The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission Pipeline Safety Bureau:
- Is charged with the task of enforcing Federal and State Pipeline Safety Regulations in order to provide for the safe operation of natural gas and hazardous liquid facilities;
- Is responsible for investigating intrastate pipeline incidents and accidents within New Mexico;
- Enforces the State Excavation Damage Prevention Law; and
- Is responsible for licensing crude oil, natural gas, and oil and gas product pipelines.
Through its 60105 Agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation the Pipeline Safety Bureau is responsible for conducting safety compliance inspections and enforcing state and federal pipeline safety regulations for intrastate gas, hazardous liquid, and CO2 pipeline facilities. These include private and municipal gas distribution systems, master meter gas systems, LPG systems, transmission systems and jurisdictional gathering lines. The U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Safety Administration (PHMSA) conducts annual program evaluations used primarily to determine performance (e.g., operating practices, quality of State agency inspections, investigations, compliance actions and adequacy of recordkeeping). The Pipeline Safety Bureau performance is the major factor considered in allocation grant-in-aid funds from the Federal Government each year.
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