History

During the summer of 2019, the Pipeline Safety Trust (PST), through a Community Assistance Grant from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), convened a group comprised of public stakeholders, pipeline regulators, and industry to review and improve public engagement practices employed by pipeline operators.

The group worked to define public engagement and to identify who should be involved in engagement, their potential barriers and the issues that require engagement. One of several recommendations resulting from this group’s work was the formation of a task group, likely under API, to develop a new recommended practice on public engagement.

The task group began work in late 2020 on API RP 1185, Pipeline Public Engagement, comprising three caucuses: public, industry, and government. Shawn Lyons (Marathon Petroleum) and Carl Weimer (Pipeline Safety Trust) co-chaired the task group. The RP is focused on helping pipeline operators engage more effectively with their stakeholders on proposed and existing pipelines. 

AP RP 1185 is unique because it provides engagement guidance to pipeline operators that operate hazardous liquids, gas transmission and gas gathering pipelines as regulated by the US Department of Transportation, and it also provides information for the general public, stakeholders, governments, and rights holders. The first edition was published on March 28, 2024, and was developed under API’s American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited process. The use of the ANSI process ensures that the API standards are recognized for their technical rigor and for their third-party accreditation.

Operators, organizations, and agencies participating in the task group include:

  • Public: Pipeline Safety Trust, CLS Consulting, National Wildlife Federation, Kentucky Resources Council, TREAD Coalition, Wildhorse Strategic Initiatives, PA Farm Bureau, Pipeline Safety Coalition
  • Government: PHMSA, Michigan EGLE, FERC, National Volunteer Fire Council, Brookings County, SD Emergency Management, Three Affiliated Tribes, National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR), Mayor of Green, OH
  • Industry: Marathon Pipe Line, Enterprise Products, Phillips 66, Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, Kinder Morgan, Duke Energy, Enbridge, Blacksmith Group

RP 1185 provides guidelines, core principles, and leading practices for operators to build on existing programs or establish new programs that promote two-way communication with stakeholders throughout the life cycle of a pipeline. The RP is intended to help operators better understand their stakeholders and engage in two-way conversation, promoting diversity and inclusion and encouraging stakeholders to offer different perspectives and raise potential concerns.

This site is intended to provide guidance and resources for operators as they determine how best to implement the requirements and leading practices in RP 1185, whether in the context of an existing program or in the development and implementation of a new engagement program. We encourage operators to explore the site and review the information and resources provided, and to submit any questions or requests for additional information.