Underground Construction - June 2019 - 20

APCA
CONVENTION REVIEW

Michael Ancell

Holds Successful Key Largo Convention

Basking in beautiful weather and worldclass hospitality, nearly 300 American
Pipeline Contractors Association members,
family and friends convened at the Ocean
Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla., for the
2019 APCA Convention. Attendees took
advantage of topical education sessions,
a variety of networking opportunities,
fascinating tours and the 2nd Annual
Associates Exhibit & Breakfast. They also
honored outgoing APCA President William
Schettine of Meridien Energy and enjoyed a
lively keynote speech from football legend
and American hero Rocky Bleier.

Alan Mayberry, associate administrator
for Pipeline Safety at the Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration,
provided a pipeline safety update.

One of the convention's best-attended
sessions was a Pipeline Safety Update with
Alan Mayberry, associate administrator
for Pipeline Safety at the Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA). He said that he is proud to work
in this industry, adding that the U.S. has
the safest pipeline system in the world and
two-thirds of the energy consumed in the
U.S. is moved by pipeline.
Mayberry explained PHMSA's creation
and its role in establishing minimum
safety regulations, providing oversight,
educating the public and encouraging research. PHMSA is fully embracing Pipeline
Safety Management Systems (PSMS), and
while there are currently no plans to incor-

APCA outgoing President William Schettine.

Beautiful weather in the Florida Keys contributed to a great convention.

20

JUNE 2019 | UConOnline.com

porate PSMS into regulations, Mayberry
hopes that contractors will "jump on the
SMS bandwagon."
"PSMS is the key to closing the safety
gaps that cause infrequent, yet catastrophic, accidents, and contractors should
address those gaps by conducting gap
analysis, designing plans to address gaps
based on risk, and conducting safety culture
baseline assessments."
During the Government & Industry
Relations Roundtable, members heard from
APCA's government relations representative
Eben Wyman, with Wyman Associates;
Muster president Alex Schettine; and
Interstate National Gas Association of
America (INGAA) Foundation Executive
Director Tony Straquadine Jr. Wyman
discussed pipeline safety reauthorization,
Clean Water Act Section 401 updates, DOT
hours-of-service regulations, tariffs, Pipeline
Safety Management Systems, and the DOT
Gas Transmission and Gathering Rule.
Schettine discussed Muster, APCA's
online advocacy provider, and the success
it has had expanding the association's
advocacy network and supporting the
Mountain Valley Pipeline in West Virginia.
Schettine asked for members' help in
identifying upcoming projects with permits
in the balance, where APCA advocates and
Muster can be deployed.
"The groups protesting pipelines have
been engaged in this type of online advocacy for 15-20 years, but the energy industry
is catching up rapidly," Schettine said.
Straquadine explained the relationship
between INGAA and the INGAA Foundation,
with the former comprised of natural gas
pipeline operating companies and the
latter comprised of those same companies,
as well as companies that provide goods
and services to pipelines worldwide. The
foundation spent some $800,000 on studies
last year, including a flagship study, The Role
http://www.UConOnline.com
Underground Construction - June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Underground Construction - June 2019
