Last week, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced the termination of the March 20, 2020, Stay of Enforcement and Notice of Enforcement Discretion to Operators Affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak.

PHMSA Final Rule Amendment

Per the notice, PHMSA “will not base any exercise of enforcement discretion on the March 20, 2020 Notice for any noncompliance or notification of noncompliance that occurs on or after May 26, 2021.” PHMSA stated the development and distribution of vaccines, the issuance of Federal guidelines supporting response and recovery efforts, the lifting of certain restrictions, and the decrease in notifications by pipeline operators their need to benefit from the flexibility allowed in the March 20 notice as factors leading to this action.

Click here to read the notice in its entirety.