A U.S. appeals court on Friday struck down several natural gas pipeline safety standards implemented by the Biden administration, following industry objections over the substantial costs imposed on pipeline operators.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) did not sufficiently justify why the benefits of the revised standards outweighed the associated costs.

The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, a trade group, had largely supported the revisions but filed a lawsuit last year to challenge five of the standards that PHMSA adopted despite its objections.

The contested standards, finalised in 2022, introduced new requirements for operators to conduct repairs on pipelines showing signs of thinning, corrosion, cracks, or dents.

The trade group welcomed the court’s decision. The PHMSA did not respond to a request for comment.

U.S. Circuit Judge Florence Pan, writing for the three-judge panel, stated that the PHMSA's analysis of the costs associated with the new standards was inadequate, inconsistent, or missing altogether.

"Because the agency imposed a new safety requirement without properly addressing the costs of doing so, the standard cannot stand," said Pan, a Biden appointee, referring to one of the new requirements.

The court did uphold one of the challenged standards, which pertains to monitoring for a specific type of pipe anomaly caused by corrosion and high pressure.