PHMSA will hold a virtual public meeting on September 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. ET to present the results of agency-funded research focused on tank foundation and floor designs and improved corrosion control.

The research evaluated different tank foundations, bottom designs, and corrosion control equipment to identify methods and best practices for:

• Monitoring and controlling corrosion
• Detecting leaks
• Preventing damage caused by leaks
• Improving the safety and reliability of breakout tanks and other aboveground storage tanks

The project is intended to help establish clearer practices for the design and maintenance of aboveground storage tanks while improving their safety, reliability, and service life.

Interested parties can register and access the meeting agenda through PHMSA’s Public Meetings Registration page. PHMSA has also made the project’s final report and additional research information available through its Pipeline Safety Research & Development Program.

PHMSA has been called on to clarify a familiar pipeline jurisdiction question: When does a pipeline stop being regulated in transportation and become customer-owned piping?

Martin Operating Partnership has requested a formal interpretation involving a 1.8-mile natural gas line in Odessa, Texas. The Railroad Commission of Texas currently treats the line as transmission, but Martin argues that it falls outside 49 CFR Part 192 because it is downstream of the customer sales meter and carries gas solely for Martin’s own consumption.

The facts make the question particularly interesting. The line serves a single industrial facility, operates at 20 psig or less, has no downstream customers or delivery points, and does not resell or redistribute gas.
Martin has asked PHMSA to determine that the segment is customer-owned consumption piping and therefore not subject to Part 192. If PHMSA disagrees, Martin is asking for an alternative determination that the line is a distribution service line rather than a transmission line.

PHMSA’s response could offer useful clarification for operators facing similar questions about customer meters, industrial laterals, large-volume customers, and the boundaries of Part 192 jurisdiction.

Do you have questions? RCP’s SMEs have the answers. Information will be posted here for questions we often get from clients or discussions we have with regulators regarding interpretations and pending regulatory deadlines.

Q: If a contractor has their own OQ program, is the pipeline operator still responsible for verifying their qualifications?

A: Yes. The operator is responsible for ensuring that anyone performing a covered task on its pipeline is qualified under the operator’s OQ program requirements. If a contractor uses their own OQ program, the operator must verify that it satisfies the operator’s requirements and document the contractor’s qualifications.

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