PHMSA Officials Weakening Federal Safety Protections Amid Conflict-of Interest Allegations
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.
Cantwell Demands Answers from BP About Pipeline Spill Severely Impacting Delivery of Jet Fuel to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, today wrote to BP North America Chief Executive Officer Murray Auchincloss demanding immediate answers about the Olympic Pipeline leak that has cut off delivery of jet fuel to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) just days ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. In addition, there are concerns that the incident may increase gas prices in Western Washington for the next several weeks.
Cantwell, Cruz, Peters & Young Introduce Bipartisan Pipeline Safety Legislation
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chair of the Committee, Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines and Safety, and Todd Young (R-Ind.) 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. The legislation reauthorizes the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration through September 2030.
Cantwell Calls for Increased Oversight After Keystone Pipeline Spills Nearly 600,000 Gallons of Tar Sands, Largest Onshore Spill in Nearly a Decade
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today sent a letter to Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown with concerns about the oversight of TC Energy’s special permit for the Keystone pipeline, which last month spilled nearly 600 thousand gallons of bitumen oil, polluting a creek that flows into nearby rivers and becoming the largest onshore crude pipeline spill in almost a decade. Today, the EPA and TC Energy signed a consent order to clean up the creek.
Chair Cantwell On Cyber Threats to Energy Infrastructure: Colonial Pipeline Attack “The Tip of the Iceberg”
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today convened a hearing to further review the federal response to the cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline Company and examine what additional actions must be taken to strengthen America’s cybersecurity defenses and better protect our nation’s critical infrastructure. The Committee heard testimony from Transportation Security Administrator David Pekoske, Department of Transportation (DOT) Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg, and Acting Director of Homeland Security and Justice at the Government Accountability Office, Leslie Gordon.