 |
| Hazardous materials training violations | $481 | $493 |
| Each pipeline safety violation | $213,268 | $218,647 |
| A related series of pipeline safety violations | $2,132,679 | $2,186,465 |
| LNG pipeline safety violation | $77,910 | $79,875 |
| Discrimination against employees providing pipeline safety information | $1,239 | $1,270 |
This Final Rule is effective July 31, 2019. For a copy of the Notice from the Federal Register regarding these Civil Penalty adjustments, contact Jessica Foley.
Gas Mega-Rule Support
Are you ready for the three pending gas transmission and gathering regulations? RCP has been heavily involved throughout this rulemaking process and is ready to assist operators as they get prepared. Whether it’s a deep dive into MAOP records reconfirmation, assessing where your Moderate Consequence Areas exist, reviewing existing pipeline integrity programs, developing action plans to get into compliance, or simply providing training to your team on what’s coming, RCP can help. Visit www.rcp.com or contact Jessica Foley for more information.