Transcript Cities and PIPA Why Should We Participate? What Do We Need?

Chuck Lesniak
Environmental Policy Mgr.
Austin, Texas
PIPA
Bringing Guidance to Local Communities
Perspective of the Nat’l League of Cities and
Nat’l Assoc. of Counties
NLC/NACO Perspective
• Why should cities and counties be
interested?
• What do we hope to get out of PIPA?
• What have been the challenges of the
process?
• As we near completion, how do we feel
about PIPA?
Why Cities and Counties?
Austin is probably typical of many communities
• 446 miles of hazardous liquids and
natural gas lines in Austin’s jurisdiction
• Within 500’ of a hazardous liquids line
• 2,600 buildings
• 3,200 platted lots
• 7000 acres
(2003 data)
Austin Pipelines
Why Cities and Counties?
Urban/Suburban areas
• Greatest public safety and economic impacts from
accidents
• Greatest risk of 3rd party damage to pipelines
• Responsible for emergency response and will be
in control of first response to accidents
• Little control over pipeline placement or
operations
• Generally control and plan new development
Promise of PIPA
Answer these questions:
• What is appropriate land use near
pipelines?
• How can we protect adjacent
development?
• How should local planners and developers
work with pipeline operators?
Promise of PIPA
Provide tools for cities and counties to:
• Do thoughtful, reasoned land use planning
near pipelines
• Provide best practices that have been
vetted by local government, development,
and pipeline stakeholders
• Allow development near pipelines that
is protective of our communities
Challenges
• Risk informed vs. risk based
• Protecting pipelines vs. protecting
communities
• Misconceptions of how government does
land use planning
• How do we have risk informed practices
without presenting pipelines as “risky”?
• New tools without overburdening new
development
PIPA Today
PIPA has been a solid process with good
faith effort by all parties.
NLC and NACO believe the best practices
are solid and will provide the tools to help
guide local planners and developers.
The report acknowledges the value of
pipelines while recognizing and addressing
the very real concerns of communities.
Let’s finish it and get it out the door