Topics:

Natural gas pipelines
Pipeline safety

The IUC is responsible for reviewing and processing all petitions for natural gas pipeline permits following Iowa Code chapter 479, Pipelines and Underground Gas Storage. A pipeline permit is the authorization granted by the IUC for the construction, maintenance and operation of an intrastate pipeline.

The granting of a pipeline permit requires a finding by the IUC that the project will promote the public convenience and necessity and follows an acceptable route.

Natural Gas Pipeline (P-Docket) Permit Forms and Information

Utility locates required before digging!

Iowa law requires you to contact Iowa One Call at 811 or 800-292-8989 a minimum of two days (excluding Saturday, Sunday and state holidays) to have utility lines marked before starting excavation. Utility locates will help avoid damage to utility infrastructure. 

For important information about the requirements, see the IUC's Iowa One Call Law page. 

Ongoing Filing Requirements and Company Record Updates

Companies are required to keep their company and contact information up-to-date with the IUC on an annual basis. Companies are required to submit and maintain a company profile in IUB 24/7, the web application for companies to manage and update their individual and company information with the IUC. For more information about IUB 24/7, visit Information About IUB 24/7.

Companies are required to file a copy of all reports submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation pursuant to 49 CFR Part 191 and Part 192 with the IUC, as detailed in 199 Iowa Administrative Code 10.15(1).  Companies are required to notify the IUC of any incident or accident causing $15,000 or more in damage or resulting in loss of service to 50 or more customers, as detailed in 199 IAC 10.15(2). 

Searching for Natural Gas Pipeline Permit Filings

All public filings and IUC orders regarding specific natural gas pipeline permit filings (P-Docket) are available on the IUC's electronic filing system (EFS). To search for documents related to natural gas pipeline permits, click the EFS link, select Search from the top navigation menu, and scroll down to Document Search. This will open a document search screen. Enter the docket number (P-XXXX) relating to the permit for which you would like more information and click the Search button. This will provide a list of all documents filed online with the IUC in that proceeding.

If you do not know the specific docket number, you must do a docket search to determine the docket number. To start, click the EFS link, select Search from the top navigation menu and scroll down to Docket Search. This will open a docket search screen. Select P - Pipeline Permit from the Docket Type drop down box and then select the company name from the Participants drop down box. Be sure to click the Add button to add the company to the search parameters. After entering the search terms, click the Search button to display a list of all documents filed in all P-dockets for that company. To narrow the search to a particular county, include the county name in the Docket Description field, surrounded by the percent sign (%) as a wildcard character.

Contacts

Pipeline Permits

Sanel Lisinovic
Safety and Engineering Section
Iowa Utilities Commission
iuc@iuc.iowa.gov

Media Inquiries  

Don Tormey
Communications Director  
Iowa Utilities Commission
515-725-7347
don.tormey@iuc.iowa.gov