Pipeline Safety & Public Awareness

We work closely with local, state and federal agencies to ensure our pipelines meet or exceed regulatory requirements for safety.

Emergency Response

We have developed relationships with local and regional emergency response officials, dating back to the 1940’s in many locations. The Spectra Energy relationship and cooperation with these officials is very important. Company employees meet or call upon these officials at least once a year to discuss pipeline safety and emergency preparedness issues. Periodically, company employees and local emergency response personnel come together for emergency drills to test the readiness of all their staff and ours and to discover what practices could be improved to keep the public safe.

Damage Prevention/Dig Safely

Before digging around or near pipelines, it’s important to contact One-Call—the source for safe digging information. Mishaps can easily be prevented by knowing exactly where you should and should not dig.

Spectra Energy operates natural gas transmission pipelines in 24 states and participates in One-Call programs in all of those states. We encourage those who are going to dig to call their state One-Call Center to report planned digging activities and allow us and other underground facility operators a chance to mark the facilities in the area before digging begins. For more information on damage prevention and a list of state One-Call Center phone numbers, call toll-free (888) 258-0808 or see the Dig Safely Web site. If you are a landowner planning to dig on your property on or near the pipeline right of way, please also see the Property Owner Use of Right of Way section.

We are also a sponsor of the Common Ground Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to shared responsibility in damage prevention to ensure public safety, environmental protection, and the integrity of services. For more information, see the Common Ground Alliance Web site.

One-Call Response

When we receive notification from a One-Call Center that someone intends to dig near our pipeline facilities, we send personnel to mark the location of the facilities in the vicinity of proposed digging or other earth disturbance activities and have company employees on-site when the excavation occurs.

We respond to more than 800 calls per day—helping excavators and contractors ensure that they work safely around our pipelines.

Pipeline Safety Brochures

We mail information brochures to homeowners, businesses, potential excavators and public officials along the pipeline system each year to inform them of the presence of the pipelines and instruct them on how to recognize and react to unusual activity in the area. Our employees routinely meet with excavators and emergency response officials to educate them about our pipelines.

Click on the following link for the 2008 brochure in both English and Spanish:

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