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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

20.700:  Pipeline Safety

Objectives:  To develop and maintain State natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and hazardous liquid pipeline safety programs.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

20.700 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.

20.700 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication 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.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  All proposals from eligible State utility regulatory agencies are considered for funding to the limit of available grant money.

Examples of Funded Projects:  State Pipeline Safety Program.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  $4,522 to $1,123,473.

20.700 RELATED PROGRAMS:

20.700 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

20.700 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Type of Assistance:  Formula Grants.

Obligations:  (Grants) FY 99 $13,000,000; FY 00 est $13,000,000; and FY 01 est $17,519,000.

Budget Account Number:  69-5172-0-2-407.

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.

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."

20.700 INFO 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. Phone: (202) 366-4564.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

20.700 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 1999, the Federal allocations represented 44 percent of the estimated State requests in the natural gas program (range: 35 to 42 percent) and the Federal allocations represented 41 percent of the estimated State requests in the hazardous liquid program (range: 42 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.

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.

20.700 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 Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive 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.