Investigation: How Trump's U.S. DOT Is Loosening Safety Rules Meant to Protect the Public - Streetsblog USA

"On its face, the rule proposed in July by the country's pipeline-safety regulator seemed innocuous. The regulator, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation called the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, was proposing what looked like minor, bureaucratic changes to its process for issuing regulatory waivers. Between the lines, agency watchers saw a much more consequential effort - one that would curtail the power of agency experts to impose conditions aimed at preventing catastrophic pipeline failures."

"The rule is part of a much larger rollback of regulations at the DOT under the second Trump administration. The agency's new leaders have touted this rollback as cutting red tape and encouraging innovation. But dozens of the regulations they have targeted sought to prevent deaths and injuries in the nation's transportation and infrastructure systems. The DOT's sprawling regulatory domain stretches from air traffic control to highway and train safety to maintenance of oil pipelines and rules governing autonomous vehicles."

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed a July rule changing its process for issuing regulatory waivers. The change would curtail the power of agency experts to impose conditions aimed at preventing catastrophic pipeline failures. The rule was signed by Ben Kochman, who was appointed deputy administrator and had been a director of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America until January. Kochman noted that the trade group criticized the policy but did not disclose his prior role. The rule is part of a larger Department of Transportation rollback under the second Trump administration that has rescinded or delayed numerous safety regulations.

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