On June 3, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao sent Congress a legislative proposal to reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Along with funding for the agency for 2020 to 2023, there were provisions included to prioritize safety, promote innovation, and encourage reliable energy infrastructure in the United States. Secretary Chao stated, “The Department looks forward to working with Congress to pass a robust pipeline safety reauthorization bill that will strengthen the safety of critical energy transportation infrastructure.”
Of most importance to APGA members is the sections stemming from the incident in Merrimack Valley, Mass., last fall. Specifically, PHMSA Administrator Skip Elliott said, “This proposal renews our commitment to pipeline safety by encouraging innovation and greater stakeholder collaboration, as well as by clarifying certain pipeline replacement practices for local distribution systems to help prevent future incidents.” The proposal will require gas distribution pipeline operators to provide an additional means of overpressure protection for regulator stations serving low pressure distribution systems and that employ the primary and monitor regulator design. Another proposal asks PHMSA to develop a rulemaking for pipeline operators regarding management of change procedures for pipeline tie-ins.
In response to the submission by PHMSA, APGA issued a press release that can be found
here. Bert Kalisch, APGA’s President and CEO, stated "We are pleased to see the Department of Transportation release their pipeline safety reauthorization legislative proposal. Pipeline safety is the number one priority for APGA members and something we strive to improve upon every day. APGA looks forward to working with Congress and the Administration to reauthorize PHMSA and ensure the continued safe operation of our nation’s pipeline infrastructure.”
APGA staff is reviewing and welcomes input from members. The House and Senate Committees with oversight of PHMSA have held hearings, but the timeline for the legislation moving forward remains unknown. The proposal can be found at
this website.
For questions on this article, please contact Stuart Saulters of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-2742 or by email at
ssaulters@apga.org.