Pipeline Paperwork Gets Another Federal Request for Public Feedback
Published Date: 11/12/2026
Notice
Summary
PHMSA is asking for feedback on how it collects pipeline safety info to keep things running smoothly and safely. This affects pipeline companies and safety groups who provide data to the government. Comments are open until December 14, 2026, and the goal is to make sure paperwork is clear and not too much of a hassle.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Transmission/gathering reports: cut duplicate fields
If you operate natural gas transmission or gathering pipelines, PHMSA will remove the annual requirement to report aggregate yearly volume transported (part C), remove anomaly counts from annual reports, and stop duplicative diameter reporting in the annual form by relying on National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) GIS data. PHMSA expects the time burden for Form PHMSA F 7100.2-1 to decrease by 4 hours (from 54 to 50 hours per report); PHMSA updated the estimated number of annual submissions for the collection and groups these forms under a combined estimate of 2,167 responses and 80,758 annual burden hours.
Hazardous liquid/CO2 reports: fewer fields, lower burden
If you operate hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipelines, PHMSA will remove pipeline diameter (part H) and breakout tank (part M) fields from the annual report and eliminate anomaly counts from part F, relying on NPMS for GIS data. PHMSA expects per-report time burden to drop by 2 hours (from 20 to 18 hours). PHMSA updated the estimated number of annual submissions from 475 to 678 and estimates 12,204 annual burden hours; PHMSA also removed a previously counted one-time 18-hour burden per operator related to excavation damage system updates.
Gas distribution reports: fewer material fields
If you operate a gas distribution system, PHMSA will stop requiring diameter-based reporting of main miles and number of services and will instead require reporting of specific higher‑risk materials (cast and wrought iron 6 inches or less, PVC, ABS, and an added "other plastic" category). PHMSA will collect "PE Brittle‑Like" main miles and service lines but withdrew a proposed requirement to count "PE Brittle‑Like" fittings. PHMSA expects the per-report time burden for the gas distribution annual report to decrease by 2 hours (from 20 to 18 hours); PHMSA estimates 1,446 responses and 26,028 annual burden hours, and annual reports are submitted by March 15 for the prior calendar year.
LNG facility reporting: data clarified, duplicate filings cut
If you operate an LNG plant, PHMSA will add latitude/longitude to the annual report so it can remove the separate NPMS submission requirement for LNG plants, define terms like "retired," remove the "abandoned" status code, define "maximum liquefaction rate" and "maximum vaporization capacity" (using MMCF/D of feed gas), convert liquid volume units to cubic meters, add a "vibration- or fatigue-related" leak cause category, remove non-emergency emergency shutdown (ESD) actuations from reporting, and limit security-breach reporting to physical incidents only. PHMSA states these LNG form changes are not expected to change the per-report time burden and updated estimated annual submissions for LNG from 113 to 184.
NPMS: mark breakout tanks interstate or intrastate
If you submit NPMS geospatial data, PHMSA will require an added attribute indicating whether a hazardous liquid breakout tank is interstate or intrastate to reduce duplicative reporting. PHMSA does not expect a change in reporting burden from this modification.
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