FOSA Praises PHMSA Safety Research, Development and Testing Announcement

WASHINGTON DC - July 22, 2020 - The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), the nation’s premier trade association dedicated to fiber optic sensing, praised the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announcement today of an initial investment of $10 million for the conceptual study, design, and development of what will be a world-class pipeline Research, Development, and Testing (RDT) facility at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, Colorado.

“FOSA applauds PHMSA Administrator Skip Elliott’s leadership toward creating a pipeline safety facility,” said FOSA Chairman Mike Hines. “The test facility announcement represents another giant step towards the realization of such a capability, which we believe will dramatically improve pipeline safety in the United States.”

Following its discussions with numerous pipeline operators, FOSA had previously called for government and the pipeline industry to work together to establish a pipeline safety test facility. Based on operator input, FOSA issued a concept paper suggesting a buried “flow-loop” pipeline to emulate leaking pipes under real-world environmental conditions.

“PHMSA’s Pipeline Safety Facility concept complements similar, successful capabilities at the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and others who have facilities for validation of new technologies and techniques. The Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo is an ideal location to place the pipeline facility,” said FOSA Executive Director Mark Uncapher.

ABOUT THE FIBER OPTIC SENSING ASSOCIATION
FOSA is a non-profit organization created in Washington DC in 2017 with the mission of educating industry, government and the public on the benefits of fiber optic sensing. Through webinars, videos, white papers, public presentations and public policy advocacy, the organization provides information on the use of fiber optic sensing to secure critical facilities, enhance public safety and protect the environment.

FOSA Members include AP Sensing, Aselsan, Asymmetric Technologies, Corning, Ditch Witch, Dura-Line, Fotech Solutions, Frauscher Sensonic GmbH AT, Graz University of Technology, Hifi Engineering, NBG Fiber Optic Corp., NEC, Network Integrity Systems, NKT Photonics, OFS, Omnisens, OptaSense, OZ Optics, Prysmian Group, Smartpipe Technologies, The Weir-Jones Group and the University of California - Berkeley. For further information, please visit the FOSA website.