To: Editors, News Directors	Date: January 18, 2005
For: Immediate Release

Chairman Named to National Pipeline Safety Committee

Appointed by US Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta

PHOENIX – Chairman Jeff Hatch-Miller recently was appointed to represent the southwest on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee.  The 15-member committee reviews and advises the federal agency on new policies, safety practices and procedures that affect how pipelines are operated and inspected. 

Sponsored by the US DOT’s Research and Special Programs Administration, the committee serves as a peer review panel for pipeline safety regulations and a public sounding board for other pipeline safety issues.

“As a result of the July 30, 2003 rupture of a Kinder Morgan fuel pipeline near Tucson, the Arizona Corporation Commission brings direct experience with a serious public safety emergency to the committee table,” Hatch-Miller said.  “The regulations coming out of Washington have a direct bearing on how we maintain safety, perform inspections and assess operator qualifications of interstate pipelines.”

To illustrate a familiar example, Hatch-Miller said:  “Most people know about the Blue Stake Program, sometimes referred to as the Call Before You Dig program.  Before you dig a hole on your property, you can call one simple number – 1-800-STAKE-IT [or 602-263-1100 in Maricopa County] and all utilities with underground pipes and wires in the area will come out and mark the exact locations for your safety.  The colors of the markings – blue, orange, green and so on – are pretty much universal around the country because of standards outlined in federal regulations.”

“We are constantly improving regulations so they are reasonable and easy for the operators to understand and follow,” Hatch-Miller added.  “My lawmaking experience in Arizona’s House of Representatives is another skill I bring to the table.”

His service on the committee will require periodic two to three day trips each quarter, largely paid for by the US DOT.  In addition, the committee will share information by phone, fax and e-mail to expedite the review process.  

Of keen interest to Chairman Hatch-Miller and fellow Commissioners are discussions aimed at improving public awareness and education, enhancing integrity management practices and improving the way operators interface with local emergency response plans.  These topics were discussed at the committee’s first meeting in December.

In recent years, the federal office has focused on introducing new standards designed to assess the integrity and condition of interstate pipelines.  These programs, called Integrity Management Programs, require more frequent and detailed inspections, particularly in highly populated areas.  Future meetings of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee will be focused on adapting the interstate integrity management regulations to local gas and hazardous liquid distribution systems such as Southwest Gas, UniSource and others.

The Arizona Corporation Commission’s Office of Pipeline Safety oversees the investigation of incidents and performs safety and operating practices inspections of interstate liquid and natural gas pipelines under authority granted to it by the national Office of Pipeline Safety, part of the US DOT.  Kinder Morgan and El Paso Natural Gas are examples of interstate operators with facilities in Arizona.  The Commission has state regulatory authority over intrastate pipeline operators – companies like Southwest Gas, UniSource and local airport fuel facilities.