Revision of Regulations To Require Reporting of Damage to Natural Gas Pipeline Facilities

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is amending its regulations to require that jurisdictional natural gas companies report damage to facilities as the result of a natural disaster or terrorist activity that results in a reduction in pipeline throughput or storage deliverability. The Commission is issuing this Final Rule based on its experience following Hurricanes Rita and Katrina under the existing reporting requirements which only require pipeline companies to report service interruptions and therefore did not require natural gas companies to report significant hurricane damage to facilities in instances where service interruptions were avoided by rerouting gas supplies or other means. The Commission has determined that the additional reporting requirements are necessary in order to effectively monitor the nation's natural gas infrastructure in crisis situations.