Blog Viewer

The American Petroleum Institute (API) is in the process of updating its Recommended Practice (RP) 1162 on Public Awareness Programs for Pipeline Operators. The original RP 1162 was issued in 2003; and in 2005, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) incorporated RP 1162 by reference in its pipeline safety regulations, making RP 1162 mandatory for public awareness programs. Operators were required to develop and implement public awareness programs meeting the requirements of RP 1162 no later than 2006. APGA developed a model public awareness plan for public gas systems and conducted a series of workshops across the country to familiarize members with RP 1162 and the APGA model plan. In 2006, APGA began the APGA Gas Overall Awareness Level (GOAL) program to address the requirement of the RP that operators periodically assess the effectiveness of their public awareness programs in getting safety messages out to customers and non-customers living near gas lines. Nearly 200 APGA members use GOAL for their effectiveness assessments. Results from 2017 surveys will be sent to GOAL participants soon. For information on GOAL, please go to www.apga.org/programs/goal.

RP 1162 was updated in 2011, however PHMSA never incorporated the second edition into its regulations, and therefore operators must still follow the original 2003 RP.

The working group updating RP 1162 met in October 2017 and again January 30-31, 2018 to begin its work. John Erickson represents public natural gas on the API working group. One of the first tasks was to determine the scope of the revised RP. The working group considered expanding the scope of the RP to include non-safety-related public awareness, such as pre-construction messaging to alert landowners that the operator was beginning pipeline construction in their neighborhood. While these communications were deemed important, the working group decided to keep the RP focused on safety-related public awareness efforts.

The working group will meet again in late March to continue revising RP 1162. For questions on this article, please contact John Erickson of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-0834 or by email at jerickson@apga.org.