At its board meeting today, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America announced the formation of a new executive-level task force on pipeline safety.
Christopher A. Helms, Executive Vice President and Group CEO of NiSource Gas Transmission and Storage, has been appointed the Chairman of the new task force.
"INGAA had taken a leadership position in the establishment of the Integrity Management Program from 1999-2002, and we felt it was an appropriate time to renew our commitment to this issue," Helms said. "For the past several years, the focus of the Nation’s interstate natural gas pipelines has been on a safety culture for both our companies and our suppliers, and we believe we can provide leadership and work with regulators and other stakeholders toward the common goal of safe transportation of natural gas. We feel it is of utmost importance that best practices and lessons learned be shared and that safety standards be applied throughout the industry."
The task force, which will consist of INGAA board members, will oversee the development of the next level of pipeline safety standards because natural gas is – and will continue to be – a critical fuel for America’s energy future.
