Deputy Administrator cites comments he personally submitted for the gas industry to justify scaling back safety requirements 

“By all accounts, you are letting industry rewrite the rulebook, while simultaneously choosing not to enforce the rules that remain.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, sent letters to Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Deputy Administrator Ben Kochman and PHMSA Chief Counsel Keith Coyle, as well as Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) and INGAA Foundation President & CEO Amy Andryszak, regarding serious conflict of interest allegations raised in a recent ProPublica story. The story clearly describes how Kochman—whom INGAA employed as its Director of Pipeline Safety Policy until President Trump appointed him to PHMSA in January 2025—and Coyle, a former attorney for INGAA, have spearheaded efforts to weaken safety laws opposed and disfavored by INGAA while also significantly curtailing safety enforcement actions against companies INGAA represents.

“Just last month, a leak in the Olympic Pipeline in Everrett, WA prevented jet fuel from reaching Seattle-Tacoma International airport – nearly preventing planes from taking off during the Thanksgiving holiday,” wrote Sen. Cantwell to Deputy Administrator Kochman. “This incident underscores why I am concerned by recent reporting indicating you personally spearheaded the rollback of several safety initiatives at PHMSA—and that you did so at the behest of your former employer, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA). This not only raises serious questions about your compliance with federal ethics rules; it indicates the agency is quietly pursuing a reckless safety rollback agenda that will benefit INGAA and weaken the pipeline safety regulations that protect the American public.”

Prior to his appointment as PHMSA’s Acting Administrator in January 2025, Kochman served for nearly four years as the Director of Pipeline Safety Policy at INGAA, where he advocated on behalf of the interstate natural gas pipeline and storage industry. Since his appointment at PHMSA, Kochman has initiated an aggressive effort to weaken safety rules at the agency. And, according to ProPublica, at least four of those actions came in response to issues raised by INGAA, as Sen. Cantwell calls out in her letter. Alarmingly, Sen. Cantwell highlights at least one instance where Deputy Administrator Kochman cited comments he personally signed for and submitted while working for INGAA to justify proposed agency rule changes.

“For instance, when you proposed changes to the safety waiver process to limit the types of safety conditions agency experts can require when pipeline operators seek a waiver from the standard safety rules, you specifically pointed to INGAA’s critique of PHMSA’s special permit process to justify this change,” continued Sen. Cantwell in her letter to Kochman. “In another one of your proposed rule changes, you cited comments INGAA submitted in 2023 to justify PHMSA potentially easing repair and inspection requirements. What you failed to acknowledge, however, was that you had personally signed for and submitted these comments on INGAA’s behalf.”

In her letter to INGAA President & CEO Amy Andryszak, Sen. Cantwell highlights her concerns that the association is using its close ties to the current leadership at PHMSA to inappropriately influence the rulemaking and amendment process to the detriment of Americans’ safety.

“I am concerned by recent reporting that indicates PHMSA leadership is not heeding Congress’s directive and is instead pursuing a reckless safety rollback agenda—and that they are doing so at the behest of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA),” Sen. Cantwell wrote to INGAA. “Compounding my concerns, it appears multiple senior PHMSA officials have close personal ties to INGAA, raising serious questions about whether INGAA is wielding outsized influence over agency decision making…INGAA’s members can be valuable partners in ensuring the safety of our gas pipeline systems. However, it is essential that our pipeline safety officials act independently, consistent with federal ethics rules, and free from undue influence by the companies they oversee.”

In her request for documents and information, Sen. Cantwell emphasizes just how dangerous these allegations are for the safety of everyone living or working near pipelines.

“Your efforts to roll back safety requirements are especially concerning against the backdrop of the 98 percent decline in proposed enforcement penalties assessed by PHMSA on pipeline companies that violate safety rules under your watch.” Sen. Cantwell concluded in her letter to Kochman. “By all accounts, you are letting industry rewrite the rulebook, while simultaneously choosing not to enforce the rules that remain.”

Sen. Cantwell has been a vocal advocate for improving pipeline safety and for holding pipeline operators accountable. In October, she introduced the bipartisan PIPELINE Act of 2025 that addresses known safety risks, closes gaps in the transportation of underregulated carbon dioxide and hydrogen pipelines, and improves the accountability of pipeline operators. In May, she sent a letter to Deputy Administrator Kochman demanding answers on why the Trump Administration had stopped enforcing pipeline safety laws.

The letters are below and the letter to PHMSA Deputy Administrator Ben Kochman is HERE, the letter to PHMSA Chief Counsel Keith Coyle is HERE, and the letter to INGAA President & CEO Amy Andryszak is HERE.

December 12, 2025

Deputy Administrator Kochman:

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) plays a critical role in ensuring the safe movement of hazardous materials through states, cities, and neighborhoods. Pipeline and hazardous materials incidents can have devastating impacts on communities, the environment, and the economy, which is why the agency must remain independent and vigilant. Just last month, a leak in the Olympic Pipeline in Everrett, Washington prevented jet fuel from reaching Seattle-Tacoma International Airport—nearly preventing planes from taking off during the Thanksgiving holiday. This incident underscores why I am concerned by recent reporting indicating you personally spearheaded the rollback of several safety initiatives at PHMSA—and that you did so at the behest of your former employer, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA). This not only raises serious questions about your compliance with federal ethics rules;  it indicates the agency is quietly pursuing a reckless safety rollback agenda that will benefit INGAA and weaken the pipeline safety regulations that protect the American public. Accordingly, I am requesting documents and information regarding your actions and the extent to which INGAA may be exercising undue influence over PHMSA.

Since President Trump appointed you acting Administrator of PHMSA in January 2025,  you have signed at least 23 notices proposing or implementing amendments to safety rules—many of which seek to rollback important safety and incident reporting requirements.  According to a recent investigative report by ProPublica, you initiated at least four of these actions in response to requests or specific concerns raised from your former employer, INGAA,  where you were employed as the Director of Pipeline Safety Policy for nearly four years.  For instance, when you proposed changes to the safety waiver process to limit the types of safety conditions agency experts can require when pipeline operators seek a waiver from the standard safety rules,  you specifically pointed to INGAA’s critique of PHMSA’s special permit process to justify this change.  In another one of your proposed rule changes, you cited comments INGAA submitted in 2023 to justify PHMSA potentially easing repair and inspection requirements.  What you failed to acknowledge, however, was that you had personally signed for and submitted these comments on INGAA’s behalf.

As an August 2023 report from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratories points out, “waiving regulatory requirements increases risk.”   These risks can be offset by alternative safety requirements, some of which are not “directly” related to the pipeline safety requirement being waived. But at the apparent behest of your former employer, you made the decision to propose limiting the judgment of experts to maintain safety when pipeline operators are asking to waive safety requirements. And you cited comments you personally submitted for INGAA to justify a proposal to reduce repair and inspection standards for INGAA member companies. All of this raises serious concerns about whether you are complying with federal recusal obligations—and whether PHMSA is pursuing industry’s agenda instead of one that protects the American public.

Your efforts to roll back safety requirements are especially concerning against the backdrop of the 98 percent decline in proposed enforcement penalties assessed by PHMSA on pipeline companies that violate safety rules under your watch.  By all accounts, you are letting industry rewrite the rulebook, while simultaneously choosing not to enforce the rules that remain.

Given these serious questions and concerns, please provide the following documents and information from January 20, 2025, to present:

1. All communications between you and INGAA, the INGAA Foundation, or any of their member companies. This includes, but is not limited to, all communications regarding or relating to:
1. Potential rulemakings;
2. PHMSA policies;
3. Enforcement cases;
4. Your recusal obligations or potential conflicts of interest.
2. A complete list of every meeting or event (virtual or in person) in which you have participated with INGAA, the INGAA Foundation, or any of their member companies. Please specify the date, location, attendees, and subject matter discussed for each such meeting or event.
3. A complete list of all regulatory actions PHMSA has taken that cite to or rely on any comments, data, or other inputs provided by INGAA or the INGAA Foundation while you were employed by INGAA. 
4. A complete list of all matters from which you have sought to recuse yourself.
5. Copies of all waivers or authorizations you have received from PHMSA or DOT authorizing you to work on matters involving INGAA or its member companies.
6. A complete list of every rule, regulation, memo, or guidance that you have approved or recommended approval to the Office of the Secretary.
7. A complete list of PHMSA enforcement cases where the penalty was reduced, deferred, or withdrawn, and the legal rationale for each such instance.

Please provide the above requested materials no later than January 5, 2026.

Sincerely,

December 12, 2025

 Mr. Coyle:

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) plays a critical role in ensuring the safe movement of hazardous materials through states, cities, and neighborhoods. Pipeline and hazardous materials incidents can have devastating impacts on communities, the environment, and the economy, which is why the agency must remain independent and vigilant. Just last month, a leak in the Olympic Pipeline in Everrett, Washington prevented jet fuel from reaching Seattle-Tacoma International Airport—nearly preventing planes from taking off during the Thanksgiving holiday. This incident underscores why I am concerned by recent reporting indicating that companies and industry stakeholders you recently represented at the law firm Babst Calland may be receiving special access at PHMSA while the agency rewrites the nation’s pipeline safety rules to their benefit. Accordingly, I am requesting documents and information regarding the extent to which INGAA may be exercising undue influence over PHMSA.

According to your financial disclosure, as a shareholder of Babst Calland’s Pipeline and HazMat Safety practice, you represented major pipeline industry companies and groups shortly before President Trump appointed you to PHMSA in February 2025, including the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA).  While you were representing INGAA, the now-Deputy Administrator of PHMSA, Ben Kochman, was employed as INGAA’s Director of Pipeline Safety Policy.  A recent ProPublica investigative report found that PHMSA has advanced at least 23 actions since the start of this Administration that propose or implement amendments to safety rules—many of which seek to rollback safety and incident reporting requirements.  According to the report, PHMSA leadership initiated at least four of these actions in response to requests or specific concerns raised from your former client, INGAA.  As Deputy Administrator, Mr. Kochman signed multiple proposed rulemakings that explicitly cite INGAA’s comments, including comments Mr. Kochman personally signed for and submitted while employed by INGAA.  This raises serious questions about your former client INGAA’s influence over agency decision making—and whether PHMSA is pursuing industry’s agenda instead of one that protects the American public. It also raises serious concerns about whether PHMSA leadership is complying with federal recusal obligations.

Additionally, it appears you defended pipeline companies in PHMSA enforcement proceedings while at Babst Calland—the same enforcement process that you are now in charge of overseeing as Chief Counsel. Your office is involved in the approval of final enforcement orders, reviews petitions for reconsideration of enforcement orders, and handles any hearings if pipeline operators dispute the violations identified by pipeline safety inspectors. This gives you significant authority over how violations of pipeline safety laws are adjudicated and settled—decisions over which INGAA and its member companies now appear to wield considerable influence. Under your leadership, proposed enforcement penalties assessed by PHMSA on pipeline companies that violate safety rules declined a staggering 98 percent. 

Given these serious questions and concerns, please provide the following documents and information from January 20, 2025, to present:

1. All communications between you and INGAA, the INGAA Foundation, INGAA or INGAA Foundation member companies, or any of your other former clients at Babst Calland regulated by PHMSA. This includes, but is not limited to, all communications regarding or relating to:
1. Potential rulemakings;
2. PHMSA policies;
3. Enforcement cases;
4. Your recusal obligations or potential conflicts of interest.
2. A complete list of every meeting or event (virtual or in person) in which you have participated in with INGAA, the INGAA Foundation, INGAA or INGAA Foundation member companies, or any of your former clients at Babst Calland regulated by PHMSA. Please specify the date, location, attendees, and subject matter discussed for each such meeting or event.
3. A complete list of all regulatory actions PHMSA has taken that cite to or rely on any comments, data, or other inputs provided by INGAA or the INGAA Foundation while you represented INGAA. 
4. A complete list of all matters from which you have sought to recuse yourself.
5. Copies of all waivers or authorizations you have received from PHMSA or DOT authorizing you to work on matters involving INGAA, its member companies, or any of your other former clients.
6. A complete list of every rule, regulations, memo, guidance, or enforcement case settlement that you have signed or recommended for approval to the Office of the Secretary or the PHMSA Administrator, Acting Administrator, or Deputy Administrator.
7. A complete list of enforcement cases, where the penalty was reduced, deferred, or withdrawn, and the legal rationale for each such instance.

Please provide the above requested materials no later than January 5, 2026.

Sincerely,

December 12, 2025

Ms. Andryszak:

Pipeline incidents can have devastating effects on the health and safety of our communities and our economy. Since 2015, there have been 655 significant gas transmission incidents resulting in 21 fatalities, 48 injuries, and more than $800 million in damages. These serious risks underscore why Congress created the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to develop and implement pipeline safety regulations that protect the American public. I am concerned by recent reporting that indicates PHMSA leadership is not heeding Congress’s directive and is instead pursuing a reckless safety rollback agenda—and that they are doing so at the behest of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA). Compounding my concerns, it appears multiple senior PHMSA officials have close personal ties to INGAA, raising serious questions about whether INGAA is wielding outsized influence over agency decision making. Accordingly, I am seeking documents and information regarding INGAA’s relationship with and access to senior PHMSA leadership.

Ben Kochman is currently serving as Deputy Administrator of PHMSA, following his appointment by President Trump in January 2025. Prior to the confirmation of the PHMSA Administrator on September 18, 2025, Mr. Kochman led the agency. He also served on the Trump-Vance 2025 Transition team and was involved in transition activities related to the Department of Transportation. Before becoming one of the federal government’s lead pipeline safety officials, INGAA employed Mr. Kochman for nearly four years as the Director of Pipeline Safety Policy, where he advanced the policy interests of interstate natural gas pipeline operators.

Keith Coyle is currently serving as Chief Counsel of PHMSA, the agency’s top lawyer. As Chief Counsel, Mr. Coyle oversees PHMSA’s regulatory agenda and enforcement program. Prior to working as the lead federal pipeline safety attorney, Mr. Coyle was a Shareholder at Babst Calland, where his roster of significant pipeline industry clients included INGAA, according to his financial disclosure.

According to a recent investigative report by ProPublica, PHMSA has advanced at least 23 actions since the start of this Administration that propose or implement amendments to safety rules—many of which seek to rollback important safety and incident reporting requirements. According to the report, PHMSA leadership initiated at least four of these actions in response to requests or specific concerns raised by INGAA. Deputy Administrator Kochman—whom INGAA employed until his appointment—personally signed off on at least two proposed rulemakings that specifically cite INGAA’s concerns to justify the agency’s actions. In fact, Deputy Administrator Kochman cited comments that he personally signed for and submitted on behalf of INGAA in 2023 to justify potentially easing repair and inspection requirements.

Deputy Administrator Kochman’s actions also include decreasing oversight of the special permit process, which allows operators to apply for waivers to pipeline safety requirements. Additionally, under the leadership of Deputy Administrator Kochman and Mr. Coyle, PHMSA’s proposed enforcement penalties assessed against pipeline operators—many of which INGAA represents—have declined a staggering 98 percent.

INGAA’s members can be valuable partners in ensuring the safety of our gas pipeline systems. However, it is essential that our pipeline safety officials act independently, consistent with federal ethics rules, and free from undue influence by the companies they oversee.

Given these serious questions and concerns, please provide the following documents and information from January 20, 2025, to present:

1. All communications between INGAA or INGAA Foundation employees or representatives and PHMSA Deputy Administrator Kochman. This includes, but is not limited to, all communications regarding or relating to:
1. Potential rulemakings;
2. PHMSA policies;
3. Enforcement cases; and
4. Potential conflicts of interest.
2. A complete list of all meetings or events (virtual or in person) between INGAA or INGAA Foundation employees or representatives and Deputy Administrator Kochman. Please specify the date, location, attendees, and subject matter discussed for each such meeting or event.
3. All communications between INGAA or INGAA Foundation employees or representatives and PHMSA Chief Counsel Coyle. This includes, but is not limited to, all communications regarding or relating to:
1. Potential rulemakings;
2. PHMSA policies;
3. Enforcement cases; and
4. Potential conflicts of interest.
4. A complete list of all meetings or events (virtual or in person) between INGAA or INGAA Foundation employees or representatives and Mr. Coyle. Please specify the date, location, attendees, and subject matter discussed for each such meeting or event.  
5. All communications between INGAA or INGAA Foundation employees or representatives and any PHMSA official regarding or relating to:
1. INGAA or INGAA Foundation requests for PHMSA to reconsider or reverse previously adopted safety requirements;
2. PHMSA’s enforcement penalty guidelines or penalty calculation methods;
3. Requests from INGAA or the INGAA Foundation or your member companies seeking to delay, decline, or reduce PHMSA enforcement actions, penalties, or corrective action orders.
6. Please specify the date(s) on which INGAA became aware that Mr. Kochman and Mr. Coyle, respectively, were being considered for or had accepted a position with PHMSA. 
7. Copies of all written technical assistance provided by INGAA, the INGAA Foundation, or your member companies to PHMSA.
8. All comments filed by INGAA on PHMSA regulatory actions.
9. All analyses, white papers, technical memos, or suggested regulatory language that INGAA or the INGAA Foundation provided to PHMSA relating to special permits, methane releases, reporting requirements, or enforcement policy changes.
10. Please identify any PHMSA regulatory impact analyses, technical justifications, or draft rule text where PHMSA asked INGAA or the INGAA Foundation to provide edits, comments, suggestions, or data before public notice.
11. All documents and communications referring or relating to Deputy Administrator Kochman’s or Mr. Coyle’s positions at PHMSA, including how INGAA anticipated their positions would impact agency decision making.

Additionally, please provide the following documents from August 16, 2024, to present:

12. All communications between INGAA employees or representatives and Mr. Kochman while he served on the Trump-Vance 2025 Transition Team. This includes, but is not limited to, all communications regarding or relating to:
1. Potential rulemakings;
2. PHMSA policies;
3. Enforcement cases; and
4. Potential conflicts of interest.

Please provide the above requested materials no later than January 5, 2026.

Sincerely,

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