2008 Western Regional Gas Conference

Update on the Progress of the Pipelines and Informed Planning Alliance (PIPA)

Presented byCarl Weimer, Executive Director

Bellingham Tragedy• Pipeline was

damaged by 3rd party

• Damage known but not fixed

• Valve installed wrong• Valve malfunctioned• SCADA failure• Operator Error• Pipeline burst and

exploded killing 3 youngsters and an entire salmon stream

Mission

The Pipeline Safety Trust promotes fuel transportation safety through education and advocacy, by increasing access to information, and by building partnerships with residents, safety advocates, government, and industry, that result in safer communities and a healthier environment.

Major Initiatives of the Trust

• Working to strengthen rules and regulations• Provide easily accessible, credible information• Independent research and whitepapers• Responding to incidents & issues• Growing a core of involved citizens• Providing opportunities for collaboration

between citizens, pipeline operators, local government, and regulators

The Goal of PIPA

To provide risk informed guidance to local government planners, property owners, developers, pipeline operators, and real estate agents to enhance safety both when new transmission pipelines are proposed for existing communities and when there is a change in land use adjacent to

existing transmission pipelines.

Why is PIPA Important?

How is PIPA Organized?

Steering Committee

Three Task Teams• Protecting Communities• Protecting Pipelines • Communications

Operates by Consensus A horse designed by consensus

Who Is Involved?• 157 participants

What Are the Expected Final Products?

• Report with Best Practices• Implementation Strategy

All Due by end of 2008

Protecting Communities

1. Defining recommended characteristics of land use adjacent to transmission ROW.

2. Using enhanced building codes for structures adjacent to transmission ROW.

3. Simple, risk-informed guidance for 1 and 2 above.4. Model Ordinances, Planning Policies, Regulations,

or State Legislation

Protecting Transmission Pipelines1. Determine if there is consensus on best practices for:

• Incorporating the ROW space in new developments• Defining acceptable land owner uses and activities on ROW.• Ensuring land owners working in the ROW notify operators prior to making changes in land use.• Guiding the specification, acquisition, development, and maintenance of transmission ROW.• Managing and recording land documents (easements, encroachment agreements, retention, recording practices).

2. Develop Guidance, Model Ordinances, Planning Policies, Regulations, or State Legislation for above

3. Review Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Best Practices and one-call system requirements for gaps

Communications1. Determine best practices for fostering early communication

among stakeholders regarding risk-informed planning2. Determine best practices for communicating acceptable uses and

activities on pipeline ROW to land owners and other stakeholders. 3. Determine best practices for real estate disclosure of ROW.4. Determine barriers to effective communication and best practices

for engaging stakeholders.5. Describe benefits of pipeline transportation6. Describe best practices to effectively communicate risk of

pipelines and how risk is managed. 7. Examine possible tie-ins with Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Best

Practices8. Formulate PIPA risk communication plan and design format of

final PIPA work product for all Task Teams.

What Are Some of the Sticky Issues?

New Pipelines vs. Existing Pipelines

• It is nearly impossible to provide guidance about how new development near an existing pipeline ought to be done, without that same argument being used during new pipeline siting efforts.

Setbacks

How close is too close?

Takings?

What about new pipelines?

ConsultationZone

How do we get local government to care?

Too BusyNo Authority

No Funding

No StaffNo Expertise

Not a Priority

Good Communications

Know Your Audience!

Know Your Audience

Know Your Audience

How To Communicate Risk?Chance + Consequence

Implementation vs. Shelfart

If all PIPA accomplishes is a good report providing guidance to local communities this entire effort will have been nearly a complete waste of time

PIPA Demonstration Grants

• 3 grants of $25,000 to local communities to test some of PIPA’s ideas and strategies

Join Us In NovemberPipeline Safety – What More Needs To Be Done

A conference for all stakeholders

November 20 & 21, 2008Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans

Please Join With Us

1155 North State Street, Suite 609Bellingham, WA 98225360-543-5686carl@pstrust.orghttp://www.pstrust.org