Gas Transmission Pipeline Integrity Management Program

Pipeline Integrity Management Program

In December 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Pipeline Safety Bill H.R. 3609, the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002. One of the provisions of the act required the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations defining integrity management programs, prescribing the standards for conducting a risk analysis, and requiring the adoption and implementation of an integrity management program for natural gas transmission pipelines.

In May 2004, the Office of Pipeline Safety issued an amended final rule requiring natural gas pipeline operators to develop integrity management programs for the gas transmission pipelines located in areas of residential, commercial, and public use. In order to develop an approach for pipeline safety, Washington Gas has created an Integrity Management Program (IMP) that meets or exceeds the intent of the integrity management regulations. The IMP will be refined continually as it moves from its framework to a comprehensive program.

Washington Gas places the highest priority on safety and compliance and supports the goals of improving pipeline safety as well as raising the public’s confidence about the safety of pipelines.

If you have additional questions or want to learn more about our Integrity Management Program, please contact our engineering staff by emailing Susan Borenstein at sborenstein@washgas.com