Welcome to Skagit County

October 13th, 2010

Skagit County receives $46,667 for pipeline safety

SKAGIT COUNTY - The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipelines and Hazardous Material Safety Administration awarded Skagit County a grant totaling $46,667 to develop regulations to govern development near oil or gas transmission pipelines within unincorporated Skagit County.

The DOT offered the grant to local communities to strengthen the depth and quality of public participation with respect to pipeline safety. The grant will enable Skagit County to acquire technical assistance in the form of engineering or other scientific analysis relating to pipeline safety issues while promoting public participation in official proceedings. In addition, it will also allow the County to develop pipeline maps that are currently unavailable.

"This award is a great opportunity for Skagit County," said Skagit County Commissioner Sharon Dillon. "We need to ensure that our pipelines are well-mapped and that our community is well-informed. County Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt added, "We have four major pipelines crossing our county, so safety is critically important to us all."

Skagit County received the grant on September 30, 2010, and has 10 months to complete the project. Skagit County Planning & Development Services Department will likely begin work on developing pipeline safety provisions in early 2011.

For more information, contact Carly Ruacho at carlyr@co.skagit.wa.us or at (360) 336-9410.