US Pipeline Safety Laws and Regulations

Summary

The course will provide an overview of the laws and regulations for ensuring the safety of gas pipelines, hazardous liquid and carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in the United States.  After exploring the key historical forces that led to the development of the modern legal and regulatory framework, delegates will be introduced to the basic principles underlying the national pipeline safety program that exists in the United States, particularly with respect to the functions performed by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the various state agencies that are certified by PHMSA to participate in the program.  

The course will then proceed to a discussion of the specific regulatory programs that apply to gas pipelines, hazardous liquid and CO2 pipelines, and LNG facilities in the United States.  Delegates will be introduced to the core concepts that animate each of these regulatory programs, including reporting requirements and safety standards for the design, construction, testing, operation, maintenance, and integrity management of these facilities.  Finally, the course will conclude with a discussion of recent pipeline-safety-related developments in the United States, including enforcement trends, upcoming regulations, legislative proposals, and other matters of public interest.

Agenda

1. The Past is Prologue, Even for Pipeline Safety
   An overview of the key historical forces that led to the development of the legal and regulatory framework in the United States, including the rise of oil and gas production during the mid-19th century, technical advancements in steelmaking and pipe manufacturing and the emergence of legislative and regulatory requirements during the late-19th and early-20th centuries, the significant expansion of the interstate pipeline network and increase in government oversight in the mid-20th century, and the evolution of the pipeline safety laws and regulations in response to high-profile incidents and accidents in the late 20th and early 21st century.
    
2. The Modern Legal and Regulatory Framework  
   An overview of the basic principles underlying the modern pipeline safety legal and regulatory framework in the United States, including the powers and authorities of PHMSA, the federal agency responsible for administering the national pipeline safety program, the important role that state partners play in prescribing and enforcing pipeline safety regulations, and the effect of the federal preemption provision in the Pipeline Safety Act on state and local regulation of pipeline facilities.
    
3. Gas Pipeline Safety Regulations
   A discussion of the reporting requirements and safety standards in the United States that apply to the design, construction, testing, operation, maintenance, and integrity management of gas gathering, transmission, and distribution pipelines and underground natural gas storage facilities.
    
4. Hazardous Liquid and Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Safety Regulations
   A discussion of the reporting requirements and safety standards in the United States that apply to the design, construction, testing, operation, maintenance, and integrity management of hazardous liquid and CO2 pipelines.
    
5. Reporting Requirements and Safety Standards for LNG Facilities
   A discussion of the reporting requirements and safety standards in the United States that apply to the siting, design, construction, equipment, operation, maintenance, and security of LNG facilities.
    
6. Recent Developments in Pipeline Safety 
   A discussion of recent developments in the US pipeline safety program, including key enforcement trends and cases, a preview of upcoming regulations and legislative proposals, and other matters of public interest.