Pipeline operators need to ensure safety is centered around either active or abandoned status as idled is not recognized by law, the U.S. government said. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued a bulletin reminding operators how to change the status of a pipeline from “active” to “abandoned” as federal regulations do not recognize designations beyond that framework. “This action makes it clear that PHMSA considers pipelines either active and fully subject to safety regulations, or abandoned, and that pipeline owners and operators are responsible for making sure their pipelines do not pose a threat to people, property or the environment,” PHMSA Administrator Marie Therese Dominguez said in a statement. In 2014, a […]