PHMSA Advisory Bulletins & Key Considerations
| Subject | Threat Category | Summary | Key Considerations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical & Business Stakeholders | Field Operations & Construction | ||||||
| 2016-12-09 | Pipeline Safety: Safeguarding and Securing Pipelines From Unauthorized Access | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Valve Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2016-06 in coordination with TSA to remind owners and operators of hazardous liquid, carbon dioxide, and gas pipelines to safeguard and secure their facilities and to monitor SCADA systems for abnormal operations or indications of unauthorized access or interference. The bulletin follows an October 11, 2016 coordinated event in which individuals cut chains and padlocks at valve sites in Minnesota, Washington, Montana, and North Dakota and closed valves on several crude oil pipelines, after which operators shut down lines and contacted law enforcement. PHMSA cites existing valve and facility protection requirements, recommends review of protection measures, addresses law enforcement relationships, security patrols, deterrent signage, detection technology, SCADA hardening, and reporting channels, and also addresses the public regarding the dangers and criminal penalties associated with tampering. | 2016-29500 | ADB-2016-06 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2020-09-29 | Pipeline Safety: Overpressure Protection on Low-Pressure Natural Gas Distribution Systems | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Gate/Regulator Station Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2020-02 to remind owners and operators of low-pressure natural gas distribution systems that overpressure protection can fail, and to remind them of existing distribution integrity management requirements in 49 CFR part 192, subpart P. The bulletin describes the September 13, 2018, Merrimack Valley accident, in which regulator sensing lines left attached to an abandoned cast iron main reported falling pressure, causing the Winthrop Avenue regulators to open fully and extremely overpressurize a newly installed low-pressure plastic system. PHMSA states that it considers the possibility of an overpressure protection failure to be a high-risk threat and recommends written construction procedures, structured risk analysis such as FMEA, and risk-reduction measures tailored to each system. | 2020-21508 | ADB-2020-02 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2020-09-29 | Pipeline Safety: Inside Meters and Regulators | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2020-01 to owners and operators of gas distribution systems to alert them to the consequences of failures of inside meters and regulators and to remind them of existing Federal requirements governing those installations. The bulletin follows the August 10, 2016, apartment building explosion and fire in Silver Spring, Maryland, which killed seven residents and injured others, and which NTSB attributed to the failure of an indoor mercury service regulator with an unconnected vent line. PHMSA restates the requirements at 49 CFR 192.353, 192.355, and 192.357 for meter and regulator location, accessibility, ventilation, and vent termination; the leakage survey and atmospheric corrosion inspection requirements at 192.723, 192.481, and 192.479; and the distribution integrity management obligations at 192.1007, and it recommends that operators review their distribution integrity management programs for the threat of inside meter and regulator failure. | 2020-21507 | ADB-2020-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-02-11 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on Protecting Pipeline Integrity During Extreme Winter Weather, Rapid Thaw, and Geohazard Events | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Valve Operations and Maintenance; Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Gate/Regulator Station Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2026-03 to all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities regarding safety risks from extreme winter weather, including heavy snowfall and ice accumulation, ice expansion inside components, rapid thaw flooding with scour and buoyancy effects, and frost heave with associated ground movement. The bulletin lists measures operators are advised to consider, including accelerated patrols, frost heave evaluation and strain monitoring in unusually cold regions, geohazard plan updates, inspection and winterization of above-ground facilities, and communication with local officials, and it reminds operators of the existing continuing surveillance procedure requirement under 49 CFR 192.613 and 195.401. | 2026-02666 | ADB-2026-03 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| Subject | Threat Category | Summary | Key Considerations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical & Business Stakeholders | Field Operations & Construction | ||||||
| 2016-12-09 | Pipeline Safety: Safeguarding and Securing Pipelines From Unauthorized Access | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Valve Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2016-06 in coordination with TSA to remind owners and operators of hazardous liquid, carbon dioxide, and gas pipelines to safeguard and secure their facilities and to monitor SCADA systems for abnormal operations or indications of unauthorized access or interference. The bulletin follows an October 11, 2016 coordinated event in which individuals cut chains and padlocks at valve sites in Minnesota, Washington, Montana, and North Dakota and closed valves on several crude oil pipelines, after which operators shut down lines and contacted law enforcement. PHMSA cites existing valve and facility protection requirements, recommends review of protection measures, addresses law enforcement relationships, security patrols, deterrent signage, detection technology, SCADA hardening, and reporting channels, and also addresses the public regarding the dangers and criminal penalties associated with tampering. | 2016-29500 | ADB-2016-06 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2017-03-16 | Pipeline Safety: Deactivation of Threats | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2017-01 to owners and operators of natural gas transmission pipelines, providing guidance on identifying threats and on the minimum criteria for deactivating a threat within an integrity management program. The bulletin explains that the nine ASME B31.8S-2004 threat categories may be classified active or inactive for a given assessment cycle but are never permanently eliminated, that a threat must be treated as active when required Appendix A data is missing, and that the analysis, justification, and determination behind an inactive status must be documented under section 192.947(d). | 2017-05262 | ADB-2017-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2017-04-10 | Pipeline Safety: Guidance on Training and Qualifications for the Integrity Management Program | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Work Zone and Excavation Safety | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2017-02 to owners and operators of natural gas transmission pipelines to remind them of the training and qualification requirements for integrity management (IM) personnel established in 49 CFR 192.915 as part of the December 15, 2003 gas transmission IM rule. PHMSA states it has recognized inconsistencies in how operators have implemented those requirements, and the bulletin lays out PHMSA's expectations subsection by subsection: qualification requirements identified for anyone involved in the IM program (operator and contractor), minimum experience or training criteria, determination of whether qualifications are current, verification through the quality assurance process required by 192.911(l), and documentation of qualifications. The covered roles span supervisors with IM authority, personnel who conduct and evaluate integrity assessments and decide resulting actions, and personnel who implement preventive and mitigative measures, including those who mark and locate buried structures and those who directly supervise excavation work tied to an integrity assessment. | 2017-06805 | ADB-2017-02 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2019-04-11 | Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Flooding, River Scour, and River Channel Migration | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Valve Operations and Maintenance; Gate/Regulator Station Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued ADB-2019-01 to remind all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines that severe flooding, river scour, and river channel migration can damage pipeline facilities, and to list actions operators are suggested to take to prevent and mitigate that damage. The bulletin restates existing requirements for continuing surveillance and correction of unsafe conditions, describes how scour, channel migration, lateral water forces, and waterborne debris can damage pipe, notes that normally above-ground facilities such as valves, regulators, relief sets, and pressure sensors can become inoperable or exposed to strikes when submerged, and lists fifteen suggested actions spanning hazard evaluation, contingency planning, control room awareness, responder and official coordination, patrols, and post-flood surveys. | 2019-07132 | ADB-2019-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2019-05-02 | Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Welding Practices | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2019-02 to remind owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines that earth movement, including landslides and subsidence in variable, steep, and rugged terrain with varied subsurface conditions, can threaten pipeline integrity when those threats are not identified and mitigated. The bulletin restates existing design, protection, patrol, continuing surveillance, corrective action, and preventive and mitigative measure requirements, summarizes seven recent earth movement related incidents, and lists actions operators should consider for hazard identification, geotechnical support, site-specific plans, monitoring, and mitigation. | 2019-08984 | ADB-2019-02 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2022-06-02 | Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Corrosion Control; Welding Practices | PHMSA issued updated advisory bulletin ADB-2022-01 to remind owners and operators of gas, hazardous liquid, and supercritical carbon dioxide pipelines that earth movement, particularly in variable, steep, and rugged terrain or terrain with varied subsurface geology, can threaten pipeline integrity when those threats are not identified and mitigated. The bulletin also states that changing weather patterns may bring heavier rainfall and higher temperatures that cause soil saturation, flooding, or erosion affecting soil stability near pipeline facilities. It restates existing design, protection, patrol, continuing surveillance, corrective action, and integrity management requirements, lists numerous earth movement and flooding related incidents, and then sets out nine recommended actions covering hazard identification, geotechnical engineering, site-specific plans, monitoring methods, mitigation measures, and use of public hazard and research resources. | 2022-11791 | ADB-2022-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-02-11 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on Protecting Pipeline Integrity During Extreme Winter Weather, Rapid Thaw, and Geohazard Events | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Valve Operations and Maintenance; Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Gate/Regulator Station Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2026-03 to all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities regarding safety risks from extreme winter weather, including heavy snowfall and ice accumulation, ice expansion inside components, rapid thaw flooding with scour and buoyancy effects, and frost heave with associated ground movement. The bulletin lists measures operators are advised to consider, including accelerated patrols, frost heave evaluation and strain monitoring in unusually cold regions, geohazard plan updates, inspection and winterization of above-ground facilities, and communication with local officials, and it reminds operators of the existing continuing surveillance procedure requirement under 49 CFR 192.613 and 195.401. | 2026-02666 | ADB-2026-03 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-02-20 | Pipeline Safety: Incident Notifications to the National Response Center | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2026-04 to remind owners and operators of gas pipelines, underground natural gas storage facilities, and LNG facilities of their existing obligation under 49 CFR part 191 to notify the National Response Center of a reportable incident at the earliest practicable moment following discovery and no later than one hour after confirmed discovery. The bulletin responds to NTSB Safety Recommendation P-21-1, which followed the February 23, 2018 Dallas, Texas gas distribution explosion that killed one person, injured four, and was preceded two days earlier by two unreported events at nearby residences served by the same system. | 2026-03361 | ADB-2026-04 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-04-21 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on Preventing Excavation Damage During National Safe Digging Month and Beyond | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Corrosion Control; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Work Zone and Excavation Safety | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2026-05 to all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities, addressing excavation damage prevention during a period of infrastructure growth and congested underground corridors. The bulletin cites long-term incident consequences, 2025 gas distribution damage root causes led by excavator issues, one-call notification problems, and locating problems, and it describes specific threats including overwhelmed locating capacity, inaccurate legacy records, improper excavation techniques, state one-call exemptions, shallow depth of cover, and unsecured rights-of-way. It advises operators to consider measures such as integrating Common Ground Alliance best practices, strengthening locator training and oversight, white lining and pre-construction meetings, improved public awareness programs, post-near-miss integrity verification, and prompt follow-up on patrol observations. | 2026-07752 | ADB-2026-05 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-07-13 | Pipeline Safety: Guidance for Enhancing the Effectiveness of Distribution Integrity Management Programs | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2026-06 to owners and operators of gas distribution pipeline systems, reminding them of existing distribution integrity management program requirements in 49 CFR part 192, subpart P, and offering guidance on high-risk infrastructure, interactive threats, and leak management effectiveness. The bulletin responds to NTSB Safety Recommendations P-21-2 and P-26-2 arising from the February 2018 Atmos Energy explosion in Dallas, Texas, which killed one person and injured four, and the January 2024 home explosions in Jackson, Mississippi. PHMSA urges operators to adopt the most appropriate risk models for their programs, including full consideration of probabilistic models, and points to updated ANSI/GPTC Z380.1 guidance on interactive threats, time-dependent degradation, and leak investigation in non-typical soil conditions. | 2026-14071 | ADB-2026-06 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| Subject | Threat Category | Summary | Key Considerations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical & Business Stakeholders | Field Operations & Construction | ||||||
| 2016-12-09 | Pipeline Safety: Safeguarding and Securing Pipelines From Unauthorized Access | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Valve Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2016-06 in coordination with TSA to remind owners and operators of hazardous liquid, carbon dioxide, and gas pipelines to safeguard and secure their facilities and to monitor SCADA systems for abnormal operations or indications of unauthorized access or interference. The bulletin follows an October 11, 2016 coordinated event in which individuals cut chains and padlocks at valve sites in Minnesota, Washington, Montana, and North Dakota and closed valves on several crude oil pipelines, after which operators shut down lines and contacted law enforcement. PHMSA cites existing valve and facility protection requirements, recommends review of protection measures, addresses law enforcement relationships, security patrols, deterrent signage, detection technology, SCADA hardening, and reporting channels, and also addresses the public regarding the dangers and criminal penalties associated with tampering. | 2016-29500 | ADB-2016-06 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2019-04-11 | Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Flooding, River Scour, and River Channel Migration | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Valve Operations and Maintenance; Gate/Regulator Station Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued ADB-2019-01 to remind all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines that severe flooding, river scour, and river channel migration can damage pipeline facilities, and to list actions operators are suggested to take to prevent and mitigate that damage. The bulletin restates existing requirements for continuing surveillance and correction of unsafe conditions, describes how scour, channel migration, lateral water forces, and waterborne debris can damage pipe, notes that normally above-ground facilities such as valves, regulators, relief sets, and pressure sensors can become inoperable or exposed to strikes when submerged, and lists fifteen suggested actions spanning hazard evaluation, contingency planning, control room awareness, responder and official coordination, patrols, and post-flood surveys. | 2019-07132 | ADB-2019-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-02-11 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on Protecting Pipeline Integrity During Extreme Winter Weather, Rapid Thaw, and Geohazard Events | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Valve Operations and Maintenance; Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Gate/Regulator Station Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2026-03 to all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities regarding safety risks from extreme winter weather, including heavy snowfall and ice accumulation, ice expansion inside components, rapid thaw flooding with scour and buoyancy effects, and frost heave with associated ground movement. The bulletin lists measures operators are advised to consider, including accelerated patrols, frost heave evaluation and strain monitoring in unusually cold regions, geohazard plan updates, inspection and winterization of above-ground facilities, and communication with local officials, and it reminds operators of the existing continuing surveillance procedure requirement under 49 CFR 192.613 and 195.401. | 2026-02666 | ADB-2026-03 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| Subject | Threat Category | Summary | Key Considerations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical & Business Stakeholders | Field Operations & Construction | ||||||
| 2016-12-13 | Pipeline Safety: High Consequence Area Identification Methods for Gas Transmission Pipelines | Miscellaneous | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2016-07 to remind gas transmission pipeline operators of prior guidance and to add guidance on identifying and periodically verifying High Consequence Areas. The bulletin addresses accurate mapping and integration of HCA data, documenting how mapping systems are used, applying tolerances or buffer zones on top of the calculated potential impact radius, and improving class location accuracy, noting that HCA identification depends on pipeline-specific data such as centerline location, diameter, and MAOP together with the structures, identified sites, and occupancy along the right-of-way. Its central recommendation is that operators review and consistently monitor class location and PIR data annually as part of their integrity management program. | 2016-29880 | ADB-2016-07 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2025-03-25 | Pipeline Safety: Pipeline Safety Management System | Miscellaneous | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2025-01 to owners and operators of regulated pipelines to promote voluntary development and implementation of a pipeline safety management system using a framework such as API RP 1173. The bulletin is consistent with section 205 of the PIPES Act of 2020, which directed the Secretary of Transportation to promote PSMS implementation, and it addresses NTSB Safety Recommendation P-24-002. PHMSA strongly encourages operators to implement a program covering all essential PSMS elements, to ensure the program continuously evolves and improves, and to maintain a positive safety culture, while stating that the bulletin does not have the force and effect of law. | 2025-04960 | ADB-2025-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| Subject | Threat Category | Summary | Key Considerations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical & Business Stakeholders | Field Operations & Construction | ||||||
| 2017-03-16 | Pipeline Safety: Deactivation of Threats | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2017-01 to owners and operators of natural gas transmission pipelines, providing guidance on identifying threats and on the minimum criteria for deactivating a threat within an integrity management program. The bulletin explains that the nine ASME B31.8S-2004 threat categories may be classified active or inactive for a given assessment cycle but are never permanently eliminated, that a threat must be treated as active when required Appendix A data is missing, and that the analysis, justification, and determination behind an inactive status must be documented under section 192.947(d). | 2017-05262 | ADB-2017-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2020-09-29 | Pipeline Safety: Inside Meters and Regulators | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2020-01 to owners and operators of gas distribution systems to alert them to the consequences of failures of inside meters and regulators and to remind them of existing Federal requirements governing those installations. The bulletin follows the August 10, 2016, apartment building explosion and fire in Silver Spring, Maryland, which killed seven residents and injured others, and which NTSB attributed to the failure of an indoor mercury service regulator with an unconnected vent line. PHMSA restates the requirements at 49 CFR 192.353, 192.355, and 192.357 for meter and regulator location, accessibility, ventilation, and vent termination; the leakage survey and atmospheric corrosion inspection requirements at 192.723, 192.481, and 192.479; and the distribution integrity management obligations at 192.1007, and it recommends that operators review their distribution integrity management programs for the threat of inside meter and regulator failure. | 2020-21507 | ADB-2020-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2021-06-10 | Pipeline Safety: Statutory Mandate To Update Inspection and Maintenance Plans To Address Eliminating Hazardous Leaks and Minimizing Releases of Natural Gas From Pipeline Facilities | Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization) | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2021-01 to remind owners and operators of pipeline facilities that section 114(b) of the PIPES Act of 2020 is self-executing and required each operator to update the inspection and maintenance plan called for under 49 U.S.C. 60108(a) to address eliminating hazardous leaks and minimizing releases of natural gas, including intentional venting during normal operations, with a statutory completion date of December 27, 2021. The plans were also required to address replacement or remediation of pipelines known to leak based on material, design, or past operating and maintenance history, and PHMSA stated it expects operators to make these revisions within the operations and maintenance plans required by 49 CFR 192.605, 193.2017, and 195.402, in writing, tailored to the operator's facilities, supported by technical analysis where necessary, and sufficiently detailed to describe how each requirement is met. | 2021-12155 | ADB-2021-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2024-11-18 | Pipeline Safety: Identification and Evaluation of Potential Hard Spots-In-Line Inspection Tools and Analysis | Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2024-01 to tell owners and operators of gas, hazardous liquid, and carbon dioxide pipelines that susceptibility to hard spots formed during plate and pipe manufacturing is broader than previously understood and may affect pipe manufactured before 1970 by multiple manufacturers, not only A.O. Smith. The bulletin describes five hydrogen-induced cracking failures at hard spots over the past 20 years, notes that coating degradation, soil chemistry, and cathodic protection hydrogen can destabilize an otherwise stable hard spot, and recommends that operators consider records review, susceptibility determination, an enhanced assessment program, re-evaluation of existing in-line inspection data, and continued industry information sharing. | 2024-26725 | ADB-2024-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-01-23 | Pipeline Safety: Distribution Integrity Management Program Considerations for Plastic Piping and Components | Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization) | PHMSA issued ADB-2026-01 to remind owners and operators of natural gas distribution systems of distribution integrity management program (DIMP) requirements as they apply to certain plastic piping and components. The bulletin describes the March 24, 2023 West Reading, Pennsylvania explosion, in which a retired 1982 Aldyl A service tee with a Delrin insert degraded and leaked, with gas migrating underground into a candy factory where it ignited, and it sets out nine advised actions covering review of prior guidance, identification of elevated-temperature environments, inventory of susceptible plastic assets, risk ranking, risk-reduction measures, recordkeeping, and clearance from heat sources during new construction. | 2026-01321 | ADB-2026-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-01-28 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on the Integrity Risks of Type A Repair Sleeves | Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2026-02 to describe integrity risks associated with Type A repair sleeves on hazardous liquid pipelines. A Type A sleeve encircles and reinforces the carrier pipe but is not welded to it, so it can admit water into the annular space and shield the pipe from cathodic protection, and pressure cycling can concentrate stress at the sleeve ends. PHMSA cites three releases that originated beneath Type A sleeves (gasoline in Belton, South Carolina in 2014; gasoline in Huntersville, North Carolina in 2020; jet fuel in Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania in 2025) and advises hazardous liquid operators to address records, inline inspection data quality, sleeve inventory and interactive threats, fatigue analysis, enhanced leak detection, and installation standards. | 2026-01675 | ADB-2026-02 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-02-11 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on Protecting Pipeline Integrity During Extreme Winter Weather, Rapid Thaw, and Geohazard Events | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Valve Operations and Maintenance; Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Gate/Regulator Station Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2026-03 to all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities regarding safety risks from extreme winter weather, including heavy snowfall and ice accumulation, ice expansion inside components, rapid thaw flooding with scour and buoyancy effects, and frost heave with associated ground movement. The bulletin lists measures operators are advised to consider, including accelerated patrols, frost heave evaluation and strain monitoring in unusually cold regions, geohazard plan updates, inspection and winterization of above-ground facilities, and communication with local officials, and it reminds operators of the existing continuing surveillance procedure requirement under 49 CFR 192.613 and 195.401. | 2026-02666 | ADB-2026-03 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| Subject | Threat Category | Summary | Key Considerations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical & Business Stakeholders | Field Operations & Construction | ||||||
| 2017-03-16 | Pipeline Safety: Deactivation of Threats | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2017-01 to owners and operators of natural gas transmission pipelines, providing guidance on identifying threats and on the minimum criteria for deactivating a threat within an integrity management program. The bulletin explains that the nine ASME B31.8S-2004 threat categories may be classified active or inactive for a given assessment cycle but are never permanently eliminated, that a threat must be treated as active when required Appendix A data is missing, and that the analysis, justification, and determination behind an inactive status must be documented under section 192.947(d). | 2017-05262 | ADB-2017-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2020-09-29 | Pipeline Safety: Inside Meters and Regulators | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2020-01 to owners and operators of gas distribution systems to alert them to the consequences of failures of inside meters and regulators and to remind them of existing Federal requirements governing those installations. The bulletin follows the August 10, 2016, apartment building explosion and fire in Silver Spring, Maryland, which killed seven residents and injured others, and which NTSB attributed to the failure of an indoor mercury service regulator with an unconnected vent line. PHMSA restates the requirements at 49 CFR 192.353, 192.355, and 192.357 for meter and regulator location, accessibility, ventilation, and vent termination; the leakage survey and atmospheric corrosion inspection requirements at 192.723, 192.481, and 192.479; and the distribution integrity management obligations at 192.1007, and it recommends that operators review their distribution integrity management programs for the threat of inside meter and regulator failure. | 2020-21507 | ADB-2020-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2022-06-02 | Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Corrosion Control; Welding Practices | PHMSA issued updated advisory bulletin ADB-2022-01 to remind owners and operators of gas, hazardous liquid, and supercritical carbon dioxide pipelines that earth movement, particularly in variable, steep, and rugged terrain or terrain with varied subsurface geology, can threaten pipeline integrity when those threats are not identified and mitigated. The bulletin also states that changing weather patterns may bring heavier rainfall and higher temperatures that cause soil saturation, flooding, or erosion affecting soil stability near pipeline facilities. It restates existing design, protection, patrol, continuing surveillance, corrective action, and integrity management requirements, lists numerous earth movement and flooding related incidents, and then sets out nine recommended actions covering hazard identification, geotechnical engineering, site-specific plans, monitoring methods, mitigation measures, and use of public hazard and research resources. | 2022-11791 | ADB-2022-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2024-11-18 | Pipeline Safety: Identification and Evaluation of Potential Hard Spots-In-Line Inspection Tools and Analysis | Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2024-01 to tell owners and operators of gas, hazardous liquid, and carbon dioxide pipelines that susceptibility to hard spots formed during plate and pipe manufacturing is broader than previously understood and may affect pipe manufactured before 1970 by multiple manufacturers, not only A.O. Smith. The bulletin describes five hydrogen-induced cracking failures at hard spots over the past 20 years, notes that coating degradation, soil chemistry, and cathodic protection hydrogen can destabilize an otherwise stable hard spot, and recommends that operators consider records review, susceptibility determination, an enhanced assessment program, re-evaluation of existing in-line inspection data, and continued industry information sharing. | 2024-26725 | ADB-2024-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-01-28 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on the Integrity Risks of Type A Repair Sleeves | Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2026-02 to describe integrity risks associated with Type A repair sleeves on hazardous liquid pipelines. A Type A sleeve encircles and reinforces the carrier pipe but is not welded to it, so it can admit water into the annular space and shield the pipe from cathodic protection, and pressure cycling can concentrate stress at the sleeve ends. PHMSA cites three releases that originated beneath Type A sleeves (gasoline in Belton, South Carolina in 2014; gasoline in Huntersville, North Carolina in 2020; jet fuel in Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania in 2025) and advises hazardous liquid operators to address records, inline inspection data quality, sleeve inventory and interactive threats, fatigue analysis, enhanced leak detection, and installation standards. | 2026-01675 | ADB-2026-02 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-04-21 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on Preventing Excavation Damage During National Safe Digging Month and Beyond | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Corrosion Control; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Work Zone and Excavation Safety | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2026-05 to all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities, addressing excavation damage prevention during a period of infrastructure growth and congested underground corridors. The bulletin cites long-term incident consequences, 2025 gas distribution damage root causes led by excavator issues, one-call notification problems, and locating problems, and it describes specific threats including overwhelmed locating capacity, inaccurate legacy records, improper excavation techniques, state one-call exemptions, shallow depth of cover, and unsecured rights-of-way. It advises operators to consider measures such as integrating Common Ground Alliance best practices, strengthening locator training and oversight, white lining and pre-construction meetings, improved public awareness programs, post-near-miss integrity verification, and prompt follow-up on patrol observations. | 2026-07752 | ADB-2026-05 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| Subject | Threat Category | Summary | Key Considerations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical & Business Stakeholders | Field Operations & Construction | ||||||
| 2017-04-10 | Pipeline Safety: Guidance on Training and Qualifications for the Integrity Management Program | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Work Zone and Excavation Safety | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2017-02 to owners and operators of natural gas transmission pipelines to remind them of the training and qualification requirements for integrity management (IM) personnel established in 49 CFR 192.915 as part of the December 15, 2003 gas transmission IM rule. PHMSA states it has recognized inconsistencies in how operators have implemented those requirements, and the bulletin lays out PHMSA's expectations subsection by subsection: qualification requirements identified for anyone involved in the IM program (operator and contractor), minimum experience or training criteria, determination of whether qualifications are current, verification through the quality assurance process required by 192.911(l), and documentation of qualifications. The covered roles span supervisors with IM authority, personnel who conduct and evaluate integrity assessments and decide resulting actions, and personnel who implement preventive and mitigative measures, including those who mark and locate buried structures and those who directly supervise excavation work tied to an integrity assessment. | 2017-06805 | ADB-2017-02 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-04-21 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on Preventing Excavation Damage During National Safe Digging Month and Beyond | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Corrosion Control; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Work Zone and Excavation Safety | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2026-05 to all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities, addressing excavation damage prevention during a period of infrastructure growth and congested underground corridors. The bulletin cites long-term incident consequences, 2025 gas distribution damage root causes led by excavator issues, one-call notification problems, and locating problems, and it describes specific threats including overwhelmed locating capacity, inaccurate legacy records, improper excavation techniques, state one-call exemptions, shallow depth of cover, and unsecured rights-of-way. It advises operators to consider measures such as integrating Common Ground Alliance best practices, strengthening locator training and oversight, white lining and pre-construction meetings, improved public awareness programs, post-near-miss integrity verification, and prompt follow-up on patrol observations. | 2026-07752 | ADB-2026-05 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| Subject | Threat Category | Summary | Key Considerations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical & Business Stakeholders | Field Operations & Construction | ||||||
| 2019-04-11 | Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Flooding, River Scour, and River Channel Migration | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Valve Operations and Maintenance; Gate/Regulator Station Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued ADB-2019-01 to remind all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines that severe flooding, river scour, and river channel migration can damage pipeline facilities, and to list actions operators are suggested to take to prevent and mitigate that damage. The bulletin restates existing requirements for continuing surveillance and correction of unsafe conditions, describes how scour, channel migration, lateral water forces, and waterborne debris can damage pipe, notes that normally above-ground facilities such as valves, regulators, relief sets, and pressure sensors can become inoperable or exposed to strikes when submerged, and lists fifteen suggested actions spanning hazard evaluation, contingency planning, control room awareness, responder and official coordination, patrols, and post-flood surveys. | 2019-07132 | ADB-2019-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2020-09-29 | Pipeline Safety: Overpressure Protection on Low-Pressure Natural Gas Distribution Systems | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Gate/Regulator Station Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2020-02 to remind owners and operators of low-pressure natural gas distribution systems that overpressure protection can fail, and to remind them of existing distribution integrity management requirements in 49 CFR part 192, subpart P. The bulletin describes the September 13, 2018, Merrimack Valley accident, in which regulator sensing lines left attached to an abandoned cast iron main reported falling pressure, causing the Winthrop Avenue regulators to open fully and extremely overpressurize a newly installed low-pressure plastic system. PHMSA states that it considers the possibility of an overpressure protection failure to be a high-risk threat and recommends written construction procedures, structured risk analysis such as FMEA, and risk-reduction measures tailored to each system. | 2020-21508 | ADB-2020-02 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-02-11 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on Protecting Pipeline Integrity During Extreme Winter Weather, Rapid Thaw, and Geohazard Events | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Valve Operations and Maintenance; Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Gate/Regulator Station Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2026-03 to all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities regarding safety risks from extreme winter weather, including heavy snowfall and ice accumulation, ice expansion inside components, rapid thaw flooding with scour and buoyancy effects, and frost heave with associated ground movement. The bulletin lists measures operators are advised to consider, including accelerated patrols, frost heave evaluation and strain monitoring in unusually cold regions, geohazard plan updates, inspection and winterization of above-ground facilities, and communication with local officials, and it reminds operators of the existing continuing surveillance procedure requirement under 49 CFR 192.613 and 195.401. | 2026-02666 | ADB-2026-03 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| Subject | Threat Category | Summary | Key Considerations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical & Business Stakeholders | Field Operations & Construction | ||||||
| 2019-05-02 | Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Welding Practices | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2019-02 to remind owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines that earth movement, including landslides and subsidence in variable, steep, and rugged terrain with varied subsurface conditions, can threaten pipeline integrity when those threats are not identified and mitigated. The bulletin restates existing design, protection, patrol, continuing surveillance, corrective action, and preventive and mitigative measure requirements, summarizes seven recent earth movement related incidents, and lists actions operators should consider for hazard identification, geotechnical support, site-specific plans, monitoring, and mitigation. | 2019-08984 | ADB-2019-02 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2022-06-02 | Pipeline Safety: Potential for Damage to Pipeline Facilities Caused by Earth Movement and Other Geological Hazards | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Corrosion Control; Welding Practices | PHMSA issued updated advisory bulletin ADB-2022-01 to remind owners and operators of gas, hazardous liquid, and supercritical carbon dioxide pipelines that earth movement, particularly in variable, steep, and rugged terrain or terrain with varied subsurface geology, can threaten pipeline integrity when those threats are not identified and mitigated. The bulletin also states that changing weather patterns may bring heavier rainfall and higher temperatures that cause soil saturation, flooding, or erosion affecting soil stability near pipeline facilities. It restates existing design, protection, patrol, continuing surveillance, corrective action, and integrity management requirements, lists numerous earth movement and flooding related incidents, and then sets out nine recommended actions covering hazard identification, geotechnical engineering, site-specific plans, monitoring methods, mitigation measures, and use of public hazard and research resources. | 2022-11791 | ADB-2022-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| Subject | Threat Category | Summary | Key Considerations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical & Business Stakeholders | Field Operations & Construction | ||||||
| 2020-09-29 | Pipeline Safety: Inside Meters and Regulators | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2020-01 to owners and operators of gas distribution systems to alert them to the consequences of failures of inside meters and regulators and to remind them of existing Federal requirements governing those installations. The bulletin follows the August 10, 2016, apartment building explosion and fire in Silver Spring, Maryland, which killed seven residents and injured others, and which NTSB attributed to the failure of an indoor mercury service regulator with an unconnected vent line. PHMSA restates the requirements at 49 CFR 192.353, 192.355, and 192.357 for meter and regulator location, accessibility, ventilation, and vent termination; the leakage survey and atmospheric corrosion inspection requirements at 192.723, 192.481, and 192.479; and the distribution integrity management obligations at 192.1007, and it recommends that operators review their distribution integrity management programs for the threat of inside meter and regulator failure. | 2020-21507 | ADB-2020-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-01-23 | Pipeline Safety: Distribution Integrity Management Program Considerations for Plastic Piping and Components | Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization) | PHMSA issued ADB-2026-01 to remind owners and operators of natural gas distribution systems of distribution integrity management program (DIMP) requirements as they apply to certain plastic piping and components. The bulletin describes the March 24, 2023 West Reading, Pennsylvania explosion, in which a retired 1982 Aldyl A service tee with a Delrin insert degraded and leaked, with gas migrating underground into a candy factory where it ignited, and it sets out nine advised actions covering review of prior guidance, identification of elevated-temperature environments, inventory of susceptible plastic assets, risk ranking, risk-reduction measures, recordkeeping, and clearance from heat sources during new construction. | 2026-01321 | ADB-2026-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-02-11 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on Protecting Pipeline Integrity During Extreme Winter Weather, Rapid Thaw, and Geohazard Events | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Valve Operations and Maintenance; Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Gate/Regulator Station Operations and Maintenance | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2026-03 to all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities regarding safety risks from extreme winter weather, including heavy snowfall and ice accumulation, ice expansion inside components, rapid thaw flooding with scour and buoyancy effects, and frost heave with associated ground movement. The bulletin lists measures operators are advised to consider, including accelerated patrols, frost heave evaluation and strain monitoring in unusually cold regions, geohazard plan updates, inspection and winterization of above-ground facilities, and communication with local officials, and it reminds operators of the existing continuing surveillance procedure requirement under 49 CFR 192.613 and 195.401. | 2026-02666 | ADB-2026-03 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| Subject | Threat Category | Summary | Key Considerations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical & Business Stakeholders | Field Operations & Construction | ||||||
| 2020-09-29 | Pipeline Safety: Inside Meters and Regulators | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2020-01 to owners and operators of gas distribution systems to alert them to the consequences of failures of inside meters and regulators and to remind them of existing Federal requirements governing those installations. The bulletin follows the August 10, 2016, apartment building explosion and fire in Silver Spring, Maryland, which killed seven residents and injured others, and which NTSB attributed to the failure of an indoor mercury service regulator with an unconnected vent line. PHMSA restates the requirements at 49 CFR 192.353, 192.355, and 192.357 for meter and regulator location, accessibility, ventilation, and vent termination; the leakage survey and atmospheric corrosion inspection requirements at 192.723, 192.481, and 192.479; and the distribution integrity management obligations at 192.1007, and it recommends that operators review their distribution integrity management programs for the threat of inside meter and regulator failure. | 2020-21507 | ADB-2020-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2021-06-10 | Pipeline Safety: Statutory Mandate To Update Inspection and Maintenance Plans To Address Eliminating Hazardous Leaks and Minimizing Releases of Natural Gas From Pipeline Facilities | Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization) | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2021-01 to remind owners and operators of pipeline facilities that section 114(b) of the PIPES Act of 2020 is self-executing and required each operator to update the inspection and maintenance plan called for under 49 U.S.C. 60108(a) to address eliminating hazardous leaks and minimizing releases of natural gas, including intentional venting during normal operations, with a statutory completion date of December 27, 2021. The plans were also required to address replacement or remediation of pipelines known to leak based on material, design, or past operating and maintenance history, and PHMSA stated it expects operators to make these revisions within the operations and maintenance plans required by 49 CFR 192.605, 193.2017, and 195.402, in writing, tailored to the operator's facilities, supported by technical analysis where necessary, and sufficiently detailed to describe how each requirement is met. | 2021-12155 | ADB-2021-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-01-23 | Pipeline Safety: Distribution Integrity Management Program Considerations for Plastic Piping and Components | Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization) | PHMSA issued ADB-2026-01 to remind owners and operators of natural gas distribution systems of distribution integrity management program (DIMP) requirements as they apply to certain plastic piping and components. The bulletin describes the March 24, 2023 West Reading, Pennsylvania explosion, in which a retired 1982 Aldyl A service tee with a Delrin insert degraded and leaked, with gas migrating underground into a candy factory where it ignited, and it sets out nine advised actions covering review of prior guidance, identification of elevated-temperature environments, inventory of susceptible plastic assets, risk ranking, risk-reduction measures, recordkeeping, and clearance from heat sources during new construction. | 2026-01321 | ADB-2026-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-01-28 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on the Integrity Risks of Type A Repair Sleeves | Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2026-02 to describe integrity risks associated with Type A repair sleeves on hazardous liquid pipelines. A Type A sleeve encircles and reinforces the carrier pipe but is not welded to it, so it can admit water into the annular space and shield the pipe from cathodic protection, and pressure cycling can concentrate stress at the sleeve ends. PHMSA cites three releases that originated beneath Type A sleeves (gasoline in Belton, South Carolina in 2014; gasoline in Huntersville, North Carolina in 2020; jet fuel in Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania in 2025) and advises hazardous liquid operators to address records, inline inspection data quality, sleeve inventory and interactive threats, fatigue analysis, enhanced leak detection, and installation standards. | 2026-01675 | ADB-2026-02 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-02-20 | Pipeline Safety: Incident Notifications to the National Response Center | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2026-04 to remind owners and operators of gas pipelines, underground natural gas storage facilities, and LNG facilities of their existing obligation under 49 CFR part 191 to notify the National Response Center of a reportable incident at the earliest practicable moment following discovery and no later than one hour after confirmed discovery. The bulletin responds to NTSB Safety Recommendation P-21-1, which followed the February 23, 2018 Dallas, Texas gas distribution explosion that killed one person, injured four, and was preceded two days earlier by two unreported events at nearby residences served by the same system. | 2026-03361 | ADB-2026-04 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-04-21 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on Preventing Excavation Damage During National Safe Digging Month and Beyond | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Corrosion Control; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Work Zone and Excavation Safety | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2026-05 to all owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities, addressing excavation damage prevention during a period of infrastructure growth and congested underground corridors. The bulletin cites long-term incident consequences, 2025 gas distribution damage root causes led by excavator issues, one-call notification problems, and locating problems, and it describes specific threats including overwhelmed locating capacity, inaccurate legacy records, improper excavation techniques, state one-call exemptions, shallow depth of cover, and unsecured rights-of-way. It advises operators to consider measures such as integrating Common Ground Alliance best practices, strengthening locator training and oversight, white lining and pre-construction meetings, improved public awareness programs, post-near-miss integrity verification, and prompt follow-up on patrol observations. | 2026-07752 | ADB-2026-05 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-07-13 | Pipeline Safety: Guidance for Enhancing the Effectiveness of Distribution Integrity Management Programs | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2026-06 to owners and operators of gas distribution pipeline systems, reminding them of existing distribution integrity management program requirements in 49 CFR part 192, subpart P, and offering guidance on high-risk infrastructure, interactive threats, and leak management effectiveness. The bulletin responds to NTSB Safety Recommendations P-21-2 and P-26-2 arising from the February 2018 Atmos Energy explosion in Dallas, Texas, which killed one person and injured four, and the January 2024 home explosions in Jackson, Mississippi. PHMSA urges operators to adopt the most appropriate risk models for their programs, including full consideration of probabilistic models, and points to updated ANSI/GPTC Z380.1 guidance on interactive threats, time-dependent degradation, and leak investigation in non-typical soil conditions. | 2026-14071 | ADB-2026-06 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| Subject | Threat Category | Summary | Key Considerations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical & Business Stakeholders | Field Operations & Construction | ||||||
| 2020-09-29 | Pipeline Safety: Inside Meters and Regulators | Overpressure and/or Unintended Loss of Pressure; Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control; Customer Meter/Regulator Installation and Inspection; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2020-01 to owners and operators of gas distribution systems to alert them to the consequences of failures of inside meters and regulators and to remind them of existing Federal requirements governing those installations. The bulletin follows the August 10, 2016, apartment building explosion and fire in Silver Spring, Maryland, which killed seven residents and injured others, and which NTSB attributed to the failure of an indoor mercury service regulator with an unconnected vent line. PHMSA restates the requirements at 49 CFR 192.353, 192.355, and 192.357 for meter and regulator location, accessibility, ventilation, and vent termination; the leakage survey and atmospheric corrosion inspection requirements at 192.723, 192.481, and 192.479; and the distribution integrity management obligations at 192.1007, and it recommends that operators review their distribution integrity management programs for the threat of inside meter and regulator failure. | 2020-21507 | ADB-2020-01 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-01-28 | Pipeline Safety: Advisory Bulletin on the Integrity Risks of Type A Repair Sleeves | Materials, Equipment, and Tools; Corrosion Control; Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued advisory bulletin ADB-2026-02 to describe integrity risks associated with Type A repair sleeves on hazardous liquid pipelines. A Type A sleeve encircles and reinforces the carrier pipe but is not welded to it, so it can admit water into the annular space and shield the pipe from cathodic protection, and pressure cycling can concentrate stress at the sleeve ends. PHMSA cites three releases that originated beneath Type A sleeves (gasoline in Belton, South Carolina in 2014; gasoline in Huntersville, North Carolina in 2020; jet fuel in Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania in 2025) and advises hazardous liquid operators to address records, inline inspection data quality, sleeve inventory and interactive threats, fatigue analysis, enhanced leak detection, and installation standards. | 2026-01675 | ADB-2026-02 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-02-20 | Pipeline Safety: Incident Notifications to the National Response Center | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2026-04 to remind owners and operators of gas pipelines, underground natural gas storage facilities, and LNG facilities of their existing obligation under 49 CFR part 191 to notify the National Response Center of a reportable incident at the earliest practicable moment following discovery and no later than one hour after confirmed discovery. The bulletin responds to NTSB Safety Recommendation P-21-1, which followed the February 23, 2018 Dallas, Texas gas distribution explosion that killed one person, injured four, and was preceded two days earlier by two unreported events at nearby residences served by the same system. | 2026-03361 | ADB-2026-04 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
| 2026-07-13 | Pipeline Safety: Guidance for Enhancing the Effectiveness of Distribution Integrity Management Programs | Damage Prevention (Excavation, Weather, and Outside Force); Leak Detection (Including Reduction and Minimization); Leak and Odor Investigation | PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2026-06 to owners and operators of gas distribution pipeline systems, reminding them of existing distribution integrity management program requirements in 49 CFR part 192, subpart P, and offering guidance on high-risk infrastructure, interactive threats, and leak management effectiveness. The bulletin responds to NTSB Safety Recommendations P-21-2 and P-26-2 arising from the February 2018 Atmos Energy explosion in Dallas, Texas, which killed one person and injured four, and the January 2024 home explosions in Jackson, Mississippi. PHMSA urges operators to adopt the most appropriate risk models for their programs, including full consideration of probabilistic models, and points to updated ANSI/GPTC Z380.1 guidance on interactive threats, time-dependent degradation, and leak investigation in non-typical soil conditions. | 2026-14071 | ADB-2026-06 | Click to Download | Click to Download |
The PHMSA Advisory Bulletin Key Consideration documents available on this site are derived from PHMSA Advisory Bulletins and provided solely for informational purposes and supplemental pipeline safety guidance. They support membership communications in the spirit of PSMS engagement and the Plan-Do-Check-Act framework. Members should review the applicable PHMSA Advisory Bulletin in its entirety. These materials do not constitute legal advice or establish regulatory requirements. They do not replace, amend, or supersede any applicable federal, state, or local law or regulation, official PHMSA guidance, or company-or organization-specific procedure, specification, or work practice. Use of these materials does not, in and of itself, establish or demonstrate compliance with any applicable regulatory requirement. Each company or organization is solely responsible for independently determining the applicability and adequacy of these materials to its operations, ensuring compliance with all applicable requirements, and developing, implementing, and maintaining appropriate safety procedures and controls. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made regarding the accuracy, completeness, currency, or suitability of these materials for any particular operation or circumstance. These materials are not a substitute for, and must not be relied upon in lieu of, advice from qualified legal, engineering, or safety professionals.