The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced Wednesday that it awarded $98,800,117 in grants to 11 different organizations to help states, territories and tribes enhance pipeline and hazardous materials safety programs.
Six of the awards fund over $69 million in pipeline safety programs, while another five grants fund over $28 million in state and local hazardous materials programs across the country.
“States and community groups play an important role in addressing the safety challenges associated with pipelines and hazardous materials,” PHMSA Acting Administrator Tristan Brown said. “The grants announced today are essential in supporting the resource needs of states and localities to effectively enforce safety standards, train response personnel, and equip everyday citizens with the necessary tools to protect themselves from transportation related accidents.”
Among the pipeline safety programs funded are $58 million in Pipeline Safety State Base grants to support state inspection and enforcement of pipeline safety regulations for natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, and $4.8 million in Underground Natural Gas Storage grants for inspection and enforcement of safety requirements.
“PHMSA’s State Pipeline Safety Base and Underground Natural Gas Storage grant programs provide a reimbursement of between 50 and 80 percent of operating costs for state programs charged with inspecting transmission and distribution pipelines and underground storage facilities within state boundaries,:” the department said. “The grants will enable PHMSA to build on its existing partnership with states to enforce pipeline safety regulations by funding the personnel and equipment needed to carry out inspections, conduct enforcement, and add a strong local presence in areas where these facilities are located.”
The grants will be disbursed to all states except Alaska and Hawaii, which do not participate in the State Pipeline Safety Base Program, as well as South Carolina and Arkansas, which participate in the program, but do not accept pipeline safety funding.
The awards for hazardous materials programs included $21 million for Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grants supporting the development, implementation and improvement of emergency plans; and $3.5 million for Hazardous Materials Instructor Training grants to support training for hazardous material employees and instructors.