2009-05-18 Special Called Regular Meeting and Workshop of La Porte City Council minutes

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TEXAS AND PIPELINE SAFETY - RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS Texas has about 270,000 miles of pipeline. Interstate pipelines are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Pipeline Safety. With the exception of production lines and rural gathering lines, intrastate pipelines are under the jurisdiction of the Safety Division of the Railroad Commission. The pipelines regulated by the Safety Division of the Railroad Commission include: . Natural gas distribution and master meter . Natural gas, hazardous liquids, crude oil and sour gas transmission, state offshore and urban gathering lines . Bay and offshore crude oil and natural gas lease/flow lines The Commission became involved in pipeline safety when it issued its first order pertaining to gas pipeline safety, Docket No. 122, on July 27, 1937. The Commission order required that natural gas be odorized for domestic use. The order was prompted by an explosion of unodorized gas that filled a school in New London, Texas on March 18, 1937, that killed 293. Since the federal Pipeline Safety Act was signed into law in 1968, states have been very active in assisting the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to carry out the nation's pipeline safety program. State pipeline safety personnel represent more than 80 percent of the state/federal inspection workforce. (Source: NAPSR, Role of the States 2007) The Railroad Commission maintains more stringent regulations than the federal government, particularly in the areas: . of odorization . new construction notification for all hazardous liquids lines . natural gas and hazardous liquids pipeline projects in excess of one mile . procedures for handling leak complaints . filing of integrity management plans for all pipelines The Pipeline Safety section receives funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation and from a Texas pipeline user fee via the Texas' General Revenue Fund. ~jtI//13I7' 58