PHMSA 06-20
Contact: Ben Kochman
Tel.: (202) 366-4831
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today announced an initial investment of $10 million for the conceptual study, design, and development of what will be a world-class pipeline Research, Development, and Testing (RDT) facility at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, Colorado.
“The TTC site and its proven business model offers the real potential to improve the safety of the Nation’s 2.8 million miles of gas and liquid pipeline by rapidly expanding the research and innovation capacity of the pipeline industry to a level currently unavailable today,” said PHMSA Administrator Skip Elliott. “We will accelerate pipeline safety innovation as it moves from concept to testing to application.”
The proposed testing center is on Federal Railroad Administration property, leased from the State of Colorado, and managed through a contractor. This site will support the development of new technologies and advance stakeholder knowledge related to a wide range of pipeline safety issues, including remote sensing and leak detection, damage prevention, small-scale liquefied natural gas, and construction. The RDT facility is PHMSA’s first substantial investment in a standardized, integrated technology development environment for pipeline safety research.
PHMSA’s Research and Development program sponsors research, development, and testing for projects that provide near-term solutions to improve the safety and reliability of the Nation’s pipeline transportation system. More information about these projects can be found here.
