To: Editors, News Directors

Date: December 29, 2003

For: Immediate Release

ACC Plans Briefings on Pipeline Safety & Regulation
Commissioners Also Invite Public Comment

PHOENIX – Arizona’s Corporation Commissioners are inviting federal, state and local officials, residents and pipeline operators to a series of public forums, entitled "Pipeline Safety & Regulation: A Briefing & Public Comment Session," starting in January. Because of interest from the immediate Tucson area, the Commissioners have selected Tucson for the first of five public forums on pipeline issues.

The Commissioners will also travel to Flagstaff, Lake Havasu City, Kingman and Yuma.

The public forums will provide Arizona residents with clear information about the Arizona Corporation Commission’s role in overseeing pipeline safety and how other federal, state and local authorities play a role in ensuring public safety around pipelines. The forums will include a demonstration by Arizona’s pipeline inspectors on their inspection methods. The Commissioners are reserving time to allow residents to comment on related concerns.

Pipeline safety has been a topic of frequent discussion and news coverage following the July 30 rupture of a Kinder Morgan pipeline carrying premium unleaded gasoline from Tucson to Phoenix. Much of the discussion has centered on the role of local, state and federal governments in protecting the public from other such incidents.

The Arizona Corporation Commission has direct authority over intrastate natural gas and liquid fuel pipelines. Interstate pipelines, which deliver fuel across multiple states from distant drilling or processing facilities, are subject to federal regulation. Arizona is one of a small number of states that has authority to conduct inspections and investigations under the direction of the federal agency. It is through agreements with the United States Department of Transportation’s Office of Pipeline Safety (US DOT-OPS) that the Arizona Corporation Commission gains authority for inspecting interstate lines and responding to incidents.

Each session is expected to last approximately two hours and will follow a similar agenda with approximately 45 minutes allocated for public comment following the briefing. The anticipated format is as follows:

• Briefing:
• Background on the Arizona Corporation Commission’s role in pipeline safety.
• Briefings from other agencies having a regulatory role, such as: US DOT-OPS, Arizona Department of Real Estate and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
• Discussion of efforts to improve pipeline safety at the state, local and federal level.
• Comment from pipeline operators about their public education and safety programs.

• Public Comment:
• Comment from local public officials, elected or appointed.
• Public comment from interested parties and area residents.

• Concluding Remarks from Commissioners

All five Commissioners plan to attend the meetings, which were originally proposed by Commissioner Kristin K. Mayes. The format for the sessions was determined after input and agreement from all five Commissioners. Locations for the forums were prioritized so that the Commissioners could travel to Arizona cities that are near natural gas or liquid fuel pipelines. The schedule is:

Pipeline Safety & Regulation: A Briefing & Public Comment Session
El Rio Neighborhood Center
1390 Speedway Boulevard
Tucson, AZ 85745

Pipeline Safety & Regulation: A Briefing & Public Comment Session
Flagstaff City Hall Council Chambers
211 West Aspen
Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Pipeline Safety & Regulation: A Briefing & Public Comment Session
Mohave Community College Student Center
1971 Jagerson Avenue, Room 106
Kingman, AZ 86401

Pipeline Safety & Regulation: A Briefing & Public Comment Session
NOTE: Circumstances beyond our control required a change in location
The new location is:
Mohave Community College
1977 West Acoma Boulevard, Room 211
Lake Havasu City, Arizona 86406

Pipeline Safety & Regulation: A Briefing & Public Comment Session
Yuma Civic & Convention Center
1440 West Desert Hills Drive
Yuma, AZ 85365

For additional information about regulations governing interstate and intrastate pipelines, visit the Arizona Corporation Commission’s website at: http://www.cc.state.az.us/safety/index.htm or the US DOT-OPS website at: http://ops.dot.gov.