The Nation's network of approx; 2.5 million miles of pipelines moves millions of gallons of hazardous liquids and 55 billion cubic feet of natural gas every day. Eighty-five percent of these pipelines are under State authority. The Dept. of Transportation's (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Admin. (PHMSA) authorizes States to oversee and enforce operators' compliance with Federal pipeline safety regulations through its State Pipeline Safety Program. PHMSA also allocates grants to State programs. Between 2008 and 2013, funding for these grants more than doubled from $19.5 million to over $46 million. In Sept. 2010, an intra-State natural gas pipeline exploded in San Bruno, CA, resulting in 8 fatalities, 58 injuries, and 38 destroyed homes. The Nat. Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) investigation found weaknesses in PHMSA's oversight of State programs and recommended that DOT assess the effectiveness of PHMSA's oversight of intra-State pipeline safety. This report assessed PHMSA's (1) policies and procedures for managing its State Pipeline Safety Program, including guidelines to participating States; and (2) oversight of State pipeline safety programs.This is a print on demand report.

The Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 established a risk-based program for gas transmission pipelines-the integrity management program. The program requires operators of natural and other gas transmission pipelines to identify "high consequence areas" where pipeline incidents would most severely affect public safety, such as those occurring in highly populated or frequented areas. Operators must assess pipelines in these areas for safety risks and repair or replace any defective segments. Operators must also submit data on performance measures to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The 2002 act also directed GAO to assess this program's effects on public safety. Accordingly, we examined (1) the effect on public safety of the integrity management program and (2) PHMSA and state pipeline agencies' plans to oversee operators' implementation of program requirements. To fulfill these objectives, GAO interviewed 51 gas pipeline operators and surveyed all state pipeline agencies.

Pipeline Safety - Pipeline Damage Prevention Programs (US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Regulation) (PHMSA) (2018 Edition) The Law Library presents the complete text of the Pipeline Safety - Pipeline Damage Prevention Programs (US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Regulation) (PHMSA) (2018 Edition). Updated as of May 29, 2018 Pursuant to the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2006, this final rule establishes review criteria for State excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs as a prerequisite for PHMSA to conduct an enforcement proceeding against an excavator in the absence of an adequate enforcement program in the State where a pipeline damage prevention violation occurs. This final rule amends the pipeline safety regulations to establish the following: Criteria and procedures for determining the adequacy of State pipeline excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs; an administrative process for making State adequacy determinations; the Federal requirements PHMSA will enforce in States with inadequate excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs; and the adjudication process for administrative enforcement proceedings against excavators where Federal authority is exercised. The development of the review criteria and the subsequent determination of the adequacy of State excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs is intended to encourage States to develop effective excavation damage prevention law enforcement programs to protect the public from the risk of pipeline ruptures caused by excavation damage and allow for Federal administrative enforcement action in States with inadequate enforcement programs. This book contains: - The complete text of the Pipeline Safety - Pipeline Damage Prevention Programs (US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Regulation) (PHMSA) (2018 Edition) - A table of contents with the page number of each section

Pipeline Safety - Control Room Management - Human Factors (US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Regulation) (PHMSA) (2018 Edition) The Law Library presents the complete text of the Pipeline Safety - Control Room Management - Human Factors (US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Regulation) (PHMSA) (2018 Edition). Updated as of May 29, 2018 PHMSA proposes to revise the Federal pipeline safety regulations to address human factors and other components of control room management. The proposed rules would require operators of hazardous liquid pipelines, gas pipelines, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities to amend their existing written operations and maintenance procedures, operator qualification (OQ) programs, and emergency plans to assure controllers and control room management practices and procedures used maintain pipeline safety and integrity. This proposed rule results from a PHMSA study of controllers and controller performance issues known as the Controller Certification Project (CCERT), a National Transportation Safety Board study, safety-related condition reports, operator visits and inspections, and inquiries. This rule would improve opportunities to reduce risk through more effective control of pipelines and require the human factors management plan mandated by the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006 (PIPES Act). These regulations would enhance pipeline safety by coupling strengthened control room management, including automated control systems, with improved controller training and qualifications and fatigue management. PHMSA expects these regulations will complement efforts already underway in the pipeline industry to address human factors and control room management, such as the development of new national consensus standards, including an American Petroleum Institute (API) recommended practices on roles and responsibilities, shift operations, management of change, fatigue management, alarm management and SCADA display standard, as well as comparable business practices at some pipeline companies. This book contains: - The complete text of the Pipeline Safety - Control Room Management - Human Factors (US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Regulation) (PHMSA) (2018 Edition) - A table of contents with the page number of each section