On April 24, 2026, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published 40 rulemaking actions to update, clarify, or amend federal pipeline safety regulations (49 C.F.R. Parts 190–199). These include:
- 13 Final Rules;
- 12 Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM); and
- 15 Direct Final Rules.
- Note: Comments on both the NPRMs and Direct Final Rules are due on or before June 23, 2026.
The Final Rules made editorial and technical corrections to Parts 191, 192, and 195, most of which become effective August 3, 2026.
The NPRMs would impact operators of natural gas, hazardous liquid, carbon dioxide (CO2), liquefied natural gas, and underground storage facilities. Proposals include:
- Authorization of remote sensing technologies (drones, satellites) for rights-of-way patrols on gas transmission, hazardous liquid, and CO2 pipelines;
- Raising the incident and accident reporting thresholds;
- Allowing hazardous liquid and CO2 operators to set their own valve inspection intervals up to 15 months; and
- Permitting remote monitoring of cathodic protection rectifiers on hazardous liquid and CO2 systems.
Comments on the NPRMs are due June 23, 2026.
The Direct Final Rules update incorporated-by-reference industry standards into Parts 192 and 195. They will become effective January 1, 2027, unless adverse comments are received on or before June 23, 2026, in which case PHMSA will withdraw the direct final rule and publish an NPRM. Pipeline operators should carefully review the direct final rules incorporating updated industry standards, as any operator that incorporates those standards into its integrity management or operations and maintenance procedures will need to ensure its written programs are updated to reflect the new editions before the January 1, 2027 effective date.
The full text of these rulemaking actions can be found at PHMSA’s website.
Beatty & Wozniak’s regulatory and midstream teams are available to assist clients in assessing the impact of these rulemakings on their operations, evaluating whether to submit comments, and updating compliance programs accordingly.
For more information, please contact Ahuva Battams, Theresa Sauer, Tyler Weidlich, or Miguel Suazo.