State Damage Prevention (SDP) Program Grants - 2015

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), hereby requests applications from eligible States (including municipalities with respect to intrastate gas pipeline transportation) to obtain funding for damage prevention program activities. Grants awarded in support of PHMSA's State Damage Prevention (SDP) grant program are intended for States to establish or improve the overall quality and effectiveness of their State Damage Prevention programs, which are designed to protect underground pipeline facilities from excavation damage. Any State authority designated by the Governor (including a municipality with respect to intrastate gas pipeline transportation) that is or will be responsible for protecting underground pipeline facilities from excavation damage is eligible as long as the State participates in the oversight of pipeline transportation pursuant to an annual 49 U.S.C. 60105 certification or 49 U.S.C. 60106 agreement in effect with PHMSA. An eligible State authority must have an effective damage prevention program or demonstrate that it has made substantial progress toward establishing an effective program (See Section C.3, "Other - Effective Damage Prevention Program - The Nine Elements," of the FOA). The Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 mandates that in order to qualify for funding under this program, a State may not provide any exemptions to municipalities, State agencies, or their contractors, from the one-call notification system requirements of the program. PHMSA notified the states likely to be impacted by this criterion in calendar year 2013; however, PHMSA will review all applications to make sure ONLY applications in compliance with this requirement are considered for funding.