PHMSA’s Social Equity Mapping Tools provide a state-by-state analysis of reportable pipeline incidents and accidents where users can view the cause of pipeline failures, the operator of that line, and the communities affected by the incident. You can access the pipeline tools from the PHMSA website at Pipeline Data Visualization Overview. The tools use GIS technology…
August 2023
PHMSA Pipeline Safety R&D Public Meeting Oct 31 – Nov 1, 2023
[Docket No. PHMSA-2023-0056] PHMSA announced the 2023 Pipeline Safety Research and Development Forum will be held October 31–November 1, 2023, at the Westin Crystal City, Reagan National Airport, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA. PHMSA Pipeline Safety R&D Forum is held to generate a national research agenda that identifies technical challenges; foster solutions to improve pipeline…
Did you know?
DID YOU KNOW? Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) members work continuously to improve practices that minimize methane emissions from interstate natural gas transmission and storage operations in a prudent and environmentally responsible manner. INGAA’s 2021 Methane Emissions Commitments outline actions the membership take on a regular basis in order to continue to reduce…
Q&A Section
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, interpretations and pending regulatory deadlines. Q: Can a refined products pipeline be considered a liquid gathering line if it is 8” or less in diameter and starts at…
The Enforcement Corner
The Enforcement Corner summarizes recent PHMSA enforcement actions, indicating where PHMSA is putting its enforcement efforts and the fines they are proposing for various types of violations. In June 2023, PHMSA issued 4 NOAs, 7 NOPVs, and 4 WLs accompanied by $3,429,512 in proposed fines. Significant proposed fines were attributed to the following code sections:…
Pipeline Fines Trending Up… a lot?!
Mike Soraghan with “E&E News” noted in a recent Energywire article that PHMSA’s fines for pipeline safety violations have trended significantly higher in the past couple of years. Per the article: “Federal civil penalties for pipeline safety violations topped $10 million for the first time in 2021 and rose again last year to $11.6 million.…
PHMSA Announces 2023 Gas Property Damage Reporting Threshold
PHMSA is updating the property damage threshold used in the definition of a gas pipeline incident in §191.3 to $139,700. This new threshold is effective on July 1, 2023. On January 11, 2021, PHMSA published the final rule, “Pipeline Safety: Gas Pipeline Regulatory Reform.” This rule revised the threshold for reporting of gas incidents by…
PHMSA Technical Corrections to Valve Installation and Minimum Rupture Detection
[Docket No. PHMSA-2013-0255, Amdt. Nos. 192-134, 195-106] PHMSA issued editorial and technical corrections clarifying the regulations in its April 8, 2022, final rule titled “Pipeline Safety: Requirement of Valve Installation and Minimum Rupture Detection Standards” for certain gas, hazardous liquid, and carbon dioxide pipelines. (See related article in the June 2022 edition of the “DOT…