The Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA) developed the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) to identify pipeline facilities. Much of that system information is classified.

However, AOPL believes that the public has a right to know about much of the information that is currently classified. The industry feels that it is prudent for the public to have access to information about pipeline safety and the location of pipelines.

Prior to 9/11, the majority of the information contained within NPMS was made available to the public. Only some sensitive data, such as the locations of endangered species near pipeline rights of way, was kept protected.

Government policy shifted, however, following 9/11. Both DOT and the new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) restricted a majority of information that had previously been public record. Today, the public only has access to pipeline operator contact information within a specified geographic area. Pipeline operators are required to submit annual reports to PHSMA on their operations and PHSMA provides these reports to the public upon request.

The federal agency also developed the Pipeline Integrity Management Mapping Application, which contains sensitive pipeline infrastructure information and is only available to pipeline operators and local, state and federal government officials.

Recently, representatives of AOPL have said that making more non-sensitive information available would be a cost-effective way to inform the public about pipelines. The industry has urged Congress to instruct PHMSA and TSA that they should determine what information can be disclosed to the public and work to reestablish public access to the NPMS.