On January 21, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a notice that it is waiving Build America, Buy America (BABA) compliance requirements for gas service risers, gas meters, and gas service regulators for funding under the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety & Modernization (NGDISM) grant program. PHMSA determined that these materials “are not manufactured in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities.”
The waiver applies to all expenditures for covered products incurred after January 22, 2025. NGDISM grant recipients are encouraged to work directly with their PHMSA grant specialist on utilization of the waiver to ensure compliance.
Two individual waivers were also issued. Philadelphia Gas Works received a waiver for electro-fusion tapping tees, anodeless risers, transition fittings, lockwing valves, magnesium anodes, service adapters, curb valves, caps, couplings, and stiffeners. City Utilities of Springfield received a waiver for locator markers; meter stops with insulated unions; magnesium anodes; 1A meter swivels, nuts, and washers; and direct bury lugs.
APGA is hosting a roundtable for all NGDISM grant recipients on the BABA compliance process on March 13 at 2:00 PM. Register here.
View the Programmatic Waiver
For questions on this article, please contact Erin Kurilla of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-2742 or by email at ekurilla@apga.org.