Pipeline Safety
Historically, the predominant responsibility of the NH Department of Energy Division of Enforcement has been tied to pipeline safety and that focus continues today.
It also investigates incidents involving natural gas resulting in injury requiring hospitalization, a fatality, or property damage exceeding $5,000. The NH Department of Energy is responsible for enforcing safety standards for intrastate natural gas distribution and pipeline systems located within the state. The standards and enforcement actions for the interstate natural gas and hazardous materials pipelines that traverse through the state are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Since 2014 the Division of Enforcement has sought to act as an agent of the PHMSA federal agency for inspection oversight of interstate natural gas and hazardous materials pipelines on an annual basis but to date has not been allowed to do so.