PHMSA periodically reports to Congress staffing levels for our Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) Inspection and Enforcement (I&E) positions. As of June 2010, PHMSA had 88 full-time pipeline inspectors working from our regional offices in Trenton, NJ; Atlanta, GA; Kansas City, MO; Houston, TX; and Denver, CO. These inspectors conduct OPS’s comprehensive inspection and enforcement program to ensure that pipeline operators are complying with all pipeline safety regulations. In fiscal years 2009 and 2010, Congress authorized new pipeline safety I&E positions for PHMSA, bringing the total number of authorized pipeline inspectors to 113. However, new hires combined with resignations, retirements, and promotions can result in variations in staffing levels. .

It is important to understand, however, that the majority of pipeline inspections in the United States are carried out by state inspectors who work for state regulatory agencies.

If a state has a certified pipeline safety program, then it is the state agency that is responsible for conducting inspections of intrastate pipelines. These are lines that lie entirely within the borders of a single state. Pipelines that go across state boundaries are known as interstate pipelines (think of interstate highways). Oversight and inspections of interstate pipelines are carried out either by OPS or — in states where OPS and the state have a special agreement in place — by the state agency. More information on Federal/state authorities.