State Damage Prevention (SDP) Grant – FY2020

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Pipeline safety is a shared responsibility, and the purpose of the State Damage Prevention (SDP) Program grant is to establish or improve state programs and to protect underground pipeline facilities from excavation damage. The SDP grants provide funding to help eligible states establish a comprehensive program to prevent damage to underground pipelines in states that do not have such programs, and to improve damage prevention programs in states that do. A strong transportation network is critical to the functioning and growth of the American economy. The nation’s industry depends on the transportation network to move the goods that it produces, and facilitate the movements of the workers who are responsible for that production. When the nation’s highways, railways, and ports function well, that infrastructure connects people to jobs, increases the efficiency of delivering goods and thereby cuts the costs of doing business, reduces the burden of commuting, and improves overall well-being. Rural transportation networks play a vital role in supporting our national economic vitality. Addressing the deteriorating conditions and disproportionately high fatality rates on our rural transportation infrastructure is of critical interest to the Department, as rural transportation networks face unique challenges in safety, infrastructure condition, and passenger and freight usage. Consistent with the R.O.U.T.E.S. Initiative, the Department encourages applicants to consider how the project will address the challenges faced by rural areas in advancing pipeline and hazardous materials (hazmat) transportation safety. The SDP program is authorized pursuant to the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-468), codified at 49 U.S.C. § 60134. The SDP program was further amended by the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 (Public Law 112-90). 49 U.S.C. § 60134(a), authorizes the Secretary to award grants to a state authority (including a municipality with respect to intrastate gas pipeline transportation) to assist in improving the overall quality and effectiveness of a damage prevention program of the state authority. Since the inception of the SDP program, PHMSA has awarded over $18 million in SDP grant funds to over 40 state organizations. States are required to implement at least one of the nine elements of an effective damage prevention program, as set out in 49 U.S.C. § 60134(b), with the grant funds. A summary of the past SDP awards, including final reports from completed grant projects, is available at https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/sdp .

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