Pipeline Safety: Electronic Retention of Part 194 Response Plans

What it does

This DFR will amend facility response plan regulations to allow operators of oil pipelines to keep electronic copies of onshore oil spill response plans or the "relevant portions" of those plans in lieu of paper copies.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What changed in the regulation

1 part of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

49 CFR 194

Wording on eCFR: the day before it took effect and from the day it took effect (first part listed).

Compared with

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has published 67 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 42 in all of 2025.

Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.

Before this

No earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 2137-AG23 since Jan. 1, 2025.

Since then:

• July 31, 2026 Direct final rule (DFR); confirmation of effective date. Pipeline Safety: Electronic Retention of Part 194 Response Plans

What happens next and when

The DFR is effective August 3, 2026, unless adverse comments are received by June 23, 2026. If adverse comments are received, notification will be published in the Federal Register before the effective date withdrawing the rule and publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking to provide an additional opportunity for public comment.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Docket PHMSA-2026-1519 on Regulations.gov
• Title 49 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register