Work Experience

August 2003 to Present

Upon retiring from the Public Utility Commission, I started a consulting business specializing in gas pipeline safety and underground damage prevention.

In September, I conducted a simulated pipeline safety audit for a large, direct sales, industrial customer. The gas system consists of 12 miles of high-pressure transmission line, three plant complexes and a 40 MW cogeneration facility. They wanted an in-depth review of their entire O&M manual, standard practices and record-keeping systems.

I have also conducted 13 training seminars for the Oregon Utility Notification Center . The training sessions are a requirement for persons that have been found guilty of violating the Oregon excavation laws.

In conjunction with an associate, we are currently developing written Operator Qualification Programs for several gas operators in Oregon.

1981 – 2003. Oregon Public Utility Commission

1986 – 1991 Pipeline Safety Analyst

As a Pipeline Safety Analyst, I conducted inspections throughout Oregon to evaluate compliance with the Pipeline Safety Regulations, found at 49 CFR Parts 191, 192, 193, 198, 199 and 40, and state-specific requirements found at Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 756 and 757 and Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) 860 Division 21, 23, 24 and 31. Regulatory responsibilities covered the Design, Testing, Operations & Maintenance, and Emergency Programs for all intrastate gas pipeline operators. During this time, I completed all required pipeline safety training courses at the Federal Dept. of Transportation's Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) in Oklahoma City.

Regulatory jurisdiction covered all intrastate gas operators, including:

• Local Distribution Companies (LDC), total of approximately 650,000 meter
• Intrastate Transmission Systems
• Direct Sales (Bypass), includes 6 large industrial and 8 Cogeneration facilities
• Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants, 2 peak-shaving plants
• Master Meter
• Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG)
• Methane Operators
• Underground Storage Facilities
• 1 Municipal (County) transmission/distribution system

In addition to routine field inspections of all gas operators, I conducted:

• Comprehensive
• Specialized
• Follow-up
• Design
• Construction
• Testing
• Operation & Maintenance
• Emergency Plan
• Incident investigations of pipeline failures
• Training seminars for gas operators on all facets of the pipeline safety regulations

Reports and supporting evidence were generated for all inspections, with `Remarks' and `Recommendations' included for resolution of the probable violations or issues discovered. The emphasis of our efforts were directed at the specific cause behind the probable violation, such as a failure of a program within the O&M Manual or the need for additional employee training, etc. Recommendations for correction of underlying problems were an integral part of the inspection report.

1991 – 2003 Chief of Pipeline Safety.

My primary responsibility, as Chief of Pipeline Safety, changed from inspections to that of policy and implementation of pipeline safety programs. Principal responsibilities:

• Prioritized and assigned routine and special projects to pipeline safety analysts and reviewed their work for accuracy, completeness and work quality.
• Developed tickler system to ensure that the nearly 300 inspection units and sub-units were inspected according to Commission policy, and to ensure timely operator responses to our inspection reports.
• Ensure that the Commission's Gas Pipeline Safety Program met all federal requirements for certification as a qualified program to maintain federal grant funding.
• Analyze gas operator's pipeline safety programs and projects to determine where safety of the Oregon gas pipeline industry is deficient, develop specific recommendations, and take appropriate follow up actions for correction.
• Encourage gas operators to enhance public safety and system reliability by developing programs and projects that exceed pipeline safety regulations in cooperative efforts with the Commission.
• Develop follow up reports, testimony and exhibits for enforcement actions and proceedings, and defend Commission actions under adverse cross-examination.
• Initiate and lead workshops with utility management, outside parties and attorneys regarding Commission policies and interpretations of pipeline safety regulations.
• Propose statutes, rules and policies to address gas safety and operational issues.
• Advise the Commission, Oregon Legislature, Federal Office of Pipeline Safety and other governmental agencies as to appropriate positions and actions to take.
• Testify as an expert witness for the Commission on gas pipeline safety and underground damage prevention issues, in court or in hearings by other government agencies.
• Provide technical expertise, advice, consultation and interpretation of federal/state regulations and policies.
• Represent the Commission at industry meetings and conferences and make public presentations on gas pipeline safety and the Oregon Excavation Laws. The Commission wanted to increase its presence in a variety of forums related to pipeline safety, underground damage prevention, emergency response and critical facility protection and security. To that end, I belonged to 35 different Councils, Boards, Commissions and Committees. I was the Governor's Technical Representative for Gas Pipeline Safety at the Oregon Emergency Response Center.
• I assisted Oregon 's gas pipeline operators in developing their Operator Qualification Programs (OQ) in compliance with the new federal requirements. I worked with the Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission (WUTC) to assure that Operators with pipeline systems in both states had OQ programs that would be recognized in both states i.e., regulatory authorities approve one uniform OQ program.

Education

I graduated from Redmond Union High School, Redmond, Oregon in 1964.

I served in the US Navy from 1965 to 1969 in the Nuclear Submarine Force. Assigned to the nuclear fleet ballistic missile submarine USS Daniel Boone, SSBN 629. I was a Launch Control Center Supervisor and a nuclear/conventional warhead technician, nuclear/conventional weapons handling supervisor and nuclear radiation decontamination supervisor.

I graduated from Clackamas Community College in 1974 with an A.S. in Engineering, and with a major in physics and mathematics.

I attended a variety college classes while employed by the Oregon Dept. of Transportation in Hydraulics and Hydrology, mathematics, computer modeling and programming (FORTRAN & BASIC).

I have also attended classes sponsored by the Federal Dept. of Transportation on Pipeline Safety Enforcement and Application, Hazardous Materials Handling, Basic Pipeline Corrosion Control Systems, Advanced Pipeline Corrosion Control Systems, Safety Evaluation of Pipelines, Joining of Pipeline Materials (Welding and Plastic Pipe Fusion), Gas Pressure Regulation and Overpressure Protection, Pressure Regulation (Advanced), Liquefied Natural Gas Safety, and Pipeline Failure Investigation Techniques.

Underground Damage Prevention Experience

In response to two serious excavation related incidents in 1992, I approached the Oregon Utility Coordinating Council and requested that they form a legislative committee to begin the process of revising the Oregon excavation laws. It took over two years to complete the revisions and the laws were eventually passed by the 1995 Oregon Legislature and went into effect on July 1, 1997.

The new laws created a new Oregon state agency called the Oregon Utility Notification Center (OUNC) and I was the liaison between the Oregon Dept. of Justice and the new OUNC Board of Directors during the creation of the new State agency.

I served two four-year terms on the Governor-appointed OUNC Board of Directors, and served on several of its committees. The Oregon PUC was given the authority to enforce the excavation laws and I was the Chairman of the Enforcement Committee.

I have been a guest speaker at many of the One Call conferences/symposiums held around the country, and in February, 2004, the Institute for Underground Safety awarded me their “Lifetime Achievement Award” for my contributions in promoting and enhancing underground damage prevention programs/laws in North America.

I was also on the Constitutional By Laws Committee for the new national “Path Forward” organization that eventually became the Common Ground Alliance.

Since retirement, I have started a consulting business specializing in Gas Pipeline Safety and Underground Damage Prevention. I am also on the Oregon InfraGard Executive Board of Directors, which is an FBI-sponsored Council (under the Federal Dept. of Homeland Security) that is specifically dedicated to the protection of our nation's critical infrastructure facilities.