# Arkansas Public Service Commission — Pipeline Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** PI-72-044  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 1972-10-26

PI-72-044 response to Arkansas Public Service Commission concerning 192.1.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

October 26, 1972
Mr. Benjamin C. McMinn
General Counsel
Arkansas Public Service Commission
Justice Building
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Dear Mr. McMinn:
Your letter of October 12, 1972, advises that the Commission is considering whether to request
legislation amending the Arkansas Pipeline Safety Act of 1971 to except the Commission from
following the Arkansas Administrative Procedures Act (APA). You ask whether, for Federal
purposes, we consider it necessary that the Commission be required to follow the notice and
hearing requirements of the APA.
There is no requirement in the Federal Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 that a State
agency afford opportunity for interested persons to present oral testimony and argument in
connection with State adoption of Federal safety standards even though such a requirement is
imposed on the Secretary in Section 3(d) of the Federal Act.
However, Section 3(e) of the Federal Act requires the Secretary to give notice and opportunity
for hearing prior to his decision on an application for waiver of compliance with any regulation
established under the Act. Also under Section 3(e), a State agency may waive compliance with a
safety standards, "in the same manner as the Secretary". This is interpreted to mean that a State
agency must give notice and opportunity for hearing on an application for a waiver.
Procedurally, in connection with waivers, it may be possible for the notice and hearing
requirements to be met by administrative action of the States legislature. If the Commission could
meet these requirements administratively, exemption of the Commission from the Arkansas APA
would not place its certification in
dal\192.1-a\1\72-10-26
1

<<<PAGE 2>>>

jeopardy, nor raise a question with regard to the Commission's eligibility for Federal grants-in-aid.
Qualification for certification or grants is not dependent on whether the Arkansas APA applies or
not, but on whether the agency actually meets the requirements of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety
Act of 1968.
If you have further questions in this regard, please do not hesitate to call on us.
Sincerely,
Joseph C. Caldwell
Director
Office of Pipeline Safety
dal\192.1-a\1\72-10-26
2

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/Pipeline/1972/PI72044.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `20c126dd12a07732981388f7e708622446403f1d2b88af226f43e1a8b642a24e`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T02:52:00.935Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-pi-72-044`

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