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Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

{{Short description|United States government agency}}

{{Infobox government agency

| name = Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

| type = Department

| logo = File:USDOT - Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration - Logo.svg

| logo_size = 140 px

| logo_caption = Logo of the PHMSA

| seal = United States Department of Transportation seal.svg

| seal_size = 140 px

| seal_caption = Seal of the United States Department of Transportation

| image = Usdot headquarters.jpg

| image_size =

| image_caption = Headquarters of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

| formed = {{Start date and age|2004|7|1}}

| preceding1 =

| dissolved =

| superseding =

| jurisdiction = Federal government of the United States

| headquarters = 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, D.C. 20590

| coordinates = {{coord|38|52|32.92|N|77|0|10.26|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| employees = 500 (approx.) (Nov. 2017)

| budget = $244.5 million USD (FY2015, enacted)[https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/DOT_BH2017_508%5B2%5D.pdf FY 2017 Department of Transportation Budget Request] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429182605/https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/DOT_BH2017_508%5B2%5D.pdf |date=April 29, 2017 }}, pg 7, United States Department of Transportation, Accessed 2019-9-8

| chief1_name = Ben Kochman

| chief1_position = Acting Administrator

| chief2_name = Ben Kochman

| chief2_position = Deputy Administrator

| chief3_name = Howard "Mac" McMillan

| chief3_position = Executive Director

| parent_department = United States Department of Transportation

| parent_agency =

| child1_agency = Office of Pipeline Safety

| child2_agency = Office of Hazardous Materials Safety

| website = {{URL|phmsa.dot.gov}}

| footnotes =

| map =

| map_size =

| map_caption =

}}

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is a United States Department of Transportation agency created in 2004, responsible for developing and enforcing regulations for the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound transportation of energy and other hazardous materials. It is in charge of overseeing about 3.4 million miles of pipelines - accounting for 65% of the energy consumed in the U.S. - and regulating the nearly 1 million daily shipments of hazardous materials by land, sea, and air. This includes pipelines carrying carbon dioxide Carbon capture and utilization).

PHMSA's safety programs are housed in the Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) and the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS). PHMSA is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

PHMSA was created within the U.S. Department of Transportation under the Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement Act of 2004,{{cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-118/html/STATUTE-118-Pg2423.htm|title=United States Statutes at Large, Volume 118, 108th Congress, 2nd Session|publisher=Gpo.gov|access-date=30 November 2014}} which then-United States President George W. Bush signed into law on November 30, 2004. Its mission is to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to the people's daily lives.{{Cite web |title=PHMSA's Mission {{!}} PHMSA |url=https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/about-phmsa/phmsas-mission |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=www.phmsa.dot.gov}}

History

Prior to 2005 the U.S. Department of Transportation had no focused research organization and no separately operating administration for pipeline safety and hazardous materials transportation safety in the United States. The Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement Act of 2004 provided these, with an opportunity to establish mode government budget and information practices in support of then president George Bush's "Management Agenda" initiatives.{{Cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/senate-bill/2952/text|title=Text - S.2952 - 108th Congress (2003-2004): Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement Act|last=John|first=McCain|date=2004-10-08|website=www.congress.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-04-05}} Prior to the Special Programs Act of 2004, PHMSA's hazmat and pipeline safety programs were housed within the Transportation Department's Research and Special Programs Administration, known as RSPA.{{Cite web|url=https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/research-and-special-programs-administration|title=Agencies - Research and Special Programs Administration|website=Federal Register|access-date=2018-04-05}}

Office of Hazardous Materials Safety

The Office of Hazardous Materials Safety is responsible for the oversight of the safe transportation of hazardous materials by air, rail, highway, and vessel. More than 3.3 billion tons of hazardous materials valued at more than $1.9 trillion are transported annually by air, highway, rail, and vessel across the United States. On average, more than 1.2 million hazardous materials shipments occur every day. This includes everything from nuclear waste to lithium-ion batteries, to explosives used in excavation, mining, and energy production. The program establishes policy, standards and regulations for classifying, packaging, hazard communication, handling, training and transporting hazardous materials via air, highway, rail and vessel. The program uses inspection, enforcement, outreach and incident analysis in efforts to reduce incidents, minimize fatalities and injuries, mitigate the consequences of incidents that occur, train and prepare first responders, and enhance safety.{{Cite web |title=PHMSA CJ FY 2023 Estimates {{!}} US Department of Transportation |url=https://www.transportation.gov/mission/budget/phmsa-cj-fy-2023-estimates |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=www.transportation.gov}}

Office of Pipeline Safety

File:NPMS Gas Transmission and Hazardous Liquid Pipelines in the United States.jpg

As of 2022, the Office of Pipeline Safety regulated an expansive network of about 3.4 million miles of natural gas pipeline system in the United States and its hazardous liquid pipelines.{{Cite web |title=Natural gas pipelines - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) |url=https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/natural-gas-pipelines.php |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=www.eia.gov}}{{cite web |date=2008-04-30 |title=PHMSA - About Pipeline |url=http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/about |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216043508/http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/pipeline/about |archive-date=2012-02-16 |access-date=2012-02-23 |publisher=Phmsa.dot.gov}} This includes 229,000 miles of hazardous liquid pipelines, 302,000 miles of gas transmission pipelines, 2,284,000 miles of gas distribution mains and services, and 17,000 miles of gas-gathering pipelines. PHMSA’s pipeline safety program promotes the safe delivery of energy products to market in a manner that protects people, property, and the environment.

The Office of Pipeline Safety is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with eight field offices located in West Trenton, New Jersey; Atlanta, GA; Kansas City, Missouri; Houston, Texas; Lakewood, Colorado; Des Plaines, Illinois; Ontario, California; and Anchorage, Alaska. PHMSA also operates a national training center and accident investigation office located in Oklahoma City.

In 2022, the PMHSA admitted that CO2 pipelines were underregulated and announced "new measures to strengthen its safety oversight".{{Cite web |date=2022-05-26 |title=PHMSA Announces New Safety Measures to Protect Americans From Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Failures After Satartia, MS Leak |url=https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/news/phmsa-announces-new-safety-measures-protect-americans-carbon-dioxide-pipeline-failures |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=www.phmsa.dot.gov |publisher=PHMSA}}

Leadership

Howard McMillan serves as the Executive Director of PHMSA. The current leadership team includes:

class="wikitable sortable"
class="unsortable"| NamePositionSworn in
Ben KochmanDeputy Director2025
Howard McMillanExecutive Director2021

Past leadership includes

  • Brigham McCown, first acting administrator from July 1, 2005 - March 31, 2006 and first Deputy Administrator, July 1, 2005 until January 1, 2007.
  • Thomas J. Barrett, first permanent Administrator from March 31, 2006 - June 1, 2007.
  • Stacey Gerard, first Assistant Administrator/Chief Safety Officer, first acting Deputy Administrator until July 1, 2005.{{cite web|url=http://phmsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/PHMSA/DownloadableFiles/Files/Announcement%20Files/PHMSAChiefSafetyOfficerAppt.pdf|title=Stacey Gerard Begins Role as First Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Assistant Administrator/Chief Safety Officer|publisher=Phmsa.dot.gov|access-date=30 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029203735/http://phmsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/PHMSA/DownloadableFiles/Files/Announcement%20Files/PHMSAChiefSafetyOfficerAppt.pdf|archive-date=29 October 2013|url-status=dead}}
  • Krista Edwards, Chief Counsel in 2006, Deputy Administrator, acting Administrator from 2007 to January 9, 2008.{{cite web|url=http://phmsa.dot.gov/portal/site/PHMSA/menuitem.6f23687cf7b00b0f22e4c6962d9c8789/?vgnextoid=3afa65fb88bc0110VgnVCM100000762c7798RCRD&vgnextchannel=9a5145aabfa9f010VgnVCM100000762c7798RCRD&vgnextfmt=print|title=PHMSA - Press Release - Announcement Archive - PHMSA Press Release 02-07|publisher=Phmsa.dot.gov|access-date=30 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204173916/http://phmsa.dot.gov/portal/site/PHMSA/menuitem.6f23687cf7b00b0f22e4c6962d9c8789/?vgnextoid=3afa65fb88bc0110VgnVCM100000762c7798RCRD&vgnextchannel=9a5145aabfa9f010VgnVCM100000762c7798RCRD&vgnextfmt=print|archive-date=4 December 2014|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web | title=Transportation issues rules on lithium batteries - Government Executive | url=https://www.govexec.com/defense/2008/01/transportation-issues-rules-on-lithium-batteries/26028/ | access-date=2025-03-28 | website=www.govexec.com}}
  • Carl T. Johnson, Administrator from January 9, 2008 until 2009. {{citation needed|date=May 2014}}
  • Cynthia L. Quarterman, Administrator from November 16, 2009 - October 4, 2014
  • Timothy Butters, acting Administrator from October 4, 2014 - June 8, 2015
  • Marie Therese Dominguez, Administrator from October 7, 2015 - January 20, 2017{{Cite web | url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-therese-dominguez-b73592a0/ | title= Marie Therese Dominguez | website=LinkedIn}}
  • Howard R. Elliott, Administrator from October 30, 2017 - January 20, 2021
  • Tristan Brown, Deputy Administrator, acting Administrator January 20, 2021 - January 20, 2025
  • Howard "Mac" McMillan, Executive Director, acting Administrator January 20, 2025 - January 30, 2025
  • Ben Kochman, Deputy Administrator, Acting Administrator January 30, 2025 - Present

See also

Notes

{{notelist|30em}}

References

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

External links

  • {{Official website}}
  • [https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/pipeline-and-hazardous-materials-safety-administration Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration] in the Federal Register
  • [https://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/searchp/newlogin.asp PHMSA Public Map Viewer] - Application enables the user to view the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) data one county at a time. The user may zoom in to a map scale of 1:24,000.

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Category:Energy in the United States

Category:United States Department of Transportation agencies

Category:2004 establishments in the United States

Category:Government agencies established in 2004

Category:Oil pipelines in the United States

Category:Natural gas safety

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety