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SUBJECTS › PUBLIC SAFETY › Pipeline Safety Information for Washington Local Governments
 

Pipeline Safety Information for Washington Local Governments

Since the 1999 Olympic Pipeline disaster in Bellingham, the process for regulating and testing pipelines transporting hazardous liquids and gas has come under scrutiny.  This site provides information to Washington local governments on various issues related to pipeline safety.  Additional information can be found on the Pipeline SafetyWeb pages of the state Utility and Transportation Commission. Washington local governments are encouraged to provide MRSC with additional information, links, and suggestions for these pages. Our goal is to provide objective, helpful information to cities and counties. If you have additional information or suggestions, please contact Jim Doherty, MRSC Legal Consultant, at jdoherty@mrsc.org, or Lynne De Merritt, Senior Research Consultant at ldemerritt@mrsc.org or call (206) 625-1300.

Pipeline Safety Table of Contents

News and Notes

Pipeline Safety Grant Awarded- September 2009. A  $50,000 federal technical assistance grant has been awarded to AWC, WSAC and several partners by the federal Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA). The goal of the project is to enhance pipeline safety by improving local government land use planning and permitting practices in the vicinity of transmission pipelines. AWC’s partners in the project include: the Pipeline Safety Trust (PST), MRSC, the Washington State Citizens Committee on Pipeline Safety, the Washington State Association of Counties, the Northwest Natural Gas Association, and the Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission. MRSC and PST staff will be available to go into communities to meet with and assist local planners and decision makers. Assistance will also be provided by e-mail and phone contact. A quarterly newsletter will also be distributed. A new MRSC web page on pipeline planning, Planning Near Pipelines, issues explains numerous "recommended practices" that have been developed over the past two years through a task force organized by PHMSA. The grant period is one year.

National Pipeline Safety Day - The U.S. House of Representatives has declared June 10th as National Pipeline Safety Day. June 10th, 2009 is the tenth anniversary of the Bellingham pipeline rupture and tragedy. A quick read of the resolution (Adobe Acrobat Document155 KB) is a reminder that local governments need to be aware of pipeline safety issues and take appropriate steps to safeguard the public. Local governments should require all applicants obtaining permits that involve digging or moving earth to use the 8-1-1 "call before you dig" system. Planning departments should make sure that all major pipelines are clearly marked on maps used when reviewing development applications.

Model Pipeline Ordinances - In 2000, the Washington State Legislature directed the Municipal Research Council to draft model ordinances and franchise documents regarding pipelines, now codified at RCW 43.110.070, by June 30, 2001. That task was completed by MRSC and copies appear under Washington Model Pipeline Ordinances.

2005 Workshop Reports - The presence of a major pipeline forms a relationship between the pipeline operator, safety regulators, local government, property owners and developers. How it is managed can directly affect the safe operation of the pipeline and the public health and safety of the surrounding community.  In 2005 five workshops were conducted throughout the state to exchange ideas, and explore the range of tools available to manage and make effective decisions concerning land use in proximity to transmission pipelines.  The resulting report,  Land Use Planning in Proximity to Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquid Transmission Pipelines ( 627 KB) was a collaborative effort between state and local governments and the pipeline industry.