The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), through the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT), hereby requests applications from eligible States (including municipalities with respect to intrastate gas pipeline transportation) that may result in the award of multiple grants
credit:
under the State Damage Prevention Program.
These grants are intended for States to establish or improve the overall quality and effectiveness of their State Damage Prevention programs that are designed to protect underground pipeline facilities from excavation damage.Any State authority designated by the Governor (including a municipality with respect to intrastate gas pipeline transportation) that is or will be responsible for protecting underground pipeline facilities from excavation damage is eligible as long as the State participates in the oversight of pipeline transportation pursuant to an annual 49 U.S.C.
§60105 certification or 49 U.S.C.
§60106 agreement in effect with PHMSA.
An eligible State authority must have an effective damage prevention program or demonstrated substantial progress toward establishing an effective program.
See Section 4. 02 of the solicitation.The Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 mandates that in order to qualify for funding under this program, a state may not provide any exemptions to municipalities, State agencies, or their contractors, from the one-call notification system requirements of the program.
In 2013, PHMSA notified the states likely to be impacted by this criterion; however, PHMSA will review all applications to make sure ONLY applications in compliance with this requirement are considered for funding.