09.19.14

Hoeven Announces More than $200K PHMSA Grant for North Dakota Pipeline Safety

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA) has awarded a grant totaling $209,988 to the State of North Dakota to support the state’s pipeline safety programs.

“North Dakota’s pipelines play a vital role transporting the record-setting amounts of gas and oil we’re producing in the Bakken Region, and our state’s pipeline safety programs help ensure the efficient and safe transport of this product,” said Hoeven. “This PHMSA grant will help our state to continue to manage and implement our strong pipeline safety programs to ensure we continue moving the oil and gas we’re producing safely to market.”

This grant follows Hoeven’s continued work with industry and federal officials at all levels to address the issue of safely transporting oil and gas. Following the Casselton derailment, Hoeven has been working especially closely with PHMSA to develop strategies to prevent derailments and, in the event of a derailment, reduce the risk of fire or explosions. Hoeven has also been working to build more pipelines to transport oil. Most recently, he led 44 of his Senate colleagues in writing a letter to President Obama calling on him to approve the Keystone XL pipeline immediately, stressing the project would stand to benefit the country in numerous ways, including safely transporting more oil and gas via pipeline.

The PHMSA grant will pay a portion of North Dakota CY 2014 pipeline safety program which inspects and enforces pipeline safety regulations for intrastate gas pipeline operators in the state. The North Dakota Public Service Commission performs this work.