Pipeline Safety: The Office of Pipeline Safety Is Changing How It Oversees the Pipeline Industry
RCED-00-128
Published: May 15, 2000. Publicly Released: Jun 15, 2000.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Transportation Office of Pipeline Safety's (OPS) performance in regulating pipeline safety, focusing on: (1) the extent of major pipeline accidents from 1989 through 1998; (2) OPS' implementation of the 1996 Accountable Pipeline Safety and Partnership Act's risk management demonstration program; (3) OPS' inspection and enforcement efforts since the act's implementation; and (4) OPS' responsiveness to recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board and to statutory requirements designed to improve pipeline safety.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | The Secretary of Transportation should direct OPS to work with state pipeline safety officials to determine which federal pipeline safety activities would benefit from state participation and, for those states willing to participate, integrate state participation into these activities. |
Closed – Implemented
In response to the recommendation, the Office of Pipeline Safety modified its Interstate Pipeline Oversight Program to allow more opportunities for state participation. Under Interstate Agent Agreements, qualified states may inspect the construction of new pipelines, oversee rehabilitation projects and integrity management programs, investigate accidents, conduct inspections, and participate in non-regulatory program initiatives. States that do not qualify as Interstate Agents may apply to participate in specific, short-term activities, such as inspecting the construction of a new pipeline or investigating a pipeline accident. As of August 2001, 11 states have entered into Interstate Agent Agreements, and four states have been approved to participate on specific projects for a limited time period.
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| Department of Transportation | If OPS issues a final rule requiring individual pipeline companies to develop integrity management programs, the Secretary of Transportation should direct OPS to allow state inspectors to help review the programs developed by the companies that operate in their states to ensure that these companies have identified and adequately addressed safety risks to their systems. |
Closed – Implemented
In December 2000, OPS issued a final rule requiring individual pipeline companies to develop integrity management programs. Consistent with GAO's recommendation, OPS revised its Interstate Agent Agreements with states to allow qualified states to participate in reviewing the integrity management plans developed for pipelines that operate in their states. As of August 2001, 11 states have entered into Interstate Agent Agreements with OPS.
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| Department of Transportation | The Secretary of Transportation should determine whether OPS' reduced use of fines has maintained, improved, or decreased compliance with pipeline safety regulations. |
Closed – Implemented
OPS is not able to determine the impact of its reduced use of fines on compliance as GAO recommended, because it does not have sufficient data. Nevertheless, the agency concluded that its decreased reliance on fines did not allow it to adequately address safety concerns and was perceived negatively by the public and Congress. OPS subsequently changed its enforcement policy to make better use of its full range of enforcement tools, including increasing the number and severity of fines. According to OPS officials, the agency plans to collect data that will allow it to link its enforcement policy with improvements in compliance and safety. Although OPS has not undertaken the study that GAO recommended, it re-evaluated its enforcement policy, and therefore accomplished the intent of the recommendation.
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Topics
Accident preventionGas pipeline operationsHazardous substancesInspectionPerformance measuresPipeline operationsTransportation industryTransportation safetyUnderwater pipelinesWater pipelinesPipeline pumping stations