The operator of a gas pipeline in the Texas panhandle has settled for nearly $1.5 million over claims it broke regulations, leading to an employee’s death.
Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Co., which runs a gas pipeline from the Texas panhandle to Michigan, agreed to pay the federal government $1.425 million, the Department of Justice announced January 20. This settled claims the company violated regulations, leading to an employee’s death in Kansas in 2020.
“This settlement reflects our commitment to impose accountability in regulatory matters,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould in the release. “The outcome here illustrates the importance and necessity of compliance and appropriate enforcement actions to prevent and address tragic circumstances.”
Panhandle Eastern is a subsidiary of the Texas company Energy Transfer. According to the release, this settlement only resolves allegations, but there was “no determination or admission of liability.”
In March 2020, a pipeline employee was killed at the Borcher Station in Meade, in southwest Kansas. A “pig” – a cylindrical device that scours a pipeline interior to remove debris – was ejected from a partially-pressurized receiver barrel during maintenance. This struck and killed a worker.
The federal government filed a civil complaint in April 2025, seeking injunctive relief and civil penalties under the Pipeline Safety Act.
Congress passed the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act in 1968, setting some of the first industry safety standards.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced another “Pipeline Safety Act” in 2025, aiming to set stricter requirements.
The federal government claimed that Panhandle Eastern violated safety regulations, requiring it to follow a manual of written procedures for operations and maintenance in four areas related to the fatal incident. The company agreed to the settlement on December 31, 2025.
“Safety and enforcement go hand in hand,” said Paul Roberti, administrator of the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in the release. “We will not let operators escape accountability in cases like this one and will continue to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure our nation’s energy infrastructure is safe.”
The PHMSA initially investigated this case before passing it on to the DOJ. Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Saurabh Sharad handled the case.
