The National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR) is the national association representing state pipeline safety personnel. Through a unique partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation, NAPSR members have oversight responsibilities for the safe and reliable transportation of natural gas and hazardous liquids through pipelines.
The theme of this year’s meeting was innovation and how innovation can impact pipeline safety. Bert Kalisch, Erin Kurilla, and Todd Brady represented APGA, the APGA Security & Integrity Foundation (SIF) and the APGA Research Foundation (RF) at the NAPSR National Meeting from September 9 to 11 in Portland, Maine. During their presentation, they informed state pipeline safety personnel on the priorities, activities, and programs underway at APGA, the SIF, and the RF. Bert focused on educating the attendees on the many attacks underway against the direct use of natural gas; Erin shared the pipeline safety programs APGA offers to assist members and provided an update on the changes to the SIF SHRIMP tool; and, Todd highlighted the research project priorities for the RF.
Other presenters at the meeting included Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Administrator Skip Elliott, as well as several other PHMSA staff and representatives from the pipeline research organizations.
The next NAPSR chairman will be Wallace Jones, the Director of the Gas Pipeline Safety Division in Alabama. The 2020 National NAPSR Meeting will be held in September near Mobile, Alabama.
For questions on this article, please contact Erin Kurilla of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-2742 or by email at
ekurilla@apga.org.