Public Service Commission

Pipeline Safety

The Georgia Public Service Commission's (GPSC or Commission) Pipeline Safety Division is responsible for protecting the public and environment from the risks inherent in the transportation of natural gas or other hazardous liquid products. Through an annual certification with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the GPSC enforces minimum safety regulations for all jurisdictional intrastate gas pipelines in Georgia. These regulations are written to ensure safety in the (1) design, construction, testing, operation, and maintenance of pipeline facilities and (2) siting, construction, operation, and maintenance of liquefied natural gas facilities. The GPSC ensures compliance with regulations through operator inspections, enforcement actions, and accident investigations. The Commission's Pipeline Safety Division does not have jurisdiction over interstate pipelines, liquid pipelines (gasoline, carbon dioxide, etc.), or siting of any underground facilities.

The GPSC Pipeline Safety Staff consists of engineers and inspectors trained by the PHMSA Training and Qualification Program (TQ) in application of the Federal Regulations. Required safety inspections are performed on a minimum five-year basis for the gas systems to ensure compliance with the Federal Regulations. The types of inspections include, but are not limited to, comprehensive inspections, operator qualifications, public awareness programs, system integrity management programs, drug and alcohol programs, and accident investigations.

The GPSC will investigate all incidents that require notice to the Federal Office of Pipeline Safety in accordance the Federal Regulations. These investigations will typically culminate in written reports and any pertinent photographs will be kept on file at the GPSC, with copies available to the public, upon request.

All operators are reminded to use one of the following phone numbers to report incidents. Please refer to your emergency plans for the inspector to contact in your area. In addition to calling an inspector, operators are encouraged to submit information on incidents or accidents to the GPSC’s Pipeline Safety Accident Notification email at psan@psc.ga.gov.

Click here to download a copy of this list.

Georgia State Program Metrics

• As part of its annual grant evaluation process, PHMSA performs thorough evaluations of each state pipeline safety regulatory program. To support this evaluation PHMSA and the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR) have developed a set of performance metrics. Please click here to review these metrics.

Operators

• List of Natural Gas Pipeline Operators