DOT Launches Pipeline Safety Update
The new website offers summaries of federal and states' regulatory actions on pipelines and an overview of the existing U.S. pipeline infrastructure. It will feature public comment opportunities.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has unveiled a new website called Pipeline Safety Update that is intended to offer information about pipeline regulations, pipeline safety issues, and the role of stakeholders in pipeline safety. The new site was developed because of recent pipeline disasters, which caused Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to instruct DOT to examine the nation’s pipeline infrastructure and report the findings to the public.
Visitors will find links to the National Pipeline Mapping System and to a pipeline safety page that includes checklists, useful links, information about One-Call and 811 programs to utilize before beginning any excavation, even a home tree planting. Members of the public can dial 811 to reach a one-call center at no charge or can visit Call811.com and select the Local Info tab for information to call the one-call center directly.
The DOT pipeline safety agency is the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Besides posting regulatory updates on the new website, PHMSA will be providing them on on Twitter using #PipelineUpdate.