The OPS works in partnership with state agencies to ensure pipeline safety.
The statutes under which OPS operates provide for state assumption of all or part of the intrastate regulatory and enforcement responsibility through annual certifications and agreements. Most states have supported the concept of common stewardship in pipeline safety. This cooperative, collaborative relationship between the federal and state government--the Federal/State Partnership--forms the cornerstone of the pipeline safety program.
OPS provides funding to states to defray the costs of their overall pipeline safety programs, including inspections. A state must adopt the minimum Federal regulations and may adopt additional or more stringent regulations as long as they are not incompatible with the Federal regulations in order to qualify for funding. State pipeline safety programs also work to educate operators about compliance, improve damage prevention practices, support new efforts in public education, and influence state laws. State pipeline safety programs work to educate operators about compliance, support new efforts in public education, and influence state laws.
Federal grant funds are used as an incentive to improve state program performance and to encourage states to take on more responsibility for pipeline safety oversight. OPS is authorized to reimburse a state agency up to 50 percent of the actual cost for carrying out the state's pipeline safety program, including the cost of personnel and equipment. Federal funding is determined through an allocation formula based on factors such as the extent to which the state asserts safety jurisdiction, whether the state has adopted all federal requirements, and the number and qualifications of the inspectors.
OPS works closely with the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR) and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). NAPSR is an affiliation of state program managers who are certified by OPS to administer the state pipeline safety programs. NARUC is an organization of governmental agencies committed to improving the quality and effectiveness of utility regulation in America.
For more information visit the following OPS Web site http://ops.dot.gov/partnership.htm.