PHMSA Announces Upcoming Public Meeting with New Pipeline Safety Voluntary Information-Sharing System Working Group
PHMSA’s Voluntary Information-sharing System (VIS) Working Group meeting will be open to the public and held in the Washington, D.C. area on December 19, 2016. View the announcement here.
The VIS Working Group is mandated by law, section 10 of the (PIPES) Act of 2016. The Secretary of Transportation is required to assemble a working group by December 19, 2016 to consider the development of a voluntary information-sharing system to encourage collaborative efforts to improve inspection information feedback and information sharing with the purpose of improving gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipeline facility integrity risk analysis.
The Group will consist of no more than 30 members appointed by the secretary that includes representatives from PHMSA; Industry stakeholders, including: Operators of pipeline facilities; Inspection technology, coating, and cathodic protection vendors, and Pipeline inspection organizations; Safety advocacy groups; Research institutions; State public utility commissions or State officials responsible for pipeline safety oversight; Labor representatives; and Other entities, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.
PHMSA is seeking recommendations on how to:
- Identity the need for a system to confidently share pipeline dig verification data with in-line inspection operators
- Encourage the sharing of pipeline inspection information and the development of advanced pipeline inspection technologies
- Share data to increase knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of the varying types of in-line technologies
- Create a secure system that protects proprietary information while also encouraging information sharing and the development of advanced pipeline inspection technologies
- Protect safety- and security-sensitive information, as well as proprietary information; and
- Determine associated regulatory, funding, and legal issues
The location and any updates for the VIS working group will be posted here. It will be their first meeting once the member appointment process is complete. PHMSA accepted member nominations until November 28, 2016 based on the nomination Federal Registrar notice. Final appointments will be made by Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.