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
NTSB
Distribution Excess Flow Valve Rule Finalized
PHMSA released a pre-publication copy of its final rule expanding requirements for excess flow valves in natural gas distribution service pipelines. …
Continue Reading Distribution Excess Flow Valve Rule Finalized
Oil Spill Response Planning Developments
PHMSA’s oil spill response regulations have been subject to increased scrutiny by Congress, the NTSB and citizen groups since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon and Marshall, Michigan incidents. …
Continue Reading Oil Spill Response Planning Developments
Crude by Rail Developments
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.
Continue Reading Crude by Rail Developments
PHMSA Announces Public Workshop on Safety Management Systems
The Agency announced a public workshop to discuss the voluntary Pipeline Safety Management Systems (SMS) national consensus standard on April 22, 2015 in Houston, Texas. This standard, Recommended Practice (RP) 1173, has been in development by the American Petroleum Institute (API) for some time now as a result of the NTSB’s Investigation of the Marshall, Michigan incident. …
Continue Reading PHMSA Announces Public Workshop on Safety Management Systems
NTSB Issues Safety Study Critical of PHMSA Gas Integrity Management Program
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB or the Board) recently released a Safety Study on the need for safety improvements to the natural gas Integrity Management Program (IMP). …
Continue Reading NTSB Issues Safety Study Critical of PHMSA Gas Integrity Management Program
Pipeline Law 2015: The Year Of Living Uncertainly
The US oil and gas industry has been transformed over the past few years by development of new shale resources. The US is now the world’s largest producer of natural gas and on track to be the world’s largest producer of oil. These changes have affected America’s energy future, as well as global markets.
Continue Reading Pipeline Law 2015: The Year Of Living Uncertainly
The Pipeline Safety Management Standard (Draft API RP 1173): What It Means to Operators
In 2012, following a 2010 oil pipeline accident in Marshall, Michigan, NTSB recommended that API develop a pipeline Safety Management Standard (SMS). …
Continue Reading The Pipeline Safety Management Standard (Draft API RP 1173): What It Means to Operators
Pipeline Crack Detection and R&D Public Workshops Announced
PHMSA and the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR) announced a public workshop to be held on August 5, 2014, to discuss challenges associated with detecting and characterizing crack-like defects in oil and gas pipelines (e.g., environmentally assisted cracks and cracks associated with corrosion). …
Continue Reading Pipeline Crack Detection and R&D Public Workshops Announced
PHMSA Issues Advisory Bulletin Regarding 2010 Marshall, Michigan Release
Almost four years after the Enbridge crude oil spill near Marshall, Michigan, PHMSA issued an Advisory Bulletin urging operators to evaluate their safety programs and implement changes to eliminate deficiencies identified by the NTSB’s investigation of the release. …
Continue Reading PHMSA Issues Advisory Bulletin Regarding 2010 Marshall, Michigan Release