PHMSA's Office of Pipeline Safety maintains a public copy of its Section 4 Administrative Enforcement Processes on the website here. This document details each decision point and step in our enforcement process from initiation of a case to closure. In the decade since this document was made public, PHMSA has accepted ad hoc feedback from stakeholders and, at times, incorporated edits.

For the first time, the agency is seeking input from stakeholders on opportunities to improve these processes through a transparent, open process. For the next 30 days, we will be accepting feedback on this document at phmsaenforcement@dot.gov. All comments should be submitted by April 23, 2026. 

At the conclusion of this process, we will publish a redline highlighting any changes made. If PHMSA relies on a comment to support an edit, we may make that comment public if we believe it is helpful. We look forward to reviewing submissions and appreciate stakeholder engagement on this important topic.