7/2/14 N.Y. St. Reg. PSC-26-14-00015-P
PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE State Administrative Procedure Act, NOTICE is hereby given of the following proposed rule:
Proposed Action:
The Commission will decide whether and to what extent it will require natural gas distribution companies to expand their public education programs to improve gas safety.
Statutory authority:
Public Service Law, sections 65 and 66
Subject:
Whether to order natural gas distribution companies to expand their public education programs.
Purpose:
To improve gas safety by ordering natural gas distribution companies to expand their public education programs.
Substance of proposed rule:
The Commission will decide whether and to what extent it will require specific enhancements to the public education programs of the natural gas local distribution companies (LDCs). On February 20, 2014, the Commission ordered the LDCs to conduct a collaborative among themselves to identify ways each company could improve their gas safety public education programs by using more creative methods such as social media and new technologies. Further, the Commission sought input on what more can be done to educate local officials about safer construction practices near underground gas facilities. From the filings made by the LDCs, it appears that the gas safety public education programs that exist and what the LDCs propose to do are wanting. More extensive discussion and comment is also needed on whether and to what extent the public should be able to access information held by the LDCs about (1) the location of existing leaks and (2) any action the LDC has taken or plans to take to address those leaks.
Text of proposed rule and any required statements and analyses may be obtained by filing a Document Request Form (F-96) located on our website http://www.dps.ny.gov/f96dir.htm. For questions, contact:
Deborah Swatling, Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350, (518) 486-2659, email:
Deborah.Swatling@dps.ny.govData, views or arguments may be submitted to:
Kathleen H. Burgess, Secretary, Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350, (518) 474-6530, email:
secretary@dps.ny.govPublic comment will be received until:
45 days after publication of this notice.
Regulatory Impact Statement, Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, Rural Area Flexibility Analysis and Job Impact Statement
Statements and analyses are not submitted with this notice because the proposed rule is within the definition contained in section 102(2)(a)(ii) of the State Administrative Procedure Act.
