Colonial Tops U.S. Pipelines For Safety, Protecting Environment

SAN ANTONIO, Tx. — Colonial Pipeline swept the top awards for environmental stewardship and worker safety and will be presented a special award by the American Petroleum Institute (API) for distinguished performance among the nation’s larger pipeline companies. The three awards will be presented during the API Pipeline Conference this week in San Antonio. 

“Colonial’s performance and this award epitomizes the finest in pipeline company operations,” said George M. Rootes, chairman of API’s Pipeline Committee. ​“It is particularly noteworthy that Colonial won both the safety and environment awards. It shows consistency and that the company is an across-the-board performer.” 

The API Pipeline Distinguished Environmental and Safety Award for Performance in 2000 is an optional award. The presentation to Colonial will mark the first time the award has been presented by API, the largest oil and gas industry trade association, representing more that 400 companies. Atlanta-based Colonial operates 5,500 miles of liquid petroleum pipelines from Houston to New York. 

In judging the Distinguished Performance Award, API compared companies’ safety and environmental records as well as their record of accomplishment in proactively enhancing public safety, environmental and safety performance, and in community outreach. Colonial competed against larger pipeline companies for the worker safey and environmental protection awards. For these, API considered OSHA Recordable Incident Rates, workdays lost to work-related accidents, motor vehicle accidents and other factors. 

The occupational safety award recognizes that Colonial, which carries 20 percent of all liquid petroleum product consumed in the United States, has worked more than two million hours without an accident that caused a lost workday. In capturing the environmental award, Colonial experienced no product releases during 2000 that met the Department of Transportation’s minimum volume requirements for reporting. 

“Our first priority, everyday, is being safe,” said Dave Lemmon, Colonial’s President and CEO. ​“We have made this commitment to the public, to our owners and to the government regulators who share our goal of protecting workers’ safety and the environment.” Colonial’s safety record included only one OSHA recordable incident during 2000 and eight vehicle collisions over 6.5 million business miles driven. Colonial’s track record for spill-free performance, when measured by U.S. Department of Transportation minimum volume requirements, is greater than two years. The API review, however, focused only on Colonial’s 2000 record. 

Bill Scott, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer said Colonial derives its safety and environmental goals from the commitment the company has to spill-free error-free operations. ​“We are honored by the recognition,” Scott said. ​“We measure ourselves by whether we meet public expectations for environmental protection and safe operations. This responsibility required constant vigilance on the part of every Colonial employee to sustain this level of safety.” 

API also notified Colonial it earned recognition for a record of No Lost Workdays in 2000 and for an improved safety performance of 80 percent over three years. On April 15, Colonial’s lost workday record was 623 and counting. Colonial has worked more than two years without a 50-barrel spill, the minimum volume that requires a report to the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

Colonial Pipeline transports liquid petroleum products, such as gasoline, home heating oil and aviation fuel, from Gulf Coast refineries to markets throughout the South and East. Colonial is committed to safe operations, public accountability and operations that protect the safety of workers, the public and protects the environment.