About Pipelines
PHMSA’s State Damage Prevention Program Characterization (SDPPC) initiative depicts state damage prevention programs with respect to 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 initiative is available. Full results for the most recent completed characterization tools for each state are available on the State Damage Prevention Information pages.
The 2014 SDPPC results are shown below. The characterization assessments were originally conducted in 2009 and were updated in 2011.
| Element Legend: |
|---|
| The Nine Elements of Effective Damage Prevention Programs include the following: |
| 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: | |
|---|---|
 | Program element implemented |
 | 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 |
| P | Pending |
| Element | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| AL | 1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| AK | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
| AR | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| AZ | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| CA | 1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| CO | 2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
| CT | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| DE | 2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| DC | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
| FL | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| GA | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| HI | 1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
| ID | 1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| IN | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| IL | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
| IA | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| KS | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| KY | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
| LA | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
| ME | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| MD | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| MA | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| MI | 1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| MN | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| MS | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| MO | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| MT | 2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
| NE | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| NV | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| NH | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| NJ | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| NM | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| NY | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| NC | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| ND | 1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| OH | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
| OK | 2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| OR | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| PA | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
| RI | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| SC | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
| SD | 1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| TN | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
| TX | 1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| UT | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
| VT | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| VA | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| WA | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| WV | 2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
| WI | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| WY | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
| PR | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |