About Pipelines
The results of PHMSA’s 2009 State Damage Prevention Program Characterization (SDPPC) assessments are shown below. The SDPPC assessments were updated in 2011 and again in 2014.
State damage prevention programs were evaluated against the "nine elements of effective damage prevention programs" cited by Congress in the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2006. The resulting program characterizations can help stakeholders better understand the successes of and challenges to the state damage prevention programs, where the programs may need improvement, and where PHMSA can focus further assistance. A brief summary discussion of the SDPPC initiative is available.
| Element Legend: |
|---|
| The Nine Elements of Effective Damage Prevention Programs include the following. Follow each link to see a map of how the elements are implemented among the states. |
| Element 1 - Enhanced Communication between Operators and Excavators |
| Element 2 – Fostering Support and Partnership of all Stakeholders |
| Element 3 – Operator’s Use of Performance Measures for Locators |
| Element 4 – Partnership in Employee Training |
| Element 5 – Partnership in Public Education |
| Element 6 – Enforcement Agencies’ Role to Help Resolve Issues |
| Element 7 – Fair and Consistent Enforcement of the Law |
| Element 8 – Use of Technology to Improve the Locating Process |
| Element 9 – Data Analysis to Continually Improve Program Effectiveness |
| Symbol Legend: | |
|---|---|
 | Largely implemented program element |
 | Partially implemented or not fully developed program element; actions are underway or planned for improvements |
 | Element partially implemented/marginally effective program element needs improvement; no actions underway/planned for improvement |
 | Program element is not implemented and needs to be addressed |
 | No information available or not applicable |
| Element | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| Alabama | A | A | A | C | A | D | D | A | A |
| Alaska | B | A | A | E | B | D | D | A | B |
| Arkansas | A | A | A | A | A | D | C | A | B |
| Arizona | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| California | A | A | A | A | C | B | B | A | B |
| Colorado | A | A | A | B | B | A | D | B | A |
| Connecticut | A | A | A | B | A | A | A | A | A |
| Delaware | A | A | A | C | A | C | C | A | B |
| D.C. | A | A | A | B | A | C | C | B | B |
| Florida | A | A | A | B | A | D | D | A | B |
| Georgia | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Hawaii | A | A | B | D | A | B | B | B | E |
| Idaho | B | B | A | D | B | D | C | B | C |
| Indiana | A | A | A | B | A | B | B | A | B |
| Illinois | A | B | A | B | C | C | C | B | B |
| Iowa | A | A | A | A | A | C | A | A | A |
| Kansas | A | A | A | E | A | A | A | A | B |
| Kentucky | A | A | B | B | A | C | B | A | B |
| Louisiana | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Maine | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Maryland | A | A | A | B | A | B | B | A | B |
| Massachusetts | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | |
| Michigan | A | A | A | A | B | D | D | B | B |
| Minnesota | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Mississippi | A | A | A | B | A | C | D | A | B |
| Missouri | A | A | A | A | A | B | C | A | B |
| Montana | B | A | A | B | A | D | D | B | B |
| Nebraska | A | A | A | B | A | B | A | A | B |
| Nevada | A | A | A | A | B | A | A | C | B |
| New Hampshire | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| New Jersey | A | A | A | B | A | A | A | A | B |
| New Mexico | A | A | A | A | C | A | A | B | B |
| New York | A | A | A | C | A | C | A | A | B |
| North Carolina | C | B | A | E | B | D | D | C | D |
| North Dakota | A | A | A | B | E | B | B | E | E |
| Ohio | A | A | A | B | A | B | B | A | C |
| Oklahoma | A | B | A | B | A | B | C | B | B |
| Oregon | A | A | B | A | A | A | A | A | B |
| Pennsylvania | A | A | A | A | A | B | C | A | A |
| Rhode Island | A | A | A | C | A | A | A | B | B |
| South Carolina | A | A | A | C | A | D | C | B | B |
| South Dakota | A | A | A | B | C | A | A | A | B |
| Tennessee | A | B | E | B | A | B | B | A | B |
| Texas | A | A | A | B | A | A | A | A | A |
| Utah | A | A | A | A | A | A | C | A | A |
| Vermont | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Virginia | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Washington | A | A | A | A | A | D | D | A | B |
| West Virginia | A | B | A | E | A | D | D | A | B |
| Wisconsin | A | A | A | B | A | C | C | A | B |
| Wyoming | A | A | A | B | A | C | B | A | B |
| Puerto Rico | A | A | B | E | A | A | A | C | B |