On July 13, APGA staff attended a joint meeting of both the Oil and Natural Gas Subsector Coordinating Council (ONG SCC) and the Energy Sector Government Coordinating Council (EGCC). The ONG SCC and the EGCC are comprised of relevant industry stakeholders and government partners. The groups meet on a regular basis to collaborate on issues important to their respective industries. The ONG SCC specifically advocates for their interests before their government partners as they pertain to cybersecurity and physical security topics. Prior to the joint meeting, the industry representatives that make up the ONG SCC met to discuss security issues affecting all aspects of the oil and natural gas industries and prepare to voice any concerns later in the day to partners in federal agencies such as the Department of Energy (DOE), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), etc.
APGA staff regularly participate in these meetings in order to advocate on behalf of the broad interests of our members in both the physical and cybersecurity spaces. The oil and natural gas industry has seen unprecedented threats in recent years. Ensuring that lines of communication with our government partners are open is incredibly important as public utilities work to strengthen their security measures. It is also important that our partners in these agencies hear from us on the unique perspectives that small, medium, and large public utilities bring to the table. Harmonization of government security efforts, adequate funding mechanisms to accomplish these, and feasible requirements of utilities are at the forefront of APGA’s advocacy.
The joint meeting consisted of important security briefings that shed light on current and potential threats to our energy pipelines. In their explanations, our government partners urged industry members to be proactive in building relationships with local law enforcement. They suggested reaching out and setting up introductions with local FBI field offices and connecting with other emergency management officials nearby. APGA staff is happy to assist in finding the appropriate contact information for these offices, please contact staff to learn more.
As has been a topic of conversation in previous meetings, industry representatives engaged DOE and other federal agency partners in a dialogue on the harmonization of security regulations coming from the several different agencies with jurisdiction over the industry. With many actions being considered by several agencies, APGA and other oil and natural gas stakeholders want to ensure that our government partners are talking to one another and hearing from pipeline operator experts when possible. The primary goal of any government action should always be safety and security while also making sure that these activities do not add undue burden to operators.
APGA’s Security Task Group (TG) is very helpful to APGA staff in preparing for ONG SCC and EGCC joint meetings. The Security TG meets quarterly, and staff regularly post physical and cybersecurity updates to the community page on the APGA website. For more information on the resources shared at the ONG SCC/EGCC meetings and how to contact your local law enforcement offices, click here.
For questions on this article, please contact Joshua St.Pierre of APGA staff by phone at 202-544-1334 or by email at jstpierre@apga.org.