MN 2015 State Damage Prevention Program Grant

Overview

Main Objective

Under this grant agreement, Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety will carry out its responsibilities regarding enforcement, education, training, communication, support, analysis, partnership, and mediation activities associated with its Damage Prevention program. MNOPS will continue to utilize a Damage Prevention team in 2015. The team will perform standard pipeline safety functions but focus primarily on damage prevention efforts.

Public Abstract

Under the terms of this grant agreement, the Recipient will address the following elements listed in the approved application as stated in 49 U.S.C. §60134 (b). * Element 1 (EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS): Participation by operators, excavators, and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of methods for establishing and maintaining effective communications between stakeholders from receipt of an excavation notification until successful completion of the excavation, as appropriate.

• Element 2 (COMPREHENSIVE STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT): A process for fostering and ensuring the support and partnership of stakeholders, including excavators, operators, locators, designers, and local government in all phases of the program.
• Element 3 (OPERATOR INTERNAL PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT): A process for reviewing the adequacy of a pipeline operator's internal performance measures regarding persons performing locating services and quality assurance programs.
• Element 4 (EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE TRAINING): Participation by operators, excavators, and other stakeholders in the development and implementation of effective employee training programs to ensure that operators, the one call center, the enforcing agency, and the excavators have partnered to design and implement training for the employees of operators, excavators, and locators.
• Element5(PUBLICEDUCATION):Aprocessforfosteringandensuringactive participation by all stakeholders in public education for damage prevention activities.
• Element 6 (DISPUTE RESOLUTION): A process for resolving disputes that defines the State authority's role as a partner and facilitator to resolve issues.
• Element 7 (ENFORCEMENT): Enforcement of State damage prevention laws and regulations for all aspects of the damage prevention process, including public education, and the use of civil penalties for violations assessable by the appropriate State authority.
• Element 8 (TECHNOLOGY): A process for fostering and promoting the use, by all appropriate stakeholders, of improving technologies that may enhance communications, underground pipeline locating capability, and gathering and analyzing information about the accuracy and effectiveness of locating programs.
• Element 9 (DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAM REVIEW): A process for review and analysis of the effectiveness of each program element, including a means for implementing improvements identified by such program reviews.

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