Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

The Kinder Morgan Pipeline Investigation Materials were last updated in 2018. The firm no longer plans to update the website materials due to time constraints and expense. Time permitting, the firm will continue to post updated information on the firm’s social media pages, including LinkedIn and Facebook.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation. PHMSA is the only agency responsible for making sure the Kinder Morgan Pipeline is being operated and maintained in a safe fashion. It is also responsible for ensuring that Kinder Morgan has (a) active communications with local residents, governments and first responders in our community and (b) an effective emergency response plan with sufficient drills and table top exercises with first responders. The Western Division of this Agency that regulates the Kinder Morgan Pipeline in Oregon is located in Colorado. This Division is responsible for overseeing pipelines in 15 states and U.S. Territories. The agency is largely dependent on information and expertise provided to them by Kinder Morgan and the pipeline industry. There is no Oregon state agency that regulates the safety of the pipeline. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is limited to regulating potential environmental concerns associated with the pipeline including our water ways.

PHMSA has no regulatory time table when they must inspect pipelines under their jurisdiction. Annually, PHMSA makes an internal decision as to which pipelines to focus on for the year.

Shawn was informed by PHMSA on January 3, 2017 that they just completed an "integrated" inspection of the Kinder Morgan Pipeline. As part of that inspection a August 25, 2016 warning letter was issued to Kinder Morgan. Other inspections of the pipeline are ongoing, but PHMSA advised that they are focused on locations outside the State of Oregon. Future FOIA requests will be needed in order to secure complete information regarding these inspections. Time permitting Shawn will try to pursue this information, and when he does share any new information with the community.

Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Documents Released by PHMSA in Response to Shawn's FOIA Request