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Pipeline Safety TrustPipeline Safety Trust

Pipeline Safety Trust

Credible. Independent. In the public interest.

Credible. Independent. In the public interest.
Credible. Independent. In the public interest.
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State Pipeline Safety Policy

  • Federal pipeline safety
    laws and regulation
  • State pipeline safety policy
  • International pipeline safety

State Pipeline Safety Policy

National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR)

The National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR), established in 1982, is an organization of state agency pipeline safety managers who are responsible for the administration of their state’s Pipeline Safety Programs.

State pipeline safety agencies

The map below is linked to state agencies responsible for pipeline safety, just click on the state you are interested in.

See the table below the map for information about the level of oversight each state has chosen for involvement in natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline regulation. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration also tracks state-by-state regulatory information, and those links can be found through our state-by-state information link here.

map_pol_usmap-1

State pipeline safety authority

Under federal law, states may choose three different levels of involvement in natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline safety regulation. The table below shows the status of each state’s natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline safety authority as of 2014.

Certification    Agreement    Interstate Agent    None

Definitions for each level of authority appear below the table.

State Natural Gas Intrastate Authority (2017) Hazardous Liquid Intrastate Authority (2017) Natural Gas Interstate Authority (2017) Hazardous Liquid Interstate Authority (2017)
Alabama Certification Certification None None
Alaska None None None None
Arizona Certification Certification Interstate Agent Interstate Agent
Arkansas Certification None None None
California Certification Certification None None
Colorado Certification None None None
Connecticut Certification None Interstate Agent None
Delaware Certification None None None
District of Columbia Certification None None None
Florida Certification None None None
Georgia Certification None None None
Hawaii None None None None
Idaho Certification None None None
Illinois Certification None None None
Indiana Certification Certification None None
Iowa Certification None Interstate Agent None
Kansas Certification None None None
Kentucky Certification None None None
Louisiana Certification Certification None None
Maine Certification None None None
Maryland Certification Certification None None
Massachusetts Certification None None None
Michigan Certification None Interstate Agent None
Minnesota Certification Certification Interstate Agent Interstate Agent
Mississippi Certification None None None
Missouri Certification None None None
Montana Certification None None None
Nebraska Certification None None None
Nevada Certification None None None
New Hampshire Certification None None None
New Jersey Certification None None None
New Mexico Certification Certification None None
New York Certification Certification Interstate Agent Interstate Agent
North Carolina Certification None None None
North Dakota Certification None None None
Ohio Certification None Interstate Agent None
Oklahoma Certification Certification None None
Oregon Certification None None None
Pennsylvania Certification Certification None None
Puerto Rico Certification None None None
Rhode Island Certification None None None
South Carolina Certification None None None
South Dakota Certification None None None
Tennessee Certification None None None
Texas Certification Certification None None
Utah Certification None None None
Vermont Certification None None None
Virginia Certification* Certification None Interstate Agent
Washington Certification Certification Interstate Agent Interstate Agent
West Virginia Certification Certification None None
Wisconsin Certification None None None
Wyoming Certification None None None

Certification: Congress permitted States to assume regulatory authority of intrastate pipelines if the state makes an annual certification to the federal Office of Pipeline Safety. The State must adopt the minimum Federal regulations and may adopt more stringent regulations for intrastate pipelines as long as the state regulations are not incompatible with Federal regulations. Under Certification, a State has responsibility for enforcement of regulations on intrastate pipelines. All states other than Alaska and Hawaii give annual certifications to OPS to allow them to regulate intrastate natural gas pipelines but only about a dozen states certify for liquid pipelines. [Under Section 60105(a) Certification]

Agreement: If a state does not meet the requirements for certification, the State can still enter an agreement with OPS to oversee certain aspects of intrastate pipeline safety. In this case, OPS retains responsibility for enforcement for any violations on intrastate pipelines. This is an infrequently used approach. Only two states, Kentucky and Indiana, use an agreement to oversee liquid pipelines. [Under Section 60106(a) Agreement]

Interstate Agent: OPS may permit a State to participate in the oversight of interstate pipeline transportation, but OPS always retains authority for enforcement of any violations. Nine states have an interstate agent agreement to oversee natural gas pipelines and five have one for oversight of liquid pipelines.

  • Federal pipeline safety policy
  • State pipeline safety policy
  • International pipeline safety

* Virginia municipal intrastate gas systems do not operate under the state certification; they have a separate Agreement (under Section 60106(a)) with PHMSA).

CA-Hazordous Liquid Pipelines CA-CPUC Gas Pipelines CA-Hazordous Liquid Pipelines CA-CPUC Gas Pipelines

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