About Pipelines
The Office of Pipeline Safety collaborates and coordinates extensively with other federal agencies that share similar goals and objectives.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)
U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
The NTSB investigates accidents involving railroads, pipelines, and the transportation of hazardous materials by other transportation modes. On the basis of its investigations, the NTSB issues safety recommendations to federal and state regulatory agencies, industry and safety standards organizations, carriers and pipeline operators, equipment and container manufacturers, producers and shippers of hazardous materials, and emergency response organizations. More about NTSB…
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
FERC is an independent agency that regulates certain economic aspects of the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity. FERC also regulates natural gas and hydropower projects. Relative to pipelines, FERC approves both the siting and abandonment of interstate natural gas pipelines, as well as fuel storage and liquefied natural gas facilities. FERC also oversees environmental matters related to natural gas projects. More about FERC…
The Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 instructed the Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to "carry out a program of research, development, demonstration and standardization to ensure the integrity of pipeline facilities." More about DOE…
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
It is the goal of NIST’s Pipeline Safety Division to provide standard test methods and critical data to the pipeline industry to improve safety and reliability. NIST is developing new methods to test certain materials to enable pipeline designers to better predict fracture dynamics and make better informed material selections. In 2012, PHMSA announced the development of new technology for inspecting pipeline integrity, a direct result of collaboration with DOE and NIST. More about NIST…
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
The Surface Pipeline Security Branch within the Transportation Security Administration’s Office of Security Policy and Industry Engagement (OSPIE) has one clear mission – to enhance the security preparedness of the nation's hazardous liquid and natural gas pipeline systems. More about DHS…
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)
BSEE is within the U.S. Department of the Interior. The OCS Lands Act authorizes and requires BSEE to provide for both an annual scheduled inspection and a periodic unscheduled (unannounced) inspection of all oil and gas operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The annual inspection examines all safety equipment designed to prevent blowouts, fires, spills, or other major accidents. More about BSEE…
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
BLM manages vast stretches of public lands that have the potential to make significant contributions to the Nation’s renewable energy portfolio. This gives BLM a leading role in fulfilling the Administration’s goals for a new energy economy based on a rapid and responsible move to large-scale production of solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy. The BLM also manages Federal onshore oil, gas and coal operations that make significant contributions to the domestic energy supply as the Nation transitions to a clean energy future. More about BLM…
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
FWS is responsible for assisting other federal agencies and the public in the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats, pursuant to the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. FWS has specific responsibilities in implementing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Federal agencies with permit authority over pipeline construction and repair, and the applicants for such work, are required to consult with FWS on projects that could affect resources under its purview. More about FWS…
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard both enforce Section 311 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), which includes actions against oil spills in violation of the Act. EPA’s enforcement efforts address oil spills on large transportation pipelines that are subject to regulations issued by the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The EPA works closely with PHMSA to ensure that investments to improve environmental performance (injunctive relief) sought in an enforcement action to prevent future oil spills does not conflict with PHMSA’s regulatory requirements. More about EPA…
Among other responsibilities, the U. S. Coast Guard is responsible for safety, engineering and safety standards and facility inspections at our nation's deepwater ports, under the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (as amended). The Maritime Safety Security Act of 2002 extended the definition of deepwater ports to include natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities. More about USCG…