A statement from GPA Midstream Vice President, Federal Affairs Stuart Saulters:
GPA Midstream and its members appreciate the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)’s work to modernize pipeline safety regulations. Safety is of paramount importance to GPA Midstream’s members, who have invested for decades in researching, developing, and deploying innovative technologies and analytical tools to manage assets safely and efficiently. Regulations can deliver improved safety outcomes by incorporating the knowledge resulting from this significant effort.
PHMSA’s emphasis on performance-based standards is evident in its recent class location regulation announcement, which reflects two decades of experience issuing special permits and acknowledges innovations in integrity management. The agency’s new rules replace a 1970s-era one-size-fits-all approach and allows operators to align resources with meaningful pipeline safety activities based on advanced inspection data.
The midstream industry also is pleased to see the agency and the Trump administration push to keep energy costs affordable for American families without compromising operational safety.
We look forward to continuing to collaborate with PHMSA to develop a regulatory environment that empowers midstream companies to safely deliver the reliable, affordable, and cleaner energy needed to meet rising demand.
