releases: https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-announces-grant-keep-kansans-safe-decreasing-gas-pipeline-damages
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/davids-announces-grant-keep-kansans-safe-decreasing-gas-pipeline-damages | Davids Announces Grant to Keep Kansans Safe by Decreasing Gas Pipeline Damages | 2023-10-20 | 2023 | 2023-10 | Democrat | House | KS | Sharice Davids | D000629 | davids.house.gov | davids | https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) $48,840 to help prevent damage to pipelines across Kansas. Pipeline damage poses significant health risks due to natural gas leakage and can lead to property damage, construction delays, and possible explosions. In 2021, Johnson County saw 240 pipeline damage incidents, the highest number in the state. This award will be used to fund a full-time position at the KCC dedicated to investigating natural gas pipeline damages. “Getting to the root cause of pipeline damages across our state will ensure hardworking Kansans remain safe and healthy in their communities,” said Davids. “In conjunction with the bipartisan infrastructure law’s help to clean up toxic oil wells, this renewed award will support the Kansas Corporation Commission in their efforts to prevent future pipeline damages from disrupting our daily lives at home.” “This grant opportunity has allowed the KCC to have a presence in the field at the site of the damage before repairs are complete,” said Leo Haynos, KCC Chief Engineer. “The ability to interview the parties involved, to look at the locate marks, and to understand the type of excavating equipment involved provides the inspector with the information needed to make a credible determination of the cause.” The award announced today is provided through the DOT’s One Call Grant Program, which helps state agencies like KCC reduce pipeline damage through updated oversight procedures, compliance activities, training, and public education. Through modernized enforcement strategies and public education, KCC has used One Call awards to reduce pipeline damage to just 0.2 percent of excavations. Excavations remain the most common cause of pipeline damage, often occurring during road and highway maintenance. Davids has backed multiple efforts to support KCC’s mission of keeping Kansans safe through smart oil and gas oversight. She was joined by U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in Olathe to highlight the bipartisan infrastructure law’s work to clean up more than 5,400 hazardous, abandoned oil and gas wells that are polluting public spaces across Kansas. She also announced that KCC was awarded $25 million to plug 67 abandoned oil wells in Johnson County and 176 in Miami County. Background: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration’s (PHMSA) One Call grants can be used to support initiatives that further promote efforts specifically for pipeline damage prevention, including one-call legislation, related compliance activities, training, and public education. This grant program is for states that have a certification or agreement with PHMSA to conduct pipeline safety inspections. State agencies that participate in the pipeline safety program can receive a maximum award amount of $60,000. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-08T00:49:26Z |