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PHMSA Pipeline Safety Program

Stakeholder
Communications

Public Awareness Programs

PHMSA and the pipeline industry are working to improve the outreach and
effectiveness of operator public awareness programs

Regulatory Requirements

Federal pipeline safety regulations require pipeline operators to conduct continuing

public awareness programs to provide pipeline safety information to four stakeholder
audiences:

• Affected Public
• Emergency Officials
• Local Public Officials
• Excavators

Current regulations (49 CFR 192.616 and 49 CFR 195.440) require pipeline operators to
develop and implement public awareness programs consistent with the requirements of
the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act (PSIA) of 2002 and the guidance provided by the
American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommended Practice (RP) 1162, "Public
Awareness Programs for Pipeline Operators".

Under these regulations, pipeline operators must provide the affected public with
information about how to recognize, respond to, and report pipeline emergencies. The
importance of using the one-call notification system prior to excavation is to be
emphasized for all stakeholders. Emergency officials and local public officials must be
provided information about the location of transmission pipelines to enhance emergency
response and community growth planning. Affected municipalities, school districts,
businesses, and residents must be advised of pipeline locations. Of particular
significance is the requirement that operators must periodically review their programs
for effectiveness and enhance the programs as necessary.

API RP 1162

API RP 1162 was developed through the

collaborative efforts of pipeline industry
representatives, federal and state pipeline
safety regulators and the public. This
industry consensus standard provides
guidance and recommendations to
pipeline operators for the development
and implementation of enhanced public
awareness programs. It addresses
various elements of such programs,
including the intended audiences, the

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kinds of information to be communicated, frequencies and methodologies for

communicating the information, and evaluation of the programs for effectiveness. A
nonprintable electronic copy of API RP 1162 may be viewed and downloaded from the
American Petroleum Institute. We have provided summary tables of the API RP 1162
program recommendations for review and downloading:

Information Highlights
Public Awareness Program Workshops
PHMSA sponsored a public workshop on Public Awareness Programs on February 20,
2008 in Houston, TX. PHMSA also co-sponsored workshops in 2005 and in 2003 to help
pipeline operators develop and implement effective public awareness programs. More...

Final Rules on Operator Public Awareness Programs

PHMSA issued a final rule on December 13, 2007, that relaxes regulatory requirements
governing public awareness programs conducted by operators of master meter systems
and certain operators of petroleum gas systems. This final rule takes effect January 14,
2008. More...

A correction to the 2005 Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on June 16,
2005. The correction addressed the consistency in the language for the requirements in
195.440 (c) and 192.616 (c) and clarifies that the operator must consider both baseline
and supplemental requirements of API RP 1162. More...

The 2005 Final Rule modified pipeline safety regulations found in 49 CFR 192.616 and
195.440. More information can be found in the Federal Register Notice in which the rule
was issued. More...

Public Awareness FAQs

Everything you need to know about public awareness programs. More...

(Click here for a full list of highlights)

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