OPS will host a three-day public meeting on pipeline integrity management issues on February 12-14, 2001, at the Crystal City Marriott, 1999 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA, 22202, 703-413-5500. For further information, contact Beth Callsen (tel: 202-366-4572; beth.callsen@rspa.dot.gov). You can read comments and other material in the docket on the Internet at: http://dms.dot.gov. Topics to be discussed each day are listed below.
Day 1: February 12, 2001 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Gas Pipeline Integrity Presentations will be made on each of these subject areas:
- Considerations for defining HCAs affected by gas pipelines
- Evaluation of design factors currently used for gas transmission pipelines
- Evaluation of performance history and experience with the impact zone in gas transmission failures
- Integrity management best practices and relationship between incident causes and industry practices
- Options for various forms of direct assessment of the integrity of gas pipelines; their costs and effectiveness
- Basis for establishing test intervals
- Appropriateness of distinguishing between pipelines on basis of pressure
- Status of research activities
- Status of development of new national consensus standards
Day 2: February 13, 2001, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Communications With the Public
Because communications with the public is an important part of a pipeline integrity management program, OPS is examining the need for standards for how operators are to communicate with State and local officials and the public about results of risk assessment processes and measures to prevent and mitigate damage to pipelines in case of a failure. OPS seeks comment on how State and local officials and the public could use and benefit from risk assessment information, how the consequences of potential pipeline failures should be characterized, how risk control actions should be described, and what operational information would be meaningful. To provide OPS input on both the content and optimal delivery of pipeline information, OPS formed the Integrity Management Communications Work Group. This nine-member group includes balanced representation of government, industry, and public interest stakeholders. At the public meeting, the Work Group will report the status of its discussions on the following topics:
- Proposed information to be communicated
- Expected utility of that information to the end user
- Feasibility of collecting/reporting that information
- Summary of any issues or debates concerning public access to that information
Presentations from members of the public will further explore communication needs and options.
Day 3:February 14, 2001, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon – In-Depth Integrity Management Discussions
To ensure full consideration of all issues relating to gas pipeline integrity, attendees are invited to participate in a more in-depth and interactive treatment of topics raised on Day 1. These unstructured discussions will utilize an informal roundtable format.