The U.S. Department of Transportation Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a final rule on August 15, 2016 modifying regulations governing trains hauling crude oil and other flammable materials. See 81 Fed. Reg. 53935.  These changes codifiy certain mandates and minimum requirements set forth in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015 (FAST Act) (Pub. L. No. 114-94), enacted in December 2015.  The full text of the PHMSA rule is available here.
Continue Reading FAST Act Requirements for Flammable Liquids and Rail Tank Cars

In a Federal Register notice made public August 15, 2016, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) issued an advisory bulletin to “all owners and operators . . . of hazardous liquid, carbon dioxide, and gas pipelines, as defined in 49 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 192 and 195” clarifying how pipelines that are no longer in use should be treated. The full text of the bulletin is available here. PHMSA indicated that this advisory is necessary because improperly abandoned pipelines have resulted in pipeline incidents nationwide.
Continue Reading Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Advisory Bulletin Clarifying Terms Relating to Pipeline Operational Status

In response to twenty petitions for rulemaking submitted by the Chlorine Institute, Compressed Gas Association, and other members of the regulated community, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on June 30, 2016 that, if finalized, will amend its hazardous materials regulations to update, clarify, or provide relief from the following miscellaneous regulatory requirements:
Continue Reading Proposed Rulemaking to Amend Hazardous Materials Regulations