U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Public Affairs 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm

News

DOT 144-09
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Contact: Patricia Klinger or Damon Hill
Tel.: (202) 366-4831

DOT Issues Over $960K in Grants to Spur Community Involvement in Pipeline Safety Efforts

The U.S. Department of Transportation¿s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today announced it has selected 21 local communities and organizations to receive funding through the agency¿s Technical Assistance Grant program.

The grants totaling $963,921 will be used by communities and organizations to obtain funding for engineering or scientific technical pipeline assistance, foster open communication between the public and pipeline operators on pipeline safety and environmental issues, and perform other important tasks. Examples of such projects include the use of geographic information systems for enhanced pipeline monitoring and public awareness campaigns to promote the sharing of information between pipeline operators and landowners.

¿PHMSA¿s technical assistance grants will garner positive participation from American communities interested in broadening and enhancing their efforts in pipeline safety matters,¿ said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Informed communities play a vital role in the safety and reliability of pipeline operations. Issued for the first time, the technical assistance grants offer PHMSA a new opportunity to strengthen the depth and quality of public participation in pipeline safety matters.

A list of the technical assistance grant recipients is included below. By law, the total amount of any approved grant may not exceed $50,000 for a single recipient.

Each technical assistance grant recipient will be required to provide a report to PHMSA within one year demonstrating completion of the work as outlined in their grant agreement. PHMSA will thoroughly oversee this process to evaluate the expected outcomes of each grant recipient. PHMSA¿s Community Assistance and Technical Services (CATS) Managers will offer their technical support to the local communities and organizations as well to address pipeline safety questions that may arise during the course of the grant agreement period.