The Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report criticizing PHMSA’s implementation of Congressional mandates and recommendations from the NTSB, GAO and the OIG itself.
Continue Reading OIG Finds Insufficient Oversight and Coordination by PHMSA
GAO
GAO Recommends that DOT Address Risks from Unregulated Gathering Pipelines
In response to a request from Congress to study the impact of shale oil and gas development on transportation infrastructure and safety, the Government Accounting Office (GAO) recently published a report commenting on these developments and focusing on DOT’s response to address safety risks posed by rail and pipeline transportation. …
Continue Reading GAO Recommends that DOT Address Risks from Unregulated Gathering Pipelines
GAO Issues Report on Natural Gas Permitting Processes
In response to the PSA amendments of 2011, GAO reviewed permitting processes for both interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline projects given the recent increase in pipelines needed to manage the growth in domestic natural gas production. While the report does not make any particular recommendations, it does examine the various permit processes necessary to…
GAO Releases Report Regarding Pipeline Operator Responses to Incidents in HCAs
As required by the 2012 amendments to the Pipeline Safety Act, the Government Accounting Office (GAO) released a report examining the ability of transmission pipeline operators to respond to releases in high consequence areas (HCAs). The report titled, “Better Data and Guidance Needed to Improve Pipeline Operator Incident Response,” concludes that (1) DOT should improve…
PHMSA Issues Reports in Compliance with Pipeline Safety Act Amendments
In compliance with the January 3, 2013 deadlines set forth in the Pipeline Safety Act amendments passed last January, PHMSA recently made several new reports and guidance documents available. In addition to the water crossings report discussed above, PHMSA issued interim guidance regarding the meaning of “new or novel technologies or design” that triggers cost…
GAO issues report finding that data collection and information sharing with regard to unregulated gathering pipelines could enhance safety
In a report issued on March 22, 2012, GAO found that gathering pipelines could present an increased safety risk based on encroaching development due to land use changes and the development of new gathering lines for shale deposit extraction, some of which are larger in diameter and operate at a higher pressure than older pipelines.…
GAO releases report on low-stress natural gas transmission pipelines
The Government Accounting Office (GAO) has released its report, ‘Safety Effects of Less Prescriptive Requirements for Low-Stress Natural Gas Transmission Pipelines Are Uncertain’ to Congress. In response Congress’s request, GAO analyzed whether the integrity requirements for distribution lines should also apply to low-stress transmission pipelines due to their similar operating pressures. GAO concluded that the…