State Damage Prevention Program

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The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), hereby requests applications from eligible States that may result in the award of multiple grants under the State Damage Prevention Program. These grants are intended for States to establish or improve the overall quality and effectiveness of their programs that are designed to prevent damage to underground pipeline facilities.Section 2 of the PIPES Act added a new State Damage Prevention Program Grant program to the Federal Pipeline Safety Law as 49 USC §60134. The purpose of these grants is to establish comprehensive State programs designed to prevent damage to underground pipelines in States that do not have such programs and to improve damage prevention programs in States that do. The Act sets forth nine elements of an effective State damage prevention program. A critical element is the establishment of effective enforcement measures including civil penalty authority for violations.*** Notice *** The grants PHMSA awards under this announcement will not affect the grants PHMSA awards under the One-Call program. PHMSA awards under the One-Call program were posted in a separate announcement. Although this notice is limited to applications for the Damage Prevention Program, the relevant authorities in a State may apply for both a One-Call grant and a grant under this program as long as the deliverables under each program are different. PHMSA will carefully coordinate the application review process for the State Damage Prevention Program Grants to ensure that applicants are not awarded funds for the same deliverable under both grant programs. Eligible applicants are encouraged to apply for both grants.

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