In response to comments and concerns from industry stakeholders, PHMSA recently revised its National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) information collection proposal that was issued over a year ago.
Continue Reading Revised NPMS Proposal Responds to Industry Comments But Issues Remain
September 2015
Pipeline Safety Field Hearing Provides Insight to PHMSA Priorities; Second Hearing Scheduled
As the September 30th deadline for the Pipeline Safety Act reauthorization draws near, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation convened a pipeline safety field hearing in Billings, Montana and recently scheduled a second hearing for September 29th in Washington, DC. …
Continue Reading Pipeline Safety Field Hearing Provides Insight to PHMSA Priorities; Second Hearing Scheduled
Midstream Facility FAQ Guidance Regarding PHMSA/OSHA Regulatory Oversight
New FAQs on PHMSA/OSHA Boundaries for Regulatory Oversight at Midstream Facilities have been developed and presented to PHMSA management for final approval.
Continue Reading Midstream Facility FAQ Guidance Regarding PHMSA/OSHA Regulatory Oversight
Standing on Shaky Ground: Environmental Challenges to Pipeline Projects Falter in Establishing Basis for Suit
Environmental groups often seek to delay or stop pipeline projects by filing legal challenges under various state and federal environmental and/or energy laws. Recent court decisions have illustrated the difficult nature of such challenges, and in particular the difficulty environmental groups have in making a threshold showing of the legal basis for their challenge. An offshoot of the well-established principle that a litigant cannot raise someone else’s rights in court, the legal doctrine of ‘standing’ requires a litigant to demonstrate its interest in an actual case or controversy as a preliminary requirement for a case to be heard and decided in a court of law. In addition, a litigant citing a particular statute as the basis for a lawsuit must establish that it has an interest at stake that is within the ‘zone of interests’ protected by that statute.
Continue Reading Standing on Shaky Ground: Environmental Challenges to Pipeline Projects Falter in Establishing Basis for Suit