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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Department of Transportation Substantially Increases Grant Funds Supporting State Pipeline and Underground Gas Storage Safety Programs

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

PHMSA 08-24
Contact: PHMSAPublicAffairs@dot.gov  

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is awarding $85.9 million in grants to states to support pipeline and underground natural gas storage (UNGS) inspection activities carried out by state inspectors covering more than 85 percent of the nation’s 3.3-million-mile pipeline system. 

This year’s award package includes a 33 percent ($21.5 million) increase in comparison to Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 funding levels and will further enable PHMSA’s state partners to hire new pipeline inspectors, provide training, conduct pipeline inspections, and purchase and maintain equipment necessary to carry out their pipeline safety missions.

“We are grateful for Congress’ bipartisan support this year to match the increase in pipeline safety oversight responsibilities of PHMSA and our state partner inspection programs,” said PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown. “This year’s increase in grant awards will help ensure our states can keep up with the growing challenges of helping oversee the largest hazardous pipeline system in the world.”

PHMSA will distribute $82 million in Pipeline Safety State Base (Base) Grants and $3.9 million in UNGS Grants to reimburse up to 80 percent of participating states’ inspection and enforcement costs. Nearly all states receive state inspection program grants from PHMSA, and 13 states receive UNGS Grants. Base and UNGS grant awards are calculated based on the state’s estimated safety program costs. Base grant awards are also contingent on the results of PHMSA’s most recent annual program evaluation and progress report scoring for each state agency. 

In its FY 2024 budget request, the Biden-Harris Administration proposed the $21.5 million increase in funding to support the growing challenges incurred by states in helping hire, train, and carry out pipeline safety inspections and enforcement actions. On March 24, 2024, President Biden signed the 2024 funding bill into law, which included the requested increase and was supported by bipartisan votes in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR), which represents state pipeline safety program offices that help carry out Federal pipeline safety regulations through annual certifications and agreements with PHMSA, also supported the increase. Recognizing the benefit of this funding, the NAPSR National Chair and New York State Public Service Commission’s Chief of Pipeline Safety Kevin Speicher remarked, “The recent increase in grant funding levels helps move towards closing the gap that exists between current funding of pipeline safety grants and the resources needed to ensure the continued safe operation of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines under the jurisdiction of NAPSR state programs."   

“This funding will go far to protect our land and water from pipeline incidents” said Dave Danner, Chair of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. “It will allow state pipeline safety programs like ours to retain and attract high quality talent as well as the equipment necessary to maintain safety and environmental accountability.”

“The meaningful increase in funding is fantastic news,” said Bill Caram, Executive Director of the Pipeline Safety Trust. “State programs are critical to pipeline safety, and these funds provide states with the resources needed to effectively meet their public safety mandates.”

More information on PHMSA’s grant programs is available here: https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/about-phmsa/working-phmsa/grants.

 

FY 2024 Pipeline Safety State Base Grant – Natural Gas

Recipient

Award Amount

Alabama Public Service Commission

$1,183,370

Arizona Corporation Commission

$1,664,578

Arkansas Public Service Commission

$639,491

California Public Utilities Commission/CALFIRE - Office of the State Fire Marshal, Pipeline Safety Div.

$6,687,937

Colorado Public Utilities Commission

$1,352,793

Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

$1,278,801

Delaware Public Service Commission

$230,920

District of Columbia Public Service Commission

$585,915

Florida Public Service Commission

$563,611

Georgia Public Service Commission

$1,606,769

Idaho Public Utilities Commission

$330,996

Illinois Commerce Commission

$2,671,245

Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission

$1,136,574

Iowa Utilities Commission

$854,652

Kansas Corporation Commission

$590,011

Kentucky Public Service Commission

$894,087

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources

$2,309,739

Maine Public Utilities Commission

$461,494

Maryland Public Service Commission

$996,046

Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities

$3,148,483

Michigan Public Service Commission

$2,208,963

Minnesota Department of Public Safety

$1,993,174

Mississippi Public Service Commission

$365,091

Missouri Public Service Commission

$779,349

Montana Public Service Commission

$197,322

Nebraska State Fire Marshall

$334,440

Nevada Public Utilities Commission

$773,986

New Hampshire Department of Energy

$431,575

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities

$1,572,976

New Mexico Public Regulation Commission

$1,554,002

New York Department of Public Service

$5,772,832

North Carolina Utilities Commission

$880,673

North Dakota Public Service Commission

$401,763

Public Utility Commission of Ohio

$1,237,453

Oklahoma Corporation Commission

$2,227,485

Oregon Public Utility Commission

$1,143,821

Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

$4,216,349

Puerto Rico Department of Transportation & Public Works

$150,946

Rhode Island Division Public Utilities & Carriers

$794,414

South Dakota Public Utilities Commission

$260,939

Tennessee Public Utility Commission

$1,232,960

Railroad Commission of Texas

$7,154,471

Utah Department of Commerce

$412,995

Vermont Department of Public Service

$259,693

Virginia State Corporation Commission

$1,604,809

Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission

$1,574,276

West Virginia Public Service Commission

$608,765

Wisconsin Public Service Commission

$928,013

Wyoming Public Service Commission

$328,929

FY 2024 Pipeline Safety State Base Grant Hazardous Liquid

Recipient

Award Amount

Alabama Public Service Commission

$45,363

Arizona Corporation Commission

$83,178

California State Fire Marshal

$6,375,627

Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission

$118,392

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources

$375,372

Maryland Public Service Commission

$31,160

Minnesota Department of Public Safety

$376,108

New Mexico Public Regulation Commission

$123,781

New York State Department of Public Service

$170,227

Oklahoma Corporation Commission

$233,025

Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

$281,117

Texas Railroad Commission

$2,642,764

Virginia State Corporation Commission

$181,707

Washington Utilities And Transportation Commission

$335,805

West Virginia Public Service Commission

$36,398

FY 2024 Underground Natural Gas Storage Grant

Recipient

Award Amount

Alabama Public Service Commission

$35,792

California Public Utilities Commission/CAL FIRE-Office of the State Fire Marshal, Pipeline Safety Div.

$1,978,016

Illinois Commerce Commission

$437,707

Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission

$286,370

Kansas Corporation Commission

$30,387

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources

$48,800

Michigan Public Service Commission

$453,886

Minnesota Department Of Public Safety

$19,625

Mississippi Public Service Commission

$41,622

Montana Public Service Commission

$13,554

Oklahoma Corporation Commission

$17,827

Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

$187,039

Texas Railroad Commission

$408,884


The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration develops and enforces regulations for the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operation of the nation's 3.3-million-mile pipeline transportation system and the nearly 1.2 million daily shipments of hazardous materials by land, sea, and air. Please visit https://www.phmsa.dot.gov for more information.

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