On February 19, 2002, OPS administrator Ellen Engleman told the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit that she is working diligently to better enforce regulatory mandates that government officials and consumer groups say have been neglected for far too long. “I am determined to wipe the slate clean within 12 months,” she said. “At the beginning of my tenure, there were 65 outstanding mandates and recommendations. We are making progress on the congressional mandates, completing four important rulemakings last month on integrity management, repair, and accident reporting and corrosion control for hazardous liquid pipelines.” She predicted that by month’s end OPS will have dealt with nearly 50% of the remaining National Transportation Safety Board, Inspector General, and General Accounting Office recommendations in a “meaningful way.”
So – expect more rulemakings from the DOT / OPS in the near future! For example, the proposed rule for natural gas pipeline integrity management may be issued in April or May, 2002.