PHMSA NTSB Recommendations
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is required by law to respond to safety recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating transportation incidents. Recommendations usually address a specific issue uncovered during an investigation or study and specify how to correct the situation.
Open Recommendations
The NTSB classifications for open recommendations:
OAA - Open Acceptable Action
OAAR - Open Acceptable Alternate Response
OUA - Open Unacceptable Response
ORR - Open Response Received
OAR - Open Await Response
IRR - Initial Response Received
Mode
A - Air
H - Highway
P - Pipeline
R - Rail
Currently Open Recommendations
| Recommendation Number |
Description | Issue Date |
|---|---|---|
| H-04-023 | Nurse Tank Inspections; OUA | July 1, 2004 |
| H-11-005 | Cargo Tank Performance Standards; OAA | September 2, 2011 |
| H-11-006 | Cargo Tank Performance Standards; OAA | September 2, 2011 |
| M-21-14 | Eliminate the exceptions provided in Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 176.905(i) for used and damaged flammable-liquid-powered vehicles transported by roll-on/roll-off vehicle carriers; OAR | December 16, 2021 |
| P-11-009 | PG&E Rupture - Immediate 911 Notifications; OAAR | September 26, 2011 |
| P-11-010 | PG&E Rupture - Equipping SCADA Systems; OAA | September 26, 2011 |
| P-11-011 | PG&E Rupture - Installing ACVs or RCVs; OAA | September 26, 2011 |
| P-12-003 | Enbridge - Engineering Assessment of Cracks; OUA | July 25, 2012 |
| P-19-14 | Require overpressure protection for low pressure natural gas distribution systems that cannot be defeated by a single operator error or equipment failure; OAA | October 24, 2019 |
| P-21-01 | Expand incident reporting requirements in 49 CFR Part 191 so that events that may meet the definition of "incident" are immediately reported to the National Response Center even when source of natural gas has not been determined; OAAR | Feburary 8, 2021 |
| P-21-02 | As of 7/8/22, Evaluate industry's implementation of the gas distribution pipeline integrity management requirements and develop updated guidance for improving their effectiveness; OAA | Feburary 8, 2021 |
| P-21-03 | Assist the Railroad Commission of Texas in conducting the audit recommended in Safety Recommendation P-21-4; OAA | Feburary 8, 2021 |
| P-21-18 | In collaboration with Coastal and Marine Operators and the Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety, develop recommended practices and processes for pipeline operators and dredging companies to obtain and use accurate pipeline location data during planning and one-call locating activities for pipelines both in and near project locations; OAA | December 21, 2021 |
| P-21-19 | In collaboration with Coastal and Marine Operators and the Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety, develop guidance for 2 excavators to clearly identify proposed dredging boundaries for dredging projects before notifying one-call centers by either physically marking the boundaries where practicable, or identifying the boundary with accurate location data; OAA | December 21, 2021 |
| P-21-20 | Include criteria for minimum tolerance or safety zones for dredging in state pipeline safety program evaluation guidelines; OAA | December 21, 2021 |
| R-07-004 | Immediate Notification to Emergency Responders; OAA | April 25, 2007 |
| R-12-007 | Adoption of American Association of Railroads (AAR) center sill or draft sill attachment designs; OAA | March 2, 2012 |
| R-14-014 | Commodity Flow Data and Emergency Response Plan Development; OUA | August 22, 2014 |
| P-15-017 | Evaluate relationship between incident occurences; OAA | February 10, 2015 |
| R-17-001 | Evaluate risks posed to train review re: separation distance; OAA | March 9, 2017 |
| R-17-002 | Withdraw regulatory interpretation for positioning placarded rail cars; OAA | March 9, 2017 |
| P-17-001 | Work with pipeline trade and standards organizations to modify pipeline dent acceptance; OAA | June 15, 2017 |
| P-17-002 | Require operators to either (a) repair all excavated dent defects or (b) install a local leak detection system; OUA | June 15, 2017 |
| H-18-003 | With FMCSA, develop and implement process to ensure cargo tank inspectors able to verify safety; OUA | January 30, 2018 |
| H-18-004 | With FMCSA incorporate by reference registered inspector training requirements for cargo tanks inspectors; OAA | January 30, 2018 |
| H-18-005 | With FMCSA permit suspension or revocation of registration of highway cargo tank inspectors; OAA | January 30, 2018 |
| R-19-002 | Prohibit the use of those tank cars transporting poison inhalation hazard/toxic inhalation hazard materials that are constructed of nonnormalized steels and not constructed of steels meeting the highest available fracture toughness specifications; OAA | February 14, 2019 |
| P-19-001 | Require that all new service regulators be installed outside occupied structures; OAAR | June 10, 2019 |
| P-19-002 | Require existing interior service regulators be relocated outside occupied structures whenever the gas service line, meter, or regulator is replaced. In addition, multifamily structures should be prioritized over single-family dwellings; OAAR | June 10, 2019 |
| H-19-018 | Revise ERG for Hydrogen, and Guidance for Incident Management for Fuel Cell Technology; OAAR | November 19, 2019 |
| H-19-019 | Require requalification inspections for tube trailer special permits; OAA | November 19, 2019 |
| H-19-020 | Require inspections of cylinder PRD pressure ratings, and inspection and testing of PRD venting equipment; OAA | November 19, 2019 |
| H-19-021 | Develop guidance with CGA for tube trailer PRD vent systems; OAA | November 19, 2019 |
| R-20-001 | Railcar maximum coupling speeds and impact mass limits; OAR | March 24, 2020 |
| R-20-002 | Structural integrity inspection of tank cars in high-energy coupling events; OAR | March 24, 2020 |
| R-20-003 | Identify tank cars sustaining high energy coupling events; OAR | March 24, 2020 |
| R-20-004 | Monitor tank cars to remove those damaged by high energy coupling from service; OAR | March 24, 2020 |
| A-20-031 | Low production or prototype lithium-ion batteries ICAO proposal; IRR | June 8, 2020 |
| A-20-032 | Remove cargo air transport exception for low-production or prototype batteries; IRR | June 8, 2020 |
Last updated: Thursday, July 21, 2022