• PHMSA is an agency within the DOT that establishes policy, sets and enforces standards, and gathers and communicates information regarding the safe transportation of energy and hazardous materials.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) mission is to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives. To accomplish this, PHMSA establishes national policy, sets and enforces standards, educates, and conducts research to prevent incidents. PHMSA also prepares the public and first responders to reduce consequences if an incident should occur.

PHMSA has five primary goals that it keeps in mind when developing new regulations or revising older ones:

1. Safety: To reduce the risk of harm to people due to the transportation of hazardous materials by pipelines and other modes.
2. Environmental stewardship: To reduce the risk of harm to the environment due to the transportation of oil and hazardous materials by pipeline and other modes.
3. Reliability: To help maintain and improve the reliability of systems that deliver energy products and other hazardous materials.
4. Global connectivity: To harmonize and standardize the requirements for pipeline and hazardous materials transportation internationally, and to facilitate efficient and safe transportation through ports of entry and through the supply chain.
5. Preparedness and response: To reduce the consequences (harm to people, environment, and economy) after a pipeline or hazmat failure.

Historical note

PHMSA is a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) agency. It was created under the Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement Act of 2004. This act changed the agency’s name from Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) to Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA).

PHMSA is composed of two safety offices that are responsible for regulating the safe movement of hazardous materials.

Office of Hazardous Materials Safety

The Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS) develops and recommends regulatory changes governing the multimodal transportation of hazardous materials. It develops long- and short-term plans, schedules hazardous materials regulatory actions, and carries them out in accordance with the plan. When proposed regulations apply only to a single mode of transportation, OHMS develops and coordinates those regulations with the appropriate operating administration.

OHMS responds to requests for interpretation of regulations, inconsistency rulings, and non-preemption determinations. OHMS also conducts public hearings in conjunction with regulatory changes, issues special permits where needed (consulting with the DOT as appropriate), and makes final determinations on registration approvals and reconsideration petitions.

OHMS’s primary duty is to develop regulatory policy options and initiatives based on social, economic, technological, environmental, and safety impacts of regulatory, legislative, or program activities that involve hazardous materials transportation. The office participates fully in policy determinations and implements guidance for approved policies within its authority.

Office of Pipeline Safety

The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) administers the national regulatory program to ensure the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operation of the nation’s natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline transportation system. OPS develops regulations and other approaches to risk management to assure safety in design, construction, testing, operation, maintenance, and emergency response of pipeline facilities. Since 1986, the entire pipeline safety program has been funded by a user fee assessed on a per-mile basis on each pipeline operator OPS regulates.

OPS also:

• Supports and coordinates with the United States Coast Guard on the National Response Center.
• Serves as a DOT liaison with the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on matters involving pipeline safety.
• Develops and maintains partnerships with other federal, state, and local agencies; public interest groups; tribal governments; and the regulated industry and other underground utilities to address threats to pipeline integrity, service, and reliability and to share responsibility for the safety of communities.
• Administers pipeline safety regulatory programs and establishes the regulatory agenda.
  • Develops regulatory policy options and initiatives.
  • Researches, analyzes, and documents social, economic, technological, environmental, safety, and security impacts upon existing/proposed regulatory, legislative, or program activities involving pipeline safety.
• Supports the development and conduct of pipeline safety training programs for federal and state regulatory and compliance staff and the pipeline industry.