U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced Tuesday that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is urging pipeline owners and operators to voluntarily adopt new safety management systems (SMS) to enhance pipeline safety.

The move, supported by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), aims to improve the management of safety risks associated with complex pipeline operations.

“We are committed to carrying out President Trump’s agenda to unleash American energy in all ways – big and small. Here at the Department of Transportation, that mission includes ensuring our natural resources can efficiently and securely reach consumers. Enhancing pipeline safety through innovative management systems is just one way we can boost our energy security and lower costs for the American people,” Duffy said.

PHMSA Acting Administrator Ben Kochman said the SMS will bring about a “much-needed evolution” of internal pipeline safety management structures, policies, and procedures. 

“We encourage all regulated pipeline owners and operators to fully embrace the continuous improvement and enhanced safety benefits that come with implementing a pipeline SMS,” Kochman said.

PHMSA published an Advisory Bulletin in the Federal Register advocating for the voluntary adoption of pipeline SMS. These systems provide a framework for evaluating, managing, and responding to safety risks.

The NTSB has long advocated for SMS implementation, first recommending it after a 2010 oil spill in the Kalamazoo River near Marshall, Michigan, with a multi-stakeholder working group, including PHMSA representatives, issued API Recommended Practice 1173 in 2015.

While about 86% of the 2.3-million-mile U.S. gas distribution pipeline network has adopted SMS, many smaller operators, serving fewer than 25,000 customers, have not.

The Advisory Bulletin is in response to NTSB Safety Recommendation P-24-002, issued after a 2021 pipeline release in San Pedro Bay, California. 

Additionally, Section 205 of the “Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2020” mandates PHMSA and state authorities to promote and assess pipeline safety management system frameworks for natural gas distribution systems.