Natural gas association affirms responsible pipeline commitment

The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) board of directors formally affirmed INGAA’s “Commitment to Responsible Pipeline Construction” last week.

The commitment includes “ensuring safe and reliable pipeline construction, caring for communities and landowners, preserving environmental resources, and respecting regulations.”

INGAA consists of 26 interstate natural gas transmission pipeline companies in the United States and in Canada.

“These principles are designed to recognize the ultimate reason our projects are built is to serve the needs of people,” Diane Leopold, INGAA chair and president of Dominion Energy’s Gas Infrastructure Group, said. “It’s not just about the Americans who use natural gas to heat their homes and the businesses that use it to fuel their operations. It’s about our companies respecting every person impacted by a project.”

The companies also committed to testing all pipelines before they enter service, using quality construction materials and working collaboratively with stakeholders.

“INGAA members are committed to leading an industry that builds and operates in a way that respects the environment and the communities in which we do business,” INGAA President and CEO Don Santa said. “That means ensuring that communities and landowners are always treated with respect, that our members use construction techniques that minimize environmental impacts, and we continue our Integrity Management Continuous Improvement efforts, with a goal of zero pipeline incidents.”