The Arizona Corporation Commission Pipeline Safety Section has received a perfect 100 score in its annual audit by the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHSMA).

The audit ensures states meet federal safety standards and makes grant money eligible for those that do. PHSMA reimburses 80 percent of operating costs to agencies that meet or exceed standards; as a result, the ACC’s safety division will be reimbursed $1.2 million.

In the last six years, the division has received scores of 99 or higher.

“The safety division’s work is something that impacts every person in the state,” ACC Chairman Doug Little said. “This division has set the bar high and continues to reach higher to ensure the public’s safety and reliable services statewide.”

This safety division is the only one in the country with a master meter-operator course and an equipment loaning program so master meter operators can comply with state and federal regulations. The training course is a model for similar divisions around the United States.