N.J. Admin. Code § 14:7-1.21

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 12, June 17, 2024

Section 14:7-1.21 - Public outreach

(a) Each transmission pipeline operator shall establish and maintain liaison with appropriate fire, police, and other public officials to:

1. Learn the responsibilities and resources of each government organization that may respond to a gas pipeline emergency;

2. Acquaint the officials with the operator's ability in responding to a gas pipeline emergency;

3. Identify the types of gas pipeline emergencies of which the operator notifies the officials; and

4. Plan how the operator and officials can engage in mutual assistance to minimize hazards to life or property.

(b) Each operator that is a public utility shall meet on at least an annual basis with appropriate fire, police, and other public officials of each municipality through which its transmission pipeline traverses as part of the liaison required pursuant to (a) above. An operator shall maintain records of its outreach meetings with local officials, including attendance and the basic topics covered at these meetings. The operator shall make such records available for inspection by Board staff. If an annual outreach meeting was not held with a municipality through which a transmission pipeline traverses, the operator shall notify the Board's Bureau of Pipeline Safety and shall provide justification for not holding an outreach meeting with the municipality.

(c) Each transmission pipeline operator shall provide annual notice of the existence of the pipeline to the residents of properties abutting the operator's pipeline, including the operator's telephone number which the resident may use to report any unusual odors or activities, including construction or dumping, around the pipeline. This notice may be mailed or distributed door-to-door to the abutting residents.

(d) In addition to meeting the requirements in this section, an operator's public outreach program shall meet the minimum requirements of RP 1162, as referenced in 49 CFR 192.616.

N.J. Admin. Code § 14:7-1.21

New Rule, R.1997 d.128, effective 3/17/1997.
See: 28 N.J.R. 5146(a), 29 N.J.R. 104(b), 29 N.J.R. 903(b).
Recodified from N.J.A.C. 14:7-1.35 and amended by R.2009 d.69, effective 3/2/2009.
See: 40 N.J.R. 4915(a), 41 N.J.R. 1083(a).
In (b), deleted "offer to" following "utility shall" and substituted "outreach meetings" for "attempts to meet", ", including" for "and of" preceding "attendance" and ". The operator" for "and" preceding "shall make", and inserted the last sentence; and added (d). Former N.J.A.C. 14:7-1.21, Compressor stations: remote safety shut-downs, repealed.