Document 0qoGvdzRL9DNZrddYmpkQGjwV

ry U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 Bill Russell Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) 441 G Street NW Washington, D.C. 20548 MAY 16 2019 Dear Mr. Russell: The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) mission is to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives. PHMSA is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations to support safe, reliable, and environmentally sound pipeline transportation in the United States. As a part of its safety mission, PHMSA shares responsibility for safeguarding the nation's pipeline system with the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and pipeline owners and operators. Pursuant to a September 2004 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Transportation (DOT) and DHS, PHMSA and TSA signed an Annex in August 2006 to further delineate the roles and responsibilities between the agencies on pipeline and hazardous materials transportation security. PHMSA recognizes the value of the 2006 Annex and acknowledges the need to revise the document. PHMSA's Administrator directed PHMSA staff to review the Annex and collaborate with its TSA partners to update the document. Since early 2018, PHMSA and TSA have met to review the Annex and identified outdated references to certain Presidential Policy Directives and legal citations, as well as sections requiring revision to more accurately reflect current programs. Upon review of the draft report, PHMSA concurs with GAO's two recommendations to: (1) work with TSA to develop and implement a timeline with milestone dates for reviewing and updating the 2006 Annex; and (2) include a provision requiring periodic reviews of and appropriate updates to the Annex to ensure that it stays current with legal and policy developments. DOT will provide a detailed response to the recommendations within 180-days of the final report's issuance. OST-2025-1105 Page 00433 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0008756 PHMSA appreciates the opportunity to respond to the GAO draft report. Please contact Madeline M. Chulumovich, Director of Audit Relations and Program Improvement, at (202) 366-6512 with any questions or if GAO would like additional information. Sincerely, Keith Washington Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration OST-2025-1105 Page 00434 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0008757