The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is the federal government’s primary enforcer of pipeline safety regulations, and the number of violations handed out to pipeline companies has plummeted since Trump took office. During an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the legislation to reauthorize funding for PHMSA on July 22, Ranking Member Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-New Jersey) said pipeline safety risks remain prevalent but enforcement has “fallen off a cliff.” Nearly all of PHMSA top staff have left the agency, Pallone said, and dozens of employees were either forced out or took paid leave as the Trump administration gutted federal agencies. PHMSA is now overhauling pipeline standards and enforcement to make the process more “cost-effective” for fossil fuel firms, but the agency has been slow to release updates on its rulemaking to the public, according to the Pipeline Safety Trust.
Author: Mike Ludwig
Published at: 2025-08-05 21:33:16
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