Damage Prevention: Are the States as Engaged as They Need to Be?

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Damage Prevention Are the States as Engaged as
They Need to Be?

• Christina Sames
• Vice President
• Operations Engineering
• American Gas Association

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Todays Presentation

• What we know about excavation damage to
  distribution pipelines
• Recommendations from DIMP Excavation Damage
  Prevention (EDP) Team
• Whats working, what isnt
• Final thoughts from AGAs Safety Leadership
  Summit

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What We Know

• American Gas Foundation (AGF) Study
• Independent report Safety Performance and
  Integrity of the Natural Gas Distribution
  Infrastructure
• Included State Regulators and Utility Operators
• Incidents analyzed over a 12 year period (1990
  2002)

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AGF Findings

• On distribution lines, outside force is
• 60 of incidents
• Nearly 50 of all serious incidents
• 3rd party damage accounts for nearly 75 of the
  serious outside force damage incidents

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(No Transcript)
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PHMSAs Distribution Stats Significant
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PHMSAs Distribution Stats Serious
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Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP)

• EDP Team included
• PHMSA
• Distribution utilities
• State pipeline safety representatives
• Contractors
• Common Ground Alliance

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DIMP EDP Focus

• What actions, approaches or practices can be
  applied to reduce excavation damage?
• How do states with/without comprehensive damage
  prevention programs and effective enforcement
  compare?

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Findings

• Excavation damage is declining but still presents
  the greatest threat to distribution pipeline
  safety.
• EDP poses the greatest opportunity for safety
  improvements.
• Distribution pipeline safety and EDP are
  intrinsically linked. EDP must be addressed to
  improve pipeline safety.

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State Specific Findings

• States with comprehensive EDP programs that
  include effective enforcement have a
  substantially lower risk of excavation damage to
  pipelines and related consequences.
• Federal legislation is needed to help develop and
  implement comprehensive EDP programs at the state
  level
• Requires a partnership of all stakeholders

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State Without Effective Enforcement
Leaks Repaired/1000 Tickets Third Party
(2000-2003) and Excavation (2004)
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VA Effective Enforcement Program
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MN Effective Enforcement Program
Excavation Damages per 1000 Tickets
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Comprehensive vs. Limited
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Example Southwest Gas
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Example AGL

• Note ALs effective enforcement began 2000

1999 2008 expected
Damaged gas lines 6968 2809 -60!
Work Volumes 730,600 660,600 -10
Damage Rate/1000 locates Excavators 7.74 4.27 -39
Damage Rate/1000 locates Locators 1.80 0.47 -74
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Elements of Effective EDP Program

• Enhanced communications between operators and
  excavators
• Foster support/partnership of all stakeholder
• Operators use of performance measures
• Partnership in employee training
• Partnership in public education
• Dispute resolution process
• Fair and consistent enforcement
• Use of technology to improve process
• Data analysis to improve program effectiveness

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What is working

• Reductions in excavation damage in states with
• Fair and effective enforcement of ALL parties
  (not just pipeline operators)
• Everyone is involved
• Enhanced communications among all parties
• Partnerships (regional CGAs, partnering with
  schools, etc)

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What doesnt work

• Not involving all parties
• Everyone must be in the pool
• (pull them in if you have to)
• Excavation laws that exempt entities
• Excavation laws with no teeth
• Lopsided enforcement
• Independence

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From AGAs Recent Safety Summit

• Which of these 9 elements is most effective in
  reducing excavation damages?
• Enforcement of state laws 54
• Developing effective employee training programs
  21
• Stakeholder collaboration 19
• Effective dispute resolution process 6
• Implementation of technology 0

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From AGAs Recent Safety Summit

• Which of the 9 elements is most difficult to
  achieve?
• Enforcement of state laws 36
• Developing effective employee training programs
  8
• Stakeholder collaboration 34
• Effective dispute resolution process 23
• Implementation of technology 0

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Questions?

• Christina Sames
• 202-824-7214
• csames_at_aga.org