WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced that the Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is awarding $60.3 million in formula grants to support pipeline and underground natural gas storage (UNGS) safety programs at the state level.

“PHMSA’s state partners are a critical ally towards advancing the safety of our nation’s energy infrastructure,” said PHMSA Administrator Skip Elliott.

Pipeline Safety State Base Grants reimburse up to 80 percent of a state’s annual operating costs based on state estimates and each state’s most recent program performance scores. PHMSA-certified state pipeline safety programs inspect more than 80 percent of the nation’s 2.8 million miles of gas and liquid pipelines.  

In 2018, PHMSA began awarding grants designed to support state inspection and enforcement of applicable UNGS regulations. Like the State Base Grants, UNGS grants reimburse up to 80 percent of total actual costs related to personnel, equipment, and essential activities to participating states.

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