PHMSA Tag

How Excavation Damage Harms the Vulnerable

09 Aug 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

The world beneath our feet is vibrant and complex. Although we cannot see it and often do not think about it, tens of millions of miles of pipelines, cables, and wires run across the country just underfoot. Every time a shovel or power tool makes contact with the dirt to…

Pipeline Safety Agency Highlights Innovative Technology

05 Apr 2023, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Every year, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) provides funding opportunities to states and stakeholders to improve and protect pipeline safety. One way that is done is by promoting the “damage prevention” process – known by many as the “Call Before You Dig” program. Through a number of…

Think Tank Releases New Report on The Consensus Technologies Needed For Improving Excavation Damage Prevention

27 Jul 2022, Posted by John Cassibry in All Posts, Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: Wednesday, July 27, 2022 CONTACT: John Cassibry, jcassibry@aii.org   Washington, D.C, July 27, 2022 — The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) released its latest white paper, Consensus Around Technologies: The Key Communications Technologies that Need to be Adopted to Improve Efficiency and Reduce Excavation…

It’s Time for Nationwide Adoption of Electronic White-Lining

24 May 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Looking ahead to the year 2030, we hope to see technology integrated into virtually every activity we do. For damage prevention, this is not merely aspirational, it is a necessity. Fortunately, industry groups have already cast this vision, stating in the latest Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Technology Report that the…

Safer Digging Part 5: Investigating A Damage

17 May 2022, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Up to this point, we have explored a range of benefits that accrue from the use of technology in the damage prevention process. Not only is technology vital to avoiding damage, but it makes the process more efficient, reduces environmental hazards, enables cost savings, and more. One final benefit emerges…

Think Tank Calls for Reexamination of Federal Damage Prevention Approach

20 Apr 2022, Posted by John Cassibry in All Posts, Press Releases

Washington, D.C, April 20, 2022 — The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) on Wednesday released its newest report, Excavation Damage to Underground Infrastructure: A Look at the Federal Damage Prevention Approach. The report looks at the federal role in limiting and preventing excavation damage and encourages Congress and federal…

Over 99.999% of all U.S. Hazardous Material is Transported Safely

21 Sep 2021, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

Massive oil spills, natural gas explosions, produced water leaks, and train derailments are environmental and human tragedies. These rare but terrible events grab headlines and linger in the public memory for years or even decades. The extent of these issues are often difficult to conceptualize – and that is part…

811 Day Highlights the Importance of Safe Digging

11 Aug 2021, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

While you may know March 14 as pi day (3.14) and May 4 as Star Wars day (May the fourth), today is of even greater consequence. August 11 – or 8-11 – is a day dedicated to safe digging known as 811 Day. Why does safe digging matter? Because every…

Pipeline Safety Agency Reauthorized in Year-End Omnibus

22 Dec 2020, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

With the year-end omnibus budget and coronavirus stimulus package, the federal government’s top pipeline safety agency was reauthorized. The down-to-the-wire omnibus deal included the reauthorization, which was 447 days overdue, as the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) authorization expired in September of 2019. Due to federal rules and…

447 Days Without A Pipeline Safety Reauthorization Bill

04 Nov 2020, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

While the results of the election are still uncertain, one thing is all too clear: Congress has allowed the nation’s chief pipeline safety regulator to lapse without reauthorization for 400 days. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) was up for reauthorization late in 2019. That reauthorization is important…

New Report Grades Each State’s Damage Prevention Laws

14 Oct 2020, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts, Press Releases

Washington D.C, – October 14, 2020 – The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) today released a new report for state legislatures, regulatory bodies, and damage prevention professionals: 2020 Damage Prevention Report Card. This comprehensive analysis of every state’s damage prevention laws and regulations tracks progress over time in key…

How Pizza Can Show Damage Prevention A Better Way Forward

29 Sep 2020, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

The damage prevention industry is critically important for public safety. To properly prevent damage, communication and use of technology are essential. This not only guarantees smooth, efficient, and cost effective projects, it literally saves lives. Every year, millions of dollars in lost productivity, service interruption, property damage, and even serious…

New Report Examines History and Trajectory of One-Call Centers and Damage Prevention Efforts

27 Aug 2020, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts, Newsletter

Washington D.C, District of Columbia – August 27, 2020 – The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) today released a new report for industry leaders and public officials entitled ‘811: One-Call Before You Dig | The Development and Future of Damage Prevention Efforts’ reviewing the history of One-Call centers and raising…

It’s Time for Nationwide Adoption of Enhanced Positive Response

23 Jan 2020, Posted by bdierker in All Posts, Blog Posts

As technology improves, law and regulation must improve for the sake of public safety. Excavation damage has been a leading – and in many years the leading – cause of pipeline incidents for decades. More than ten years ago, Congress addressed what was then the leading contributor to these incidents…