PHMSA recently issued pre-publication copies of several rules and notices, which have now been formally published in the Federal Register, triggering various deadlines.
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Emergency Order
Emergency Order Interim Regulations Released
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Taking the first step to implement its new emergency order authority, PHMSA has issued an interim final rule which will be effective immediately upon publication in the Federal Register. Final rules must be issued by March 19, 2017, but PHMSA will accept and consider comments filed within 60 days of publication. …
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Pipeline Safety Legislation Headed for the President’s Signature
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Congress has approved amendments to the Pipeline Safety Act (PSA), reauthorizing PHMSA’s pipeline safety program through 2019. The bill is expected to reach the President’s desk soon to be signed into law. S. 2276 was approved in the House of Representatives by voice vote in the first week of June, representing a compromise between two House committees on several topics. The Senate took up the bill and approved it by unanimous vote on June 13, 2016.
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Legislative Action on Transportation and Energy Bills
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Several legislative developments of significance to the pipeline and energy transportation industries are in progress, with the introduction of a bipartisan pipeline safety reauthorization bill in the House, the passage of a bipartisan energy bill in the Senate, and the passage of a bill in the Senate that provides for the use of drones to monitor pipelines and other energy infrastructure.
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Crude by Rail Developments
By Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP on
In response to recent crude by rail incidents in the United States and Canada, Congress, PHMSA, NTSB, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and even some railroads have proposed improvements in safety standards for trains transporting crude oil.
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New Emergency Order and Safety Advisory Affecting Crude Shipments by Rail
By Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP on
The DOT has issued an Emergency Order requiring that railroads operating trains carrying more than 1,000,000 gallons of Bakken crude oil (approximately 35 tank cars) in a particular state must notify the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) of the expected movement of such trains through the counties in that state. …
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DOT Amends Emergency Order Affecting Crude Shipments by Rail
By Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP on
In response to concerns raised by shippers, on March 6, 2014, DOT amended its recent Emergency Order (see prior pipelinelaw alert) imposing certain testing and classification requirements on all persons who offer crude for transport by rail in the U.S. …
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DOT Emergency Order Affects Crude Shipments by Rail
By Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP on
In response to a string of recent accidents and subsequent investigations regarding the shipment of crude oil by rail, DOT issued an Emergency Order on February 25, 2014, requiring that crude shipped by rail be tested and properly classified prior to shipment. …
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