PHMSA 07-25
Contact: PHMSA Public Affairs, PHMSAPublicAffairs@dot.gov  

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today announced the release of an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public comment on updates to repair criteria for gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipelines. This effort marks the second in a series of high-priority PHMSA actions aimed at implementing the President’s “Unleashing American Energy” Executive Order.

“Pipeline safety technology and best practices have advanced significantly, and our regulations should keep pace,” said PHMSA Acting Administrator Ben Kochman. “Modernizing pipeline repair requirements will encourage innovation and improve the safety and efficiency of energy infrastructure throughout the country.”  

Many of the existing repair criteria have remained unchanged for more than 40 years, despite the significant evolution of Federal pipeline safety regulations related to design, testing, operations, maintenance, and emergency response through the rulemaking process.

The Repair Criteria ANPRM is the latest in a series of planned regulatory actions that are just the beginning of PHMSA’s efforts to support the production and expansion of American energy resources. These regulatory changes are projected to save hundreds of millions of dollars in regulatory costs.  

The full text of the Repair Criteria ANPRM is available in the Federal Register.  

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s mission is to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives.  Please visit https://www.phmsa.dot.gov for more information.

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