State commits to pipeline safety plan
Will be first in nation to implement system
Massachusetts has committed to adopting a new pipeline management system in an effort to make natural gas distribution safer.
The Northeast Gas Association, a regional trade association comprised of all the state’s natural gas companies, will take on the American Petroleum Institute’s Recommended Practice 1173, a Pipeline Safety Management System developed in the aftermath of high-profile natural gas incidents like the San Bruno, Calif., gas disaster in 2010.
This marks the first time a state has committed to Recommend Practices 1173, according to the Baker-Polito administration, who announced the safety measure yesterday.
After the Greater Lawrence gas disaster on Sept. 13 killed a teenager and injured more than 20 others in the Merrimack Valley, the Department of Public Utilities requested that all natural gas companies adopt these comprehensive standards and review their safety protocols, including an examination of the feasibility of implementing a safety management system.
“Our administration is pleased that the Northeast Gas Association has complied with the DPU’s request to adopt the nation’s first statewide Pipeline Safety Management System to ensure the safety of our communities,” Gov. Charlie Baker said. “We are proud to work with the Northeast Gas Association and its members to ensure that a culture of safety is in place at every level of utility business operations, and that the best possible policies and oversight are in place to protect public safety.”
Backed by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Safety Management System is a formal business approach to managing safety risks, emphasizing continual assessment and improvement, that includes a commitment from management and organizational structures, policies and procedures.
“The natural gas distribution companies are committed to working continuously and actively to implement Pipeline Safety Management Systems, the ANSI/API Recommended Practice 1173, or RP 1173,” Northeast Gas Association President Thomas Kiley said.