WASHINGTON (April 5, 2018) – Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the stakeholder-driven organization dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them, and their communities, is pleased to announce that Kinder Morgan, Inc., has once again demonstrated its commitment to public safety by renewing its Platinum Sponsorship of the safety association for the fifth consecutive year.
A longtime member of CGA, Kinder Morgan, Inc. has gone beyond mere membership by supporting the organization for almost the entirety of its existence through sustaining annual sponsorships, service on the board of directors and significant additional financial and promotional support for key public awareness and industry initiatives that have national impacts.
CGA worked with industry stakeholders like Kinder Morgan, Inc. to secure the federally designated call-before-you-dig phone number 811, which has now been in operation for more than a decade. Since 811’s inception, the rate of damage to buried utilities has decreased by more than 50 percent. While significant progress has been made in reducing damages, a buried utility line is still struck once every nine minutes in the U.S. because of a failure to call 811 beforehand, making this a critical public safety issue.
In addition to national public awareness campaigns dedicated to reminding homeowners and professionals to always call 811 to have buried utilities located before breaking ground, CGA and its members also produce an annual Best Practices Guide (now in its 15th edition) regarded as the preeminent trusted resource for underground damage prevention and the annual DIRT (Damage Information and Reporting Tool) Report detailing the state of damage prevention in the U.S. CGA members, including Kinder Morgan, Inc., also meet regularly in committees to tackle damage prevention topics and initiatives in technology, education and marketing, one call systems, regional partnerships and stakeholder advocacy.
For Kinder Morgan, Inc., maintaining the integrity of its pipelines extends beyond its highly trained and equipped front-line personnel and management structure dedicated to supporting front-line staff. Participation in CGA has helped Kinder Morgan, Inc. see and prevent gaps in damage prevention to the benefit of those who work and live along the pipeline company’s right-of-way.
“Sponsoring CGA at the platinum level is a bargain in a world of tight budgets and zero tolerance for incidents,” said James Holland, president of Products Pipelines for Kinder Morgan, Inc. “CGA provides value in all it does. The biggest benefit is intangible, as you never know the damage you’ve avoided because it hasn’t happened. Kinder Morgan believes that CGA’s efforts, coupled with our own, work together to avoid damage.”
“Kinder Morgan, Inc. has been a bedrock of support for CGA’s safety mission since nearly its inception. As a large pipeline operator, Kinder Morgan’s support has led the way in terms of setting the bar for damage prevention partnership in the industry,” said Sarah K. Magruder Lyle, president and CEO of CGA. “Through its sustained support and leadership, Kinder Morgan, Inc. has been a model of the shared responsibility that our organization champions.”
About CGA
CGA is a member-driven association of nearly 1,700 individuals, organizations and sponsors in every facet of the underground utility industry. Established in 2000, CGA is committed to saving lives and preventing damage to North American underground infrastructure by promoting effective damage prevention practices. CGA has established itself as the leading organization in an effort to reduce damages to underground facilities in North America through shared responsibility among all stakeholders. For more information, visit CGA on the web at http://www.commongroundalliance.com.