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The state of California is often seen as a leader in the Green sector. This month, California Governor Jerry Brown introduced a mandate requiring 33 percent of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020. Known as the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), this mandate aims to define a clear path for the future of renewable energies in California and will apply to investor-owned utilities like Southern California Edison and municipal utilities like the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Bernadette Del Chiaro, clean energy advocate with Environment California, said, “California can power itself entirely on clean energy resources. Mandating that the state generate a third of its electricity from renewable energy is a big down payment toward that ultimate goal.” Ideally, California’s increased renewable energy standards will boost alternative energy developments and will help solidify renewable energy’s role in today’s energy mix. Previous initiatives had only short-term goals and were not focused on how they could encourage renewable energy for the long term. This created inconsistencies and weakened regulatory stability.  In addition to providing a cleaner future, RPS hopes to stimulate job growth as new renewable energy facilities are built to address increased demand. Ranging from wind and solar to hydro developments, the energy industry has experienced a rise in alternative options. A new solar panel manufacturing facility in Milpitas, CA is estimated to generate 100 jobs. California isn’t alone in trying to reduce its carbon footprint – a green energy future has become a popular Utopian ideal across the globe as the emphasis on sustainable energy grows. Worldwide, as safety incidents and dwindling traditional energy resources join to make other options more appealing, alternative energy sources are gaining notice. A green energy future is within reach, but will not be achieved without regulatory consistency and a commitment by operators and regulators. To learn more about RPS, please visit the California Energy Commission’s website. For more information on green energy initiatives in the United States, please see the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s portfolio of public renewable energy projects on its website here. Resources: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/04/renewable-energy-rps-california-electricity-jerry-brown.html http://www.energy.ca.gov/portfolio/index.html http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/Renewables/overview http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/ http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/energy/renewable_energy/priority_projects.html

According to the Department of Transportation (DOT) more than 2.5 million miles of pipeline are responsible for delivering oil and gas across the United States – enough to circle the earth approximately 100 times. Pipelines are the safest and most cost-effective means to transport the large quantities of natural gas and hazardous liquid products according to the DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA.) Even so, the number of annual pipeline fatalities has increased over the past three years, from nine fatalities in 2008 to 22 this past year – an escalation of 244 percent that hasn’t gone unnoticed in the news. For example, the recent natural gas pipeline rupture in Allentown, Pennsylvania made headlines as aging pipeline was blamed for the deaths of five people. The Allentown explosion, in a series of recent pipeline-related incidents, has added even more pressure on regulatory bodies to address aging pipeline infrastructure. The DOT, along with federal, state and local officials, is stepping in to say ‘enough is enough’. Leading the charge, DOT Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood launched a national safety initiative earlier this month to repair and replace aging pipelines. The DOT’s pipeline pipeline safety action plan will address immediate concerns in pipeline safety, including: Ensuring pipeline operators know the age and condition of their pipelines Proposing new regulations to strengthen reporting and inspection requirements Making information about pipelines and the safety record of pipeline operators easily accessible to the public As part of his initiative, LaHood has asked pipeline owners and operators to review their systems and accelerate critical repairs and replacements in efforts to mitigate at least one of the three major causes of pipeline failures resulting in oil spills or gas explosions. PHMSA will also create a new web page with clear, easy to understand information about local pipeline networks. In the meantime, as pipeline legislation ramps up, PHMSA offers pipeline FAQs and recommendations for safe practices on its website. Resources: http://www.ogj.com/index.html http://phmsa.dot.gov/

Please join us at the 2011 ISN Annual Users Conference, where you’ll hear industry leaders, regulatory updates and best practices while earning Continuing Education Units. 2011 ISN Annual Users Conference November 3 – 4, 2011 The Gaylord Texan 1501 Gaylord Trail Grapevine, Texas 76051 Conference attendance is free for all ISN subscribers. Speakers include representatives from Bristol Myers-Squibb, El Paso, Enbridge Natural Gas, Kinder Morgan, Marathon, Mosaic, NIOSH, OSHA Education Center, PotashCorp, TransCanada, US Steel and Williams. Introduction to ISN 10.0:  The latest version of ISNetworld will be released – receive overviews and individual guidance to the new intuitive, user friendly system. OSHA CEU:  Earn Continuing Education Units (CEU) through The University of Texas at Arlington, Division for Enterprise Development – Region VI OSHA Education Center. To receive the ISN preferred rate at the Gaylord Texan Hotel, please reference “ISN”. The Gaylord Texan Hotel can be reached at 1-866-782-7897 We look forward to seeing you, and your team, in Grapevine, Texas (approximately 10 miles from the Dallas/Fort Worth airport).

Distracted driving has become a reality for countless drivers and is a major contributor to driving-related accidents. Cell phone use while driving has become status quo in a society where constant communication is not only available, but also expected.  Between making calls, answering calls and texting others, inattention to the road can be disastrous and deadly.  According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), texting while driving has claimed more than 16,000 lives from 2001 to 2007. As a result, OSHA is pushing companies to recognize the dangers of distracted driving and implement driving safety best practices to help prevent work-related driving accidents. David Michael, Assistant Secretary, OSHA, stated, “It is well recognized that texting while driving dramatically increases the risk of a motor vehicle injury or fatality. We are asking employers to send a clear message to workers and supervisors that your company neither requires nor condones texting while driving.” OSHA is working with companies to incorporate “text-free zones” and establish defined procedures for safe communications. Additionally, OSHA is encouraging companies to remove incentive systems that spur drivers to text while driving. Major players in many capital-intensive industries are increasingly requiring transportation contractors to submit written “Driving Safety” safety programs. These programs address driving safety best practices and often require the prohibition of cell phone use while driving. The initiative taken by OSHA and corporations alike sheds light on the dangers of distracted driving and provides steps to help alleviate this growing problem. Working together to implement best practices, OSHA, industry stakeholders and other proponents of safe driving can pave a safer road for drivers.  On April 18th, OSHA, Johns Hopkins University, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Department of Transportation will host the Symposium on Prevention of Occupationally-Related Distracted Driving. For more information on the conference, as well as additional resources, please visit OSHA’s Distracted Driving page. Sources: http://www.osha.gov/distracted-driving/index.html http://www.jhsph.edu/erc/distracted-driving.html http://www.osha.gov/Publications/3416distracted-driving-flyer.pdf

Time is running short for offshore energy operators. April 15th gives industry operators only seven more months to plan and implement Safety & Environmental Management Systems (SEMS,) an approach made mandatory by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) last November. Previously voluntary, the BOEMRE’s now-mandatory compliance deadline is November 15, 2011. This regulatory push by the BOEMRE, the federal agency responsible for overseeing the safe and environmentally responsible development of energy and mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS,) has even greater support in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which poured more than four million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. According to BOEMRE, the SEMS is a nontraditional, performance-focused tool for integrating and managing offshore operations. The approach is composed of 13 elements and was created to enhance the safety and cleanliness of operations by reducing the frequency and severity of accidents. Applicable to all OCS oil and gas operations under the BOEMRE jurisdiction, affected industries include: drilling, production, construction, well workover, well completion, well servicing and DOI pipeline. The BOEMRE has four chief SEMS objectives: Focus attention on the influences that human error and poor organization have on accidents Continuous improvement in the offshore industry’s safety and environmental records Encourage the use of performance-based operating practices Collaborate with industry in efforts that promote the public interests of offshore worker safety and environmental protection. With the Deepwater Horizon disaster still top of mind, the complexity and risk of offshore operations continue to draw attention to the need for strengthened safety audits and has furthered the importance of the SEMS initiative. Regulators are adamant and have set strict consequences for compliance, including the possibility of facilities being closed if the program implementation deadline is not met. In a March 15 workshop, the BOEMRE provided an overview and background on SEMS, addressed frequently asked questions and reviewed the process for SEMS audits and reviews. Suggestions for creating a SEMS plan include having a strong commitment from management, getting an early start and utilizing a multi-disciplined team approach.For more information, please visit http://www.boemre.gov/semp/ or view the SEMS PowerPoint presentation here. Resources: http://www.boemre.gov/semp/ http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN0425169520110404 http://www.energylegalblog.com/archives/2010/10/06/3231