An Assessment of State Regulatory Oversight of Pipeline Systems in Alaska
Following pipeline leaks on the Alaskan North Slope in 2006, the state of Alaska, by executive order of the governor, responded by establishing the Petroleum Systems Integrity Office (PSIO) as the lead state agency responsible for oversight of the maintenance of facilities, equipment, and infrastructure for oil and natural gas resources in Alaska. The executive order identified three major activities for PSIO: • An assessment of Alaska’s oil and gas infrastructure integrity; • An assessment of current regulatory oversight in Alaska; and • A review of industry oversight efforts. The PSIO assessments identified infrastructure with indeterminate regulatory oversight. In addition, PSIO recommended improvements to facilitate efficient and effective regulatory oversight, including establishment of minimum requirements for operators’ integrity management systems and the coordination of data collection among agencies. The initial activity set of PSIO was completed and the oversight function closed in 2015. Future efforts to improve policies, systems, and methods of oversight will depend on executive direction, legislative support, and management emphasis within state agencies.