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from the desk of
Annette Bowman
The gas and pipeline industry is the only industry that has federal requirements for its stakeholder group to develop and maintain a damage prevention program. The Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act was initially passed in 1968 and went into effect in 1970 which required the Department of Transportation (DOT) to develop and enforce minimum safety regulations for the transportation of gases by pipelines. Over the years this Act has been amended and/or reauthorized in 1976, 1979, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2002, 2011, 2016, 2020 and 2023. Various names of these statues have been associated with their adoption.
There are estimated to be over 190,000 miles of liquid petroleum pipelines and 2.4 million miles of natural gas distribution lines across the United States. The potential for damage is vast and the need for a well-defined damage prevention program is essential to maintain the integrity of the infrastructure and protect those who live and work around those facilities.
In this edition of Alabama 811 magazine, the focus will be on the gas and pipeline programs and the effectiveness of those programs.
Annette Bowman Executive Director Alabama 811
2024, Issue 1 Alabama 811 • 1
