Washington, D.C.—Today, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Dina Titus (D-NV) wrote to Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Deputy Administrator Ben Kochman expressing concern regarding the lack of safety actions taken by the agency since President Donald Trump took office in January.
“These actions reduce safety oversight of an industry transporting products that have deadly and devastating consequences on human life, health and the environment in the event of an accident,” the Members wrote. “Enforcement of pipeline safety violations has dramatically decreased. The first six months of the Trump Administration has seen the lowest level of pipeline safety enforcement in decades.”
“Unfortunately, 2023 and 2024 were the deadliest two years due to pipeline accidents in more than a decade and the number of pipeline safety incidents in 2024 was higher than 2023. PHMSA must start taking its responsibilities under the law more seriously in order to protect the general public and reverse this troubling trend,” the Members continued.
To read the full letter, click here.
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