The US Department of Transportation (DOT) said this week that it plans to update decades-old safety regulations for liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities. The new rules should be “deregulatory and lead to cost savings for the industry,” stated an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
Bracewell’s Lauren Clegg, who served in PHSMA’s office of chief counsel for more than a decade, told The National Law Journal that the advanced notice is strikingly comprehensive and detailed and that LNG regulations appear to be a priority for the agency.
“There have been significant changes to the domestic LNG industry since PHMSA first adopted its LNG regulations in 1980, so this rulemaking could entail a total overhaul of PHMSA’s program,” Clegg said.
