This week in Montgomery, Ala., the Southern Region of the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR) hosted their annual meeting. This meeting brings together lead state pipeline safety regulators from the region, NAPSR leadership, representatives from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) state programs office, and other invited stakeholders. The focus of this meeting was to highlight accomplishments from the prior year and goals for the current year pertaining to pipeline safety.
APGA presented details on key programs developed by APGA to assist municipal gas systems in meeting pipeline safety requirements. Attendees were also briefed on products offered by the Security & Integrity Foundation.
During each of the state updates, it became clear that many of the pipeline safety regulators understand the nuances of operating a municipal gas system and the unique challenges faced by APGA members. Regulators are trying to look for innovative ways to hold municipal gas systems accountable to regulatory requirements without negatively impacting the tax payers in the service area of the system. They also spoke about the importance of ensuring that all municipal gas systems, not just APGA members, are aware of the tools and resources available to them through APGA, regional, and state associations.
The Southern Region of NAPSR is comprised of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Puerto Rico, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky. APGA has also been invited to speak at the NAPSR National Meeting in October 2018.
For questions on this article, please contact Erin Kurilla of APGA staff by phone at 202-905-2904 or by email at
ekurilla@apga.org.