[Docket No. PHMSA-2025-0034; Amdt. Nos. 191-34; 192-139; 195-108]
On May 20, 2025, PHMSA updated its Pipeline Safety Regulations (49 CFR parts 186–199) to swap every mention of the “Gulf of Mexico” for the “Gulf of America,” matching the president’s January 20 Order. It’s just a name swap—no new rules, no extra costs—and it’s effective immediately.
This change follows Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness,” which asked the Interior Secretary to rename the Gulf. After Secretary’s Order 3423 on February 7 and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names update, the Coast Guard finalized its renaming on March 17, 2025.
PHMSA made these edits as simple editorial fixes, so there was no need for notice‑and‑comment. Operators don’t have to hunt down and rewrite maps or manuals that say “Gulf of Mexico,” though they can update those references during their next routine review.
For a copy of the Final Rule, please message Jessica Foley.