WELCOME

The National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives ("NAPSR or Association") is a non-profit organization of state pipeline safety personnel who serve to promote pipeline safety in the United States and its territories. The Association supports the safe delivery of pipeline products by working closely with USDOT's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration ("PHMSA"), the industry and other interested organizations. NAPSR's Board of Directors is the governing body of the organization and is responsible for NAPSR policy. It includes: a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, a Secretary, a Treasurer, the Immediate-Past Chairperson and the chairperson and vice-chairperson of each of NAPSR's five regions. NAPSR also has an Administrative Manager who assists the National Chairperson and is responsible for education and liaison with outside organizations, advising the Board on matters affecting the Association's mission, assisting in implementing the objectives of NAPSR and routine administration. For contact information please click on "Board of Directors" on this page.

Regional Breakdown of National Pipeline Safety Representatives

NAPSR Annual Regional and National Meeting Schedule for 2008

HOT OFF THE PRESS:

 

DVD of PHMSA Webcase on DIMP Available

The webcast will be available on this website early next week for downloading from the link: PHMSA DIMP webcast. If you want a copy in a hurry of the DVD, please contact Carrie Smith at carrie.smith@rrc.state.tx.us, phone: 512-463-7049 and she will priority mail it to you.

 

PHMSA Publishes DIMP Rule Proposal

On June 25, PHMSA issued for comment a Federal Register Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Distribution Integrity Management Program requirements. Comments on this rule are due on or before September 23. In a written e-mail message to the NAPSR program managers, National Chairman Ron Law stated that: "This is one of the most important rulemakings we've had in a long time, that will significantly affect the operators in your State and that will define what you will have to do to verify compliance in the future. Accordingly, I urge you to give this document your full attention as soon as you can." NAPSR is developing comments on this rule, but NPASR members are being urged to send in comments to PHMSA on behalf of their own States, with a copy to NAPSR*. If you need added information, please contact NAPSR DIMP & SHRIMP Task Group's Chairman Phil Sher at Philip.Sher@po.state.ct.us; phone 860-827-2604, or *George Mosinskis at gmosinskis@cox.net; phone 703-504-8878.

 

Congress Holds First Oversight Hearing on PIPES Act

On March 12, the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality held a public hearing to address compliance with the mandate of the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, and Enforcement and Security Act of 2006 (PIPES Act). The main concerns expressed by members of the committee were some of the missed deadlines. Commissioner Don Mason, OH, testified on behalf of NARUC and NAPSR at this hearing. Highlights of his testimony can be found on the NARUC website at http://www.naruc.org/News/default.cfm?pr=75.

 

PHMSA Issues Advisory Bulletin on Mechanical Couplings

On March 4, PHMSA issued an advisory bulletin about failures of mechanical couplings and related appurtenances that have raised concerns about safety in natural gas distribution systems. The notice updates information provided in Advisory Bulletin ADB-86-02 and advises owners and operators of gas pipelines to consider the potential failure modes for mechanical couplings used for joining and pressure sealing two pipes together. Failures can occur when there is inadequate restraint for the potential stresses on the two pipes, when the couplings are incorrectly installed or supported, or when the coupling components such as elastomers degrade over time. In addition, PHMSA warns that leak surveys which fail to identify leaks requiring immediate repair can lead to more serious incidents.  The present bulletin urges operators to review their procedures for using mechanical couplings and ensure coupling design, installation procedures, leak survey procedures, and personnel qualifications meet Federal requirements. Operators should work with Federal and State pipeline safety representatives, manufacturers, and industry partners to determine how best to resolve potential issues in their respective state or region. According to PHMSA, documented repair or replacement programs may prove beneficial to all stakeholders involved. In related action, the Texas Railroad Commission recently published a study report on Compression Type Couplings. This has been distributed to all of the NAPSR members via a February 28, 2008 e-mail message. For copies, contact George Mosinskis at gmosinskis@cox.net.

 

Surveys sent to NAPSR members in 2008

A number of surveys have been conducted by NAPSR this year as part of an effort to better know the association through better knowledge of state programs. Results are being presented at the annual Regional meetings that are currently under way. There is one survey still outstanding that promises to bring quick benefits for NAPSR members. This is the State Safety Initiative survey sent out by National Chairman Ron Law on April 15, 2008. It asks for information a state may have for replacement of problematic pipe or fitting made of any material. The goal is to compile this information and then share it with other states in order to help educate states on potential safety problems, as well as solutions or methods used that have prevented, mitigated or remediated the problem. All NAPSR members that have not yet responded are being urged to respond to this survey. For added information, please contact Leo Haynos at the KS Corporation Commission, 785-271-3278, email lhaynos@kcc.gov.

 

PHMSA takes over Damage Prevention Guidelines:

In the wake of unresolved concerns expressed by NAPSR about the "EDPI Guide to the 9 Elements", PHMSA is developing a new document under the title "Damage Prevention Assistance Program (DPAP)". A draft is currently under limited review by NAPSR. Purportedly, this document follows more closely the July 31, 2007 document by NAPSR entitled "SUGGESTED CRITERIA FOR MEETING THE 9 ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAM". For information on this initiative please contact Annmarie Robertson at 317-232-2717 or George Mosinskis at 703-504-8778.

 

Three Pipeline Safety Resolutions Adopted by NARUC

At its Winter meeting in mid February, the NARUC Board of Directors adopted three separate resolutions covering the need for adequate Congressional appropriations for federally funded state grants, risk-based LNG plant and terminal safety, and consideration of the EDPI Guide to the 9 Elements by State Commissions. These resolutions can be found on the NARUS website at http://www.naruc.org/meetingresolutions.cfm?2008-02-20 and searching for Committe on Gas header.

 

DOT Advisory Committees on Pipeline Safety Met

On January 17, two Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) advisory committees, the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (TPSSC) and the Technical and Hazardous Liquids Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (THLPSSC) met in Arlington, VA to hear PHMSA Chief Safety Officer, Stacey Gerard discuss several options for the existing transmission integrity management and pending distribution integrity management regulations. For the gas transmission integrity rule, PHMSA is considering changes to the current 7-year re-inspection requirement, by allowing operators to seek special permits that consider risk factors in determining the proper re-inspection interval. This was discussed in a ½-day meeting on January 18 (see below under Major Programs). PHMSA is not providing specific language for either regulation but rather wanted to get feedback from its advisory committees as to whether such changes would be appropriate. The committees did not voice any major concerns during the meeting.

 

The PHMSA advisory committees consist of industry, government and public representatives that advise PHMSA on the technical feasibility, reasonableness, cost-effectiveness and practicability of PHMSA’s rules. They also evaluate cost-benefit analyses and risk assessment information on each proposal. Don Stursma, IA now represents NAPSR on the TPSSC. Commissioners Don Mason, OH, Jeff Hatch-Miller, AZ, Lisa Edgar, FLPSC and Lula Ford, IL are also members of these advisory committees.

 

Changes Within NAPSR:

Changes have occurred since the last posting on this website: As of June 2008, we have new program managers in the pipeline safety offices in the District of Columbia, Uedozo Obgue and in New Jersey, Mike Stonack.

 

Job Openings in State pipeline safety programs:

Job vacancies in State pipeline safety programs can be posted upon request under a link shown at the end of the HEADS UP section on this page. To request posting, NAPSR members should contact George Mosinskis at gmosinskis@cox.net

 

NAPSR Private Website is already on line:

A portion of the federal website SPPS site is dedicated to this. You should be able to access historical records such as National Meeting minutes, approved resolutions, NAPSR position documents restricted to NAPSR members and the NAPSR annual calendar of events relevant to NAPSR and invitational travel information. There should also be a forum for internal discussions. Stay tuned for further announcements.

 

ASME Committee to Update Operator Qualification Standard:

The Technical Committee for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B31Q Pipeline Operator Qualification Standard had another meeting in April. A report was recently sent by David Lykken to all NAPSR members. The ongoing work of the committee, which is chaired by APGA Board member Mike Comstock of the City of Mesa, Arizona, is to resolve any issues left over from the original publication of the Standard last year. Additionally, the Committee will address new issues as they come forward. The standing Committee has been divided into three sub-teams. Teams are responsible for technical issues, which may include: adding new covered tasks; as appropriate or updating portions of the Standard which are out of date; non-technical issues, which may include editorial changes to the Standard; and administrative, which will act as a "clearing house" for items that come before the Committee.

 

Data Team activity update:

Based on information from gathered at Data Team meetings in April, PHMSA has recently proposed draft revisions to incident reporting and annual reporting forms. NAPSR Data Team members have commented on these. Form instructions will be reviewed next. For further information contact Michael Thompson at michael.thompson@state.or.us , or George Mosinskis at gmosinskis@cox.net.

 

HEADS UP:

 

Preparations Under Way for NAPSR National Meeting

Information about the National Meeting to be held this year in Boise, ID is already posted on the web at the following link: http://www.puc.idaho.gov/napsr/napsr.htm. Attendees can make hotel reservations on line and are urged to make them early, as even with the room block, the hotel may run out of rooms.

 

Workshop on Inspection of Pipe Casings to Be Held in mid-Summer

Working with PHMSA, industry associations are planning on holding a 2-day public workshop in Chicago on July 15 and 16 to address methods for inspecting the integrity of transmission pipelines inside casings, as well as exploring effective alternatives to casings in future pipeline construction. NAPSR members from CT, RI, LA and MI will be attending the workshop.

 

Damage Prevention Grants Application for 2008 Being Awarded

PHMSA is currently in the process of awarding State Damage Prevention Program grants for Calendar year 2008. A high profile ceremony took place in Atlanta, GA, on May 29 when the Georgia Public Service Commission was awarded a $100,000 grant, the maximum allowable out of total of $1.5 million available for such grants. The grant recognizes the Commission's damage prevention program as a model for other states to follow in reducing damages to underground utilities by educating excavators and utilities in avoiding accidents that can cause expensive and often dangerous damage to buried utilities. PHMSA has announced that is is seeking additional funding for these grants in its budget request for Fiscal Year 2009. It is also currently studying ways to facilitate the preparation of grant applications. For further information, NAPSR members are urged to contact Max Kieba at PHMSA, at max.kieba@dot.gov, phone: 202-493-0595 or Karina Munoz at karina.munoz@dot.gov, phone: 202-366-4059. The website information can be accessed at http://www.grants.gov/search/basic.do and searching CFDA 20.720.

 

PHMSA Strategic Plan
At the 2007 NAPSR National Meeting in Mystic, CT PHMSA Chief Safety Officer and Assistant Administrator Stacey Gerard outlined the contents of the recently unveiled PHMSA Strategic Plan. The plan can be accessed by clicking the Current Issues button on this page.

 

PHMSA issues advisory bulletin on plastic pipe:
On September 6, 2007, an advisory bulletin appeared in the Federal Register advising owners and operators of plastic pipe to be aware of the propensity of some older plastic materials to premature failure by "brittle-like cracking". Five polyethylene piping materials were identified. This information had been previously released by the Plastic Pipe Database Committee in its Annual Report. For further information on the database, contact Vernon Gainey at 803-737-0800 or Steve Wood at 919-733-6004. In a related move, PHMSA's Trainging and Qualification (TQ) office is sponsoring a Plastic Pipe Ad Hoc group that is convening periodically to examine failures in components which contain plastic as one of the materials of construction, such as risers, mechanical couplings and elastomer gaskets. There are seven members of NAPSR on the group. For futher information, contact David Lykken at 360-664-1219 (dlykken@utc.wa.gov), or Richard Sanders at 405-954-7214 (richard.sanders@dot.gov).

 

Job Openings in Pipeline Safety

 

 

MAJOR PROGRAMS

 

Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP)
Rulemaking status: Proposed rule has been issued on June 25 and is out for comment until September 23, 2008. PHMSA also plans to hold pre-recorded public webcasts to familiarize stakeholders with the basis and provisions of this rule. For further information, please contact George Mosinskis at gmosinskis@cox.net .

 

Guidance document status: To clarify the rule, after the proposed rule is issued by PHMSA, a guidance document will be available from the Gas Piping Technology Committee. Additional information can be found at: http://www.cycla.com/opsiswc/wc.dll?webmain~subsystemhome~&sub=22

 

Public Awareness Communications Program
Rule status: PHMSA issued an advisory bulletin on June 16, 2006 (see Federal Register). PHMSA intends to issue a separate rule.

 

Compliance status: Deadline for submission of plans by operators of other than master meter and petroleum gas distributors by pipeline as an incidental part of their primary business was October 8, 2006.

Transmission Integrity Management Program (IMP)
Rule status: Rule being fully implemented and enforced both for liquids and gas pipelines.

 

Compliance status: PHMSA holds periodic "reset" meetings to make adjustment to the integrity inspection procedures. It also maintains frequently asked questions on its public website for liquids at
http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/iim/faqs.htm and for gas at http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/gasimp/faqlist.gim. Also, PHMSA has formed an Integrated Inspection Team which has one NAPSR member on the gas team and one the liquids team. PHMSA is currently considering allowing deviations from the current 7-year gas transmission pipeline re-inspection requirement to permit operators to consider risk factors in determining the proper re-inspection interval. To this end, on January 18, PHMSA held a ½-day public meeting in Arlington, VA. The 7-year interval was imposed by Congress in the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002. Congress had asked the Government Accountability Office to study this issue and report back whether the 7-year interval is appropriate. The report finds no fault with a risk-based approach to the reassessment interval. However, because the legislation is specific on the 7-year requirement, PHMSA cannot issue a regulation to the contrary. Instead, it is choosing to use the waiver process. It is proposing to adopt an approach whereby special permits might be granted for what the agency finds as justifiable deviations from the 7-year reassessment interval.

 

 

Get the Acrobat Reader.

PDF format can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader, available FREE from Adobe.