Pipeline safety rules will ignore some small gas lines, by official policy

The US pipeline safety agency will formally stop enforcing safety rules on some small gas gathering lines. This means operators of these lines will not face penalties for non-compliance, even if the lines are technically covered by existing regulations.

For years, the agency has used its discretion to not enforce rules on these smaller lines. This proposed rule makes that informal practice official policy. It removes any uncertainty for operators about their liability on these specific types of pipelines. This change could mean fewer safety upgrades on these lines, as there is no longer even a theoretical risk of enforcement.