PHMSA Pipeline Safety Update: Recent Regulatory Developments, Enforcement Trends, and Best Practices

Mr. Echols' practice focuses on a range of environmental, safety, transportation, and incident response matters. His experience includes advising clients on workplace safety, process safety, pipeline safety, maritime, hazardous materials, air, water, and waste issues. Mr. Echols also counsels clients during crises and manages federal and state agency investigations into incidents involving fatalities, serious injuries, environmental damage, and major operational disruptions. He represents clients in matters involving OSHA, CSB, PHMSA, USCG, BSEE, BLM, FAA, EPA, and corresponding state agencies throughout the country, with particular experience handling regulatory matters in Texas and Alaska.

Mr. Reback is a go-to resource for federal and state Clean Air Act regulatory compliance counseling across the energy value chain. He is well versed in the operational needs and environmental compliance issues for clients at the well head, across transportation and processing facilities, and downstream at refineries, chemical plants, and electric generating facilities. Mr. Reback represents clients in routine counseling matters and enforcement defense before EPA, PHMSA, OSHA, TCEQ, and Harris County, among other agencies. Through this work, he has established particularly strong relationships with staff at EPA Region 6 and state environmental regulators in Texas, New Mexico, and North Dakota. Mr. Reback also routinely supports clients in crisis response activities and emergency response planning. He has deployed to major incidents at well sites, gas plants, refineries, chemical plants, and other facilities outside the energy sector. Mr. Reback has led initial response activities, interfaced with responding state and federal agencies, conducted incident and whistleblower investigations, and defended against resulting enforcement actions in the wake of fires, fatalities, and chemical releases.

Mr. Scroggins is an in-house attorney at ONEOK, Inc. focusing on regulatory compliance matters involving environmental, safety, process safety, and pipeline safety issues. His experience includes working with internal subject matter experts on compliance issues, and has also defended the company in enforcement matters with PHMSA, OSHA, EPA, and TCEQ.