PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT: PIPELINE SAFETY DIVISION:

An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society

Government Records

OVERVIEW


	Creator:	Minnesota. Pipeline Safety Division.
	Title:	Records.
	Dates:	1951-2011 (bulk 1987-1989).
	Language:	Materials in English.
	Abstract:	Documenting the activities of the division, mainly regulation and inspection, the files include correspondence, statistics, legal and financial documents, legislation, minutes, reports, manuals, and other related materials.
	Quantity:	2.6 cubic feet (3 boxes).
	Location:	See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

Topics covered include state and federal legislation, damage prevention, one call excavation notification, inspection, hazardous liquids pipelines and facilities, liquid propane operations, natural gas transmission and distribution, liquified natural gas facilities, and relations with other divisions, private organizations, and state and federal agencies. The latter include the Fire Marshal's Office, Attorney General, Minnesota Office on Pipeline Safety [MnOPS], Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Federal Office on Pipeline Safety, Gopher State One-Call, Inc., Governor's Commission on Pipeline Safety, AFSCME, and the Pipeline Safety Advisory Council.

Return to top

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota. Pipeline Safety Division. Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 998-64; 2011-62

Processing Information:

Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Catalog ID number: 001734962

Return to top

DETAILED DESCRIPTION


Location
104.C.10.8F		Budget, 1988-1989.


Correspondence:
	Administration Department, 1989.
		Deals mainly with a divisional move.
	AFSCME, 1989.
		Covers contract negotiations between the state and AFSCME.
	Attorney General, 1989.
		Concerns pipeline safety legislation and civil penalty cases.
	Commissioner, 1989.
		General departmental correspondence; mainly with Commissioner Paul Tschida.
	Congressional, 1989.
		Concerns the federal Pipeline Safety Reauthorization Act of 1988.
	Construction, 1989.
		Regards construction related incidents and enforcement actions.
	Emergency Management, 1989.
		Documents the divisional emergency response staff listing.
	Fire Marshal, 1989.
		Regards cooperation of the fire marshal’s office and the MnOPS staff in response to fires/explosions.
	News Media, 1989.
	Public Utilities Commission, 1988.


		Damage Prevention Program, 1986.
			Correspondence and related materials regarding the documentation of an underground utility Damage Prevention Act for Minnesota.


		Drug-Alcohol: State Employees, 1989.
			Revised policy on alcohol and other drug use by state employees.


Federal Office on Pipeline Safety [FOPS]:
	Audits, 1985-1989. 2 folders.
		Statistics, correspondence, audit forms, and related documents used to complete annual pipeline audits; submitted to FOPS.
	Correspondence, 1985-1987, 1989. 2 folders.
		Mainly dealing with interpretation of the law and completion of the annual audits.


		Financial Statements (monthly), 1989.


		Gopher State One Call, Inc.:
			As a result of the Minnesota Pipeline Safety Act of 1987, this nonprofit board of directors was organized to determine the technology needed and then to select a vendor to implement a one call excavation notification program for the state [Minn. Stat. 216.D].
			Annual report, 1989.
			Board members, 1989.
			By-laws, 1987.
			Correspondence, 1989. 2 folders.
			Graphs, 1988-1989.
			Lobbying booklet, 1989.
			Members, 1989.
			Minutes, executive committee and board, 1989.
			Monthly overviews, 1989.
			Recap, 1989.


Governor's Commission on Pipeline Safety:
	After a July 1986, pipeline leak, explosion and fire that killed two people in Mounds View, Governor Perpich created this bi-partisan commission to study all the issues related to increasing pipeline safety for all Minnesotans.
	Charge and mission, 1986.
	History of Pipeline failures in Minnesota, 1986.
	Minutes and agenda items, July-November 1986. 4 folders.
	Findings and Recommendations, 1986-1987.
		Includes final report, November 20, 1986.
	Review of Minnesota Pipelines, 1986.
	Spills and leaks, 1951-1986.
	Start-up on MnOps, 1986.


	Hazardous liquids:
		Under the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1979, MnOPS, through the Pipeline Safety Program, assumed regulation over all hazardous liquids pipelines operating intrastate.
		Certification, 1989, 2010. 2 folders.
		Construction, 1985.
			Review of Pipeline Facilities Constructed Before January 1, 1940.
Location
104.C.10.9B		Correspondence, 1985-1987, 1989. 2 folders.
			Mainly with pipeline companies regarding construction, accidents, and emergency procedures.
		Evaluation forms, 1989.
			FOPS State Evaluation Monitoring Forms, filled out as part of the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Program.
		Grants, 1988-1989. 2 folders.
			Concerning matching federal/state grants.
		Inspection of Hazardous Liquid Facility [ICFIP], September 8, 1989.
		Inspection unit definition, 1989.
		Leak reports, 1988.
		Meeting, November 18, 1989.
		Odorization forms, 1989.
		Payment agreements, 1988-1989.


Legislation:
	Barbeau's testimony - Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, U.S. Senate, 1987-1988.
		Regarding the Reauthorization of Pipeline Safety Program.
	Correspondence, 1989. 2 folders.
		Mainly documents existing legislation.
	Draft legislation, 1989.
	Enforcement and sanctions, 1989.
	Model setback correspondence, 1989.
		Concerns a plan to pass a model city ordinance for setback, location of pipelines.
	National Pipeline Safety Reauthorization Act, 1988.
	One-call notification system enforcement and sanctions, 1989.
	Operator (pipeline) training rules, 1989.
	Pipeline safety funding, Proposed permanent rules relating to, 1989.
	Pipeline safety regulating requirements, Proposed permanent rules relating to, 1989.
	Providing authority to regulate pipelines, 1989.
	Threshold policy, 1989.
		Concerns proposed rules for enforcement of pipeline safety standards.
	Trade secrets policy, 1989.
		Regards confidentiality of trade secrets in pipeline operators reports.


Liquid propane:
	On July 1, 1989, MnOPS assumed regulatory responsibility for propane installations which fell under federal definition (10 or more units serviced by one line or propane lines that passed through public land).
	Identification of liquid propane responses, 1989.
		Responses to a survey of liquid propane operators in the state.
	Propane operator I.D., 1989.
	Propane system manual, 1988.


Minnesota Office on Pipeline Safety [MnOPS]:
	Created in September 1987 under the Minnesota Pipeline Safety Act (Laws 1987 c353). On October 1, 1987, it became an independent stand-alone division within the Department of Public Safety. It had jurisdiction over intrastate natural gas transmission and distribution, hazardous liquid pipelines and facilities, liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, natural gas master meter operators, and propane system operators, and the intrastate pipeline safety inspection program.
	Background, 1989.
	Correspondence, 1989.
	Document Number and File Identification, 1989.
	Five year staffing analysis, July 1989-June 1994.
	Inspector identification codes, 1989.
		For a computer database.
	Inter-office memos, 1989.
	Mission and goals, 1989.
	Open House, 1989.


		MIS Committee Minutes, 1989.
			A cross agency committee dealing with all aspects of computers and information systems.


Natural gas:
	Accident reports, 1982-1986.
	Annual report (operator description), 1989.
	Audit (FOPS), 1988.
	Certifications (FOPS), 1983-1989, 2010-2011. 2 folders.
	Complaints, operator, 1982-1988. 2 folders.
		From fire inspectors, operators, and private citizens.
	Correspondence, 1989.
		Mainly regarding legislation.
	Evaluation sheets, 1989.
	Federal-State Drug Testing Rules, 1988-1989.
		Regarding proposed operator drug testing of employees.
	Grants, 1982-1989. 3 folders.
		Federal/state matching.
	Meter counts, 1989.
		Annual counts for each operating system and an overall report.
	Payment agreement, 1989.
		With FOPS.


Pipeline Safety Advisory Council:
	Created in 1987 to help Commissioner Paul Tschida develop MnOPS.
	Correspondence, 1987-1989. 3 folders.
		Mainly appointment letters, application forms, and related letters.
	Minutes, 1988-1989. 2 folders.

CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:: Hazardous substances -- Transportation -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.; Liquefied natural gas pipelines -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.; Natural gas pipelines -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.; Pipelines -- Minnesota -- Maintenance and repair.; Pipelines -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.; Propane industry -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.

Persons:: Barbeau, William.

Organizations:: AFSCME. Council 6 (Minn.).; Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.; Minnesota. Fire Marshal Division.; Minnesota. Attorney General.; Minnesota. Office on Pipeline Safety.; Minnesota. Governor's Commission on Pipeline Safety.; United States. Office on Pipeline Safety.

Return to top

PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT: PIPELINE SAFETY DIVISION:

OVERVIEW

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

CATALOG HEADINGS