G/TBT/N/USA/1912  
30 August 2022  
(22-6492) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT) [1942]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to h andle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point, Email: usatbtep@nist.gov  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Pipeline 
safety; Quality (ICS code(s): 03.120); Environmental protection (ICS code(s): 13.020); 
Pipeline components and pipelines (ICS code(s): 23.040)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Pipeline Safety: 
Periodic Standards Update II; (24 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice of proposed rulemaking - PHMSA incorporates more than 
80 voluntary, consensus, industry technical standards by reference within the Federal 
pipeline safety regulations (PSRs). This notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) propo ses 
amendments that would incorporate by reference all or parts of updated editions of some 
of those standards. This NPRM also proposes non -substantive edits and clarifications to 
certain other provisions of the PSRs.  
7. Objective and rationale, including  the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Prevention of deceptive practices and consumer protection; Protection of the 
environment; Quality requirements; Cost saving and productivity enhancement  
8. Relevant documents:   
87 Federal Register (FR) 52713, 29 August 2022; Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) Parts 191, 192, and 195:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2022-08-29/html/2022 -17219.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2022-08-29/pdf/2022 -17219.pdf  
This notice of proposed rulemaking is identified by Docket Number PHMSA -2020-0013. 
The Docket Folder is availab le on Regulations.gov at 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/PHMSA -2020-0013/document  and provides access 
to primary documents as well as comments received. Documents are also acces sible from G/TBT/N/USA/1912  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Regulations.gov  by searching the Docket Number. WTO Members and their stakeholders 
are asked to submit comments to the USA TBT Enquiry Point  by or before 4pm Eastern 
Time on 28 October 2022. Comments received by the USA TBT Enquiry Point from WTO 
Members and their stakeholders will be shared with the regulator and will also be 
submitted to the Docket  on Regulations.gov if received within the comment period.  
Previous rules tha t incorporated updated consensus standards by reference were 
published on 24 May 1996, ( 61 FR 26121 ); 17 February 1998, ( 63 FR 7721 ); 14 June 
2004, ( 69 FR 32886 ); 9 June 2006, ( 71 FR 33402 ); 1 February 2007, ( 72 FR 4655  
(correction)); 11 August 2010, ( 75 FR 48593 ); 5 January 2015, ( 80 FR 168 ); and 6 
August 2015, ( 80 FR 46847  (correction)).  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  28 October 2022  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2022/TBT/USA/22_587 7_00_e.pdf