Restoring Trust in Pipeline Safety

1. Restoring Trust in Pipeline Safety Katie Hansen, Board of Directors Pipeline Safety Trust

2. Washington City and County Pipeline Safety Consortium There’s a pipeline here? Locals are the most profoundly affected by pipeline incidents.

3. History and Structure • Created in response to the Bellingham incident • Formed by interlocal agreement between the jurisdictions • Cities and counties along Olympic’s pipeline • Pipeline Safety Coordinator position funded through grant from WUTC and OPS/PHMSA

4. Function • Educate local governments and by extension the public • Raise awareness: out of sight, out of mind perception • Influence legislation • Host pipeline safety for municipal governments conference • Coordinate with other organizations including Citizens Committee, MRSC, Assoc. of Washington Cities and Washington Counties group • Address issue of land use around pipelines.

5. Effect • Heightened awareness of pipelines among and within local governments • A city’s right of way group stumbled on cable contractor doing hole hogging across OPL lines • Planning board hearing about setbacks from pipeline • Contact with emergency preparedness, public works/utilities/right of way, city attorney, city council and mayor.

6. More Effects • Franchise agreements between local governments and operators • Resource for education and information • Consortium website • Email communication among members

7. Future • Effectively defunct – exists in form only • Local governments strapped for resources, • Homeland Security became a high priority • Not willing to dedicate human capital resources to keep Consortium going • Perception that if nothing’s rupturing, there’s no need

8. Washington State Citizens Committee on Pipeline Safety • Balance between citizens, industry representatives and government regulators

9. History and Structure • Also an outgrowth of the Bellingham incident. • Governor appointed committee • Industry, citizens and local government serve three year staggered terms • Six to eight day-long meetings a year in various parts of the state • Two to three site visits per year • Open public meetings with public comment periods

10. Function • Educate citizens • Influence legislation • Present the concerns of citizens, government regulators and industry to each other • Department of Transportation is required to respond to our correspondence

11. Goals of Citizens Committee • Improve the safety of pipelines in Washington State • Comment on proposed state and federal laws and rules pertaining to pipelines • Review the work of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) and the Department of Ecology in pipeline issues

12. Legislative Charter of the Citizens Committee • “The Citizens Committee on Pipeline Safety (The Committee) is established to advise the state agencies and other appropriate federal and local government agencies and officials on matters relating to hazardous liquid and gas pipeline safety, routing, construction, operation, and maintenance. The Committee shall serve as an advisory committee for the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (“Commission”) on matters relating to the Commission’s pipeline safety program and activities” (RCW 81.88.140)

13. Effect • Washington state pipeline safety legislation was passed • Washington has become an agent authorized to inspect pipelines for PHMSA • Pursued education and awareness of damage prevention • Pursued education and awareness in the area of Community Right to Know • Pushing for wider publication of maps of pipelines

14. Future • Continue to influence legislation at the state and federal level • Continue to pursue the release of pipeline map information taking into consideration the balance between too much information, inappropriate use of information and the need for enough information for citizens and local government to make informed decisions

15. “Network the heck out of this” • The connections we make between different groups help everyone accomplish the goal of safer pipelines.

16. Thank you Katie Hansen 425-488-8726 katie@kmh-law.com