RESEARCH
AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
AUTHORIZATION:
Natural
Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968, Public Law 90-481, 49 U.S.C. 1971,
as amended; Public Law 92-401, 86 Stat. 616; Public Law 93-403,
88 Stat. 802; Public Law 94-477, 90 Stat. 2073; Pipeline Safety
Act of 1979, Title I and Title II, Public Law 96-129, 93 Stat. 989;
Pipeline Safety Reauthorization Act of 1988, Public Law 100- 561;
Pipeline Safety Act of 1992, Public Law 102-508; 49 U.S.C. 601;
Public Law 103-272; Accountable Pipeline Safety and Partnership
Act of 1996, Public Law 104-304.
To
develop and maintain State natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and
hazardous liquid pipeline safety programs.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Formula Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Eligible
programs will cover such areas as inspection and testing of gas
pipelines as well as related travel, training, and research. Funds
must be expended for personnel, equipment, and activities reasonably
required for the pipeline safety program.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: The Department provides Federal
matching funds, up to 50 percent to any State agency with a certificate
under Section 60105 of Title 49, United States Code, an agreement
under Section 60106 of Title 49, United States Code, or to any State
acting as a DOT agent on interstate pipelines. State must agree
that the aggregate expenditures of State funds, exclusive of Federal
funds, on the pipeline program for the calendar year to which the
Federal funds apply are/not less than the average level of such
expenditures on the program for the last 2 fiscal years preceding
enactment of the Pipeline Safety Acts.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: State agency.
Credentials/Documentation:
Appropriate State legal official must approve legality of agency
application and agreement. Costs will be determined in accordance
with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments, and
"Procedural Guide for the Pipeline Safety Grant Program." Application
(plan) due date is September 30.
Pre-application
Coordination: This program is eligible for coverage
under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs."
An applicant should consult the office or official designated as
the single point of contact in his or her State for more information
on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for
assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.
Application
Procedure: Each State submits with its annual
application a summary of estimated program costs by calendar year
covering the State gas and/or hazardous liquid pipeline safety
activities to the Research and Special Programs Administration,
DOT. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular
No. A-110.
Award
Procedure: Awards are made by the Research
and Special Programs Administration, DOT, Washington, DC.
Deadlines:
Applications are submitted by September 30 for the next calendar
year. A later date for filing applications is established if appropriations
are not available by September 30.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 60 to 90
days from date of receipt.
Appeals:
Not applicable.
Renewals:
Not applicable.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: This program has
no statutory formula. The Federal Pipeline Safety Law authorizes
Federal reimbursement of up to 50 percent of a State's expenditure
during the year for personnel, equipment, and activities reasonably
required by the State agency for the conduct of its pipeline safety
program. The Law further stipulates that the State expenditures
in any given year, without Federal assistance, cannot be less than
the average amount expended by the State for gas pipeline safety
during fiscal years 1967 and 1968 and for the last 2 fiscal years
preceding the date of enactment of the Pipeline Safety Acts. The
State agency must also agree to provide the remaining cost of the
safety program(s). Within these limitations, the available funds
are allocated by a method designed to reflect the degree to which
a State has met certain goals established. The allocation is determined
by assigning point values to the States for having achieved certain
levels of program participation, dividing this point score by the
sum of the States' point scores, and multiplying this ratio by the
amount available for the distribution. RSPA distributed the remaining
funds according to certain criteria designed to seek improvements
in State programs. The criteria used by RSPA were extent of intrastate
jurisdiction, inspector qualifications, recommended number of inspection
person-days, State adoption of applicable Federal regulations, and
other relevant criteria. In 2000, the Federal allocations represented
40 percent of the estimated State requests in the natural gas program
(range: 34 to 42 percent) and the Federal allocations represented
40 percent of the estimated State requests in the hazardous liquid
program (range: 36 to 46 percent).
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: Expenditures
made by a State during the calendar year are eligible for Federal
reimbursement. States receiving Federal assistance submit claims
for reimbursement in July for the Federal share of the cost of
actual expenditures between January 1 and June 30 of the year,
and in January for Federal share of the cost of actual expenditures
between July and December 31 of the year.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Annual activity reports.
Audits:
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised,
June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit
Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance
of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a
program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities
that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt
from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted
in Circular No. A-133.
Records:
All records relating to the program shall be retained for a period
of not less than 3 years from the date of submission of fund expenditure
report.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 69-5172-0-2-407.
Obligations:
(Grants) FY 01 $16,400,000; FY 02 est $17,000,000; and FY 03 est
$19,300,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance: $4,522 to $1,123,473.
Forty-nine State agencies requested and received allocations for
fiscal year 2001 for gas and/or liquid grant funds. No eligible
State applicant was rejected. State agencies are increasing their
knowledge and activities to help operators in their State in operating
and maintaining safe pipeline systems.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Pipeline Safety Regulations, 49 CFR 190, 191, 192, 193, 195, 198
and 199. Individual copies available from the Transportation Safety
Institute, Pipeline Safety Program, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73125.
"Procedural Guide for the Pipeline Safety Grant Program." "Guidelines
for States Participating in the Pipeline Safety Program." "Guidance
Manual for Operators of Small Gas Systems."
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: See Appendix IV of the Catalog
for a listing of Research and Special Programs Administration regional
office addresses.
Headquarters
Office: Research and Special Programs Administration,
Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20590. Contact: Tom Fortner. Telephone: (202) 366- 4564.
Web
Site Address: http://www.rspa.dot.gov
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
State Pipeline Safety Program.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
All proposals from eligible State utility regulatory agencies are
considered for funding to the limit of available grant money.
