U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION
OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY
DAMAGE PREVENTION QUALITY ACTION TEAM (DAMQAT)
MISSION
The team's mission is to recommend to the Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) how they can best utilize available resources to educate the public on the prevention of damages to all underground and submerged facilities. Such a successful program will result in a significantly enhanced level of safety to the public, reduction of environmental damage, and improved service reliability.
To accomplish this, the DAMQAT will:
- Identify the audiences, using risk management concepts (who & why).
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the current public education materials.
- Identify the most effective methods of reaching the identified audiences.
- Identify and develop a plan for use in a nationwide campaign and identify a theme.
- Assist, as necessary, with the implementation of the plan.
MEMBERS
Steering Team
Rich Felder, Associate Administrator, OPS
Steven Ball, Vice President of Operations, Williams Energy Group
Doug Church, Senior Vice President, Texas Eastern
Coordination Team
Anne Marie Joseph, OPS
Cara Guzik, American Petroleum Institute
Terry Boss, Interstate Natural Gas Association of America
Working Team
Mary-Jo Cooney, OPS (Co-Chair)
Larry Shamp, Shell Oil (Co-Chair)
Bill Bertges, OPS Southwest Region
Glynn Blanton, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
David Bull, Associated Electrical and Gas Insurance Services
Claudette Campbell, One Call Systems International/American Public Works Association
Willard S. Carey, American Gas Association
Bob Cave, American Public Gas Association
Morris Dock, Mo Do Co.
Patricia Klinger, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Bob Lecznar, ANR Pipeline
Roger Stepp, National Damage Prevention Council/Southwest Bell
Massoud Tahamtani, National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives
BACKGROUND
Industry and government have recognized for some time that third party activity is the leading cause of damage to natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. Most often such damage results from excavation related to repair and maintenance of nearby underground facilities. In most states, the use of one-call centers, which alert underground facility operators to planned excavation, has sharply reduced excavation damage. However, some excavators still fail to use one call. In some cases, where one call has been used, dig-ins still occur.
OPS has issued federal regulations mandating participation in one-call systems for gas and liquid pipelines. Industry groups have similarly recognized the problem of excavation damage; to mitigate the problem, some have issued guidelines for educating the public. States have also been active. More states have enacted one-call legislation; several have invested in systems which can identify the location of underground lines in relation to high risk population centers and environmentally sensitive areas. Others are producing manuals for excavators.
The challenge of damage prevention has led to the formation of a joint government industry quality action team, the DAMQAT. The purpose of the team is to assess the status of current damage prevention efforts and their effectiveness, to identify additional efforts that would lead to reduction of excavation damage, and to coordinate damage prevention efforts. OPS regulations also require pipeline operators to conduct public educations campaigns. We believe that identifying the most successful of these efforts will enable us to improve the already high level of safety in the pipeline industry.
The success of joint efforts in other areas makes us confident that this approach can reduce the incident of such damage. An alliance of the Office of Pipeline Safety, operators (natural gas and hazardous liquids transmission and local distribution companies), one-call systems, excavators and other affected utilities (telecommunications, electricity etc.), unites the resources of all parties who could contribute to further initiatives. This group is organizing and sponsoring a national public education campaign to reduce accidents.
STATUS UPDATE
The DAMQAT, with contractor support, has recently developed and distributed surveys to assess the level of awareness of one-call systems and the effectiveness of one-call campaigns on a national basis. Responses to the surveys are being collected and reviewed for the development of the national campaign. Results will be provided on our next update.
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