U.S. Dredging Pipeline Task Force Gets to Work
On September 18, the Council for Dredging & Marine Construction Safety (CDMCS) Pipeline Task Force (PTF), a subset of the Dredging Contractors of America (DCA), met to discuss pipeline safety. The number of dredging projects and the depths to which they must go to accommodate larger vessels, require more care and understanding of buried pipelines in the waterways. The task force will work to find the best means to identify where pipelines are located.
The task force includes U.S. dredging companies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the State of Louisiana Pipeline Safety Division, the Coastal and Marine Operators Pipeline Industry Initiative (CAMO), and representatives and member companies of the American Petroleum Institute, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, and the Louisiana Mid-continent Oil & Gas Association.
The task force has three main goals and three working groups. The first goal is to “support safe working practices” with the team led by Cottrell Contracting’s Devon Carlock. The second goal is to “increase public awareness” through education and training, led by CAMO Chairman Ed Landgraf. The third goal is to “strengthen data accuracy,” and this team is being led by Michael Gerhardt of DCA.
“The primary focus of the Pipeline Task Force, first and foremost, is to prevent injuries and save lives in the dredging industry,” said William P. Doyle, CEO and executive director of the DCA and PTF chairman. “The dredging companies appreciate the cooperation of the oil, natural gas and pipeline transportation companies. We can’t do this without their participation.”
The task force is first addressing Corps regulated dredging projects in federal navigation channels. The types of pipelines for this phase include natural gas and liquid lines. Finally, the task force is focused on finding industry solutions and best practices rather than implementing regulations or enacting laws.
