Document zdoe3k1bxrqDvJ6DGMjx2K7R3

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION Full Committee Nominations Hearing Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at 10:00 A.M. REPUBLICAN QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD Mr. Paul Roberti COVER PAGE SENATOR JERRY MORAN (R-KS) OST-2025-1200 Page 01348 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0024535 Roberti 1. Next to agriculture, the aviation industry is central to the Kansas economy. As the Aviation Subcommittee Chair, I've seen how FAA's information sharing systems have proven to be successful at encouraging collaboration between stakeholders. I've worked with the Commerce Committee to establish a similar mechanism at PHMSA to accelerate pipeline monitoring and raise safety standards. How does voluntary information sharing among natural gas infrastructure operators enhance safety, security, efficiency, and regulatory compliance? 2. Integral to the mission of the agency you are nominated to lead is coordination with other federal departments and agencies and with states, localities, and industry stakeholders to deliver safe and efficient transportation networks. How will you leverage relationships with state departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, and other partners to navigate diverse transportation safety needs while upholding a uniform standard of safety throughout the country? SENATOR TED BUDD (R-NC) 2 OST-2025-1200 Page 01349 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0024536 Roberti 1. As we think about the lessons learned post-COVID about the importance of just in time deliveries, I am excited about the prospect of package delivery by drones. Drone deliveries bring a lot of advantages because they can travel as the crow flies and enable deliveries in less than 30 minutes. However, there are items that consumers seek to have delivered - like hand sanitizer, nail polish or small lithium ion batteries - are classified as hazardous materials creating issues delivering these items via drone. These small commercial items classified as hazardous materials are regularly carried onto airplanes in purses, backpacks and carry-on luggage, but PHMSA regulations create significant issues when these same items are delivered by drone. Section 933 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 required PHMSA to develop a risk-based approach to allow drones to deliver certain small commercial items classified as hazardous materials by drone by November 12, 2024. While some progress has been made, PHMSA has not yet established such a risk-based approval process that can enable common small commercial items to be delivered by drone. Mr. Roberti, if confirmed, would you ensure that PHMSA meets the obligation under the FAA Reauthorization Act to establish a risk-based approach for small commercial items classified as hazardous materials required by Section 933 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024? 2. I have concerns that over the past few years, PHMSA (pronounced FIM-zuh) has moved away from pipeline safety toward climate activism and environmental regulation. Pipelines are essential to American energy security, and if we do not have the necessary infrastructure to deliver oil and natural gas from producers to the end user, our energy security is at risk. Do you agree it is critical to maintain PHMSA's focus on safety regulation rather than environmental activism? 3 OST-2025-1200 Page 01350 Sierra Club v. Dept. of Transp. - 3:25-cv-06221 SC_EVERSPLIT0024537