Public Safety

Pipeline Safety 

Statewide Outcome(s):

Pipeline Safety supports the following statewide outcome(s).

People in Minnesota are safe.

Context:

The mission of the Office of Pipeline Safety is to protect lives, property and the environment through the implementation of a program of gas and hazardous liquid pipeline inspections, enforcement, accident investigations and education.

Pipeline Safety inspectors provide oversight of the key issues of pipeline construction, operations and maintenance, records and field evaluations, integrity management plans, employee qualification programs and drug and alcohol testing programs.

The primary customers are the general public, utility companies, excavators and underground utility locators.

The Office is funded by a mix of special revenue funds that come from pipeline safety inspection fees and federal funds that come from an agreement with the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) within the US Department of Transportation (DOT).

Strategies:

·         Pipeline Safety staff are responsible for statewide inspections of the natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities. As agents for the US DOT, staff inspects 9,893 miles of interstate pipelines in addition to over 63,000 miles of intrastate pipelines.

·         Pipeline Safety staff inspect 30 municipal gas systems, 14 private gas distribution systems and over 90 pipeline facility operators.

·         Staff responds to pipeline accidents and incidents, working cooperatively with the National Transportation Safety Board, the US DOT/PHMSA and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

·         Staff promote damage prevention, enforce the Gopher State One Call law (requires excavators to call before they dig and utility operators to mark their facilities), supports an emergency notification center, and maintains data and maps on pipelines.

·         Staff also conduct dig safely education seminars at several utility coordinating committee events, public speaking opportunities, pipeline operator training and damage prevention seminar’s.

Results:

·         Strategies listed above are directed toward preventing accidents, fatalities, injuries and property damage. Minnesota statistics in these areas are very favorable when compared to other Midwestern States.

Performance Measures Notes:

Pipeline Safety staff respond onsite or by telephone to all damages reported in to the State Duty Officer (required for operators). Reports are completed on all damages. Education on proper/improper techniques is provided where necessary and can include warnings and penalties.

Significant pipeline incidents data is obtained from PHMSA website. Significant is defined in terms of deaths, injuries and property damage.

Fatal pipeline incident investigations are completed in cooperation with PHMSA, the NTSB and pipeline company investigators (when appropriate).