The online portal for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Pipeline Safety Management Systems (PSMS) voluntary Information Collection Request is now available on the same portal used for Gas Distribution Annual Report submissions. Operators have 30 days to respond to the request, due September 19, 2023. APGA encourages all gas distribution operators to complete the survey, regardless of their level of adoption of PSMS into their everyday work practices.
This request is a result of a congressional mandate from the PIPES Act of 2020. In that legislation, Congress mandated that PHMSA perform a study describing:
a. The number of natural gas distribution systems who have implemented PSMS in accordance with API RP 1173
b. The progress made by operators of natural gas distribution systems in implementing PSMS in accordance with API RP 1173
c. The feasibility of an operator to implement PSMS in accordance with API RP 1173, measured by
i. The number of customers, and
ii. Amount of natural gas transported.
APGA believes it is critical that all natural gas distribution operators respond to this survey. It is imperative that the gas distribution industry demonstrate an understanding of the survey questions and willingness to respond. Congress asked PHMSA to report back the “feasibility of an operator to implement PSMS in accordance with 1173”. In order to provide concrete data concerning where the threshold exists between PSMS per API RP 1173 and the concepts that govern pipeline safety management systems principles, maximum industry participation in the survey is needed.
To learn more about PSMS, please visit
For questions on this article, please contact Erin Kurilla of APGA staff by phone at 202-905-2904 or by email at ekurilla@apga.org.