Who Are We

NAPSR Publications: Role of the States (pdf file); Articles of Association

 

The National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR), established in 1982, is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization of state agency pipeline safety directors, managers, inspectors and technical personnel who serve to support, encourage, develop and enhance pipeline safety. NAPSR provides an effective mechanism for fostering the federal/state partnership through 52 state agencies in the lower 48 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, whose mission is "to strengthen state pipeline safety programs through promotion of improved pipeline safety standards, education, training, and technology".

 

State pipeline safety personnel make up more than 75% of the State/Federal inspection workforce. NAPSR provides these inspectors with a venue to share best practices, enhance communications with our federal counterparts, raise new issues, and influence policy. NAPSR is recognized by Congress, federal agencies, and the media as the national voice of the State pipeline safety community.

 

As part of its efforts in furthering pipeline safety in the United States, NAPSR adopts resolutions to raise serious pipeline safety concerns of national scope to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for consideration in regulatory and enforcement activities. NAPSR also establishes working committees and task groups to address pipeline safety issues requiring immediate attention and in-depth analysis.

 

Each year, NAPSR holds meetings in each of its five regions and a national Board of Directors meeting to promote the exchange of federal/state information, adopt resolutions of national scope, plan actions and consider innovative approaches for enhancing pipeline safety.

 

The nation’s fuel pipeline systems can be divided into two categories: intrastate and interstate.  Our members have direct safety authority over more than 99% of regulated intrastate gas and 84% of intrastate hazardous liquid systems and carbon dioxide pipelines in the U.S.  Most interstate pipelines are inspected by federal government inspectors. Recent statistics indicate that NAPSR members have safety authority over more than 99% of the two million miles of gas distribution pipelines (pipelines serving retail consumers) in the country.  In addition, our members oversee 49% of 329,000 miles of gas transmission pipelines, and 34% of 187,000 miles of hazardous liquid pipelines. 

 

State pipeline inspectors are the “first line of defense” at the community level to enforce pipeline safety, interact with first responders, carry out and enable underground utility damage prevention, and promote public education and awareness regarding pipeline safety.  The primary goal of State pipeline safety programs is to ensure safety and give the public confidence that the pipeline system is overwhelmingly safe and reliable. Although in most cases they are agents of the federal government, most States have adopted and enforce more stringent regulations than the federal pipeline safety regulations.

 

State agency primary pipeline safety duties consist of the following:

· Operator inspections,
· Compliance and enforcement,
· Training and safety programs,
· Accident investigations, and
· Record maintenance and reporting.

 

Our members employ a wide range of methods as part of their regulatory oversight, including:

• Corrective action orders, which direct the company to make specific safety-related improvements;
• Civil penalties, such as monetary fines; and,
• Control of utility rates, which ensures that the utility company and its shareholders, not customers, bear the cost of mandates for improving their safety record.

 

Enforcement actions vary from State-to-State, but generally, when a safety violation is discovered during an inspection, the State inspector will submit a report to the appropriate safety agency, usually the State public service commission. Depending on the State’s laws, the agency will determine the severity of the violation and determine its next course of action.

Through support of PHMSA, the federal office of Training and Qualification provides training and technical assistance to all state safety inspectors. When schedules permit, additional state-industry sponsored training seminars are provided to the pipeline industry to ensure that lessons learned can be proactively shared.