United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
(6202J)
EPA430-F-01-013
December 2000
www.epa.gov/gasstar
Columbia Gas and
Columbia Gulf Transmission
Natural Gas STAR Case Study Series
J ince 1993, Columbia Gulf
Transmission and Columbia Gas
\ Transmission have prevented the
M release of more than 9.7 billion
cubic feet (Bcf) of methane valued at
more than $19.4 million. These reductions have the same envi-
ronmental benefit as planting 1.2 million acres of trees or tak-
ing 864,695 cars off the road for 1 year. Columbia achieved
these remarkable results using a team-based approach integrat-
ing the Natural Gas STAR Program into everyday operations.
Gulf
Transmissions
^•t
Columbia Gas
Transmissions
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Formerly subsidiaries of Columbia
Energy Group, Columbia Gas
Transmission and Columbia Gulf
Transmission are now part of NiSource
Inc. NiSource is a holding company
with headquarters in Merrillville,
Indiana, whose operating companies
engage in virtually all phases of the natu-
ral gas business from exploration and
production to transmission, storage, and
distribution, as well as electric genera-
tion, transmission, and distribution.
NiSource companies serve a high-growth
energy corridor from the Gulf of Mexico
to the Midwest to New England.
Columbia Gulf Transmission, based in
Houston, Texas, transports about 2.5
Bcf of natural gas per day through its
4,200 miles of pipeline. This pipeline
interconnects with virtually every major
producer in the Gulf of Mexico.
Columbia Gas Transmission, with
offices in Charleston, West Virginia, and
Fairfax, Virginia, transports 3 Bcf of
natural gas per day through its 12,550-
mile pipeline network that reaches
across 10 Midwestern, Northeastern,
and Mid-Atlantic States. Columbia Gas
Transmission also operates one of the
nation's largest natural gas storage sys-
tems (239 Bcf of working capacity).
Together, these two companies operate
more than 16,000 miles of transmission
pipeline connecting U.S. natural gas
production in the Gulf of Mexico to
premium markets extending from Lake
Erie, New York to the Eastern Seaboard.
Total peak-day gas throughput capacity
for Columbia's transmission pipelines is
about 7.4 Bcf per day.
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For companies skeptical about joining Gas STAR,
Columbia suggests they start by asking employees
about methane emission reduction activities.
Columbia Gulf Transmission and Columbia Gas
Transmission carefully assessed the Gas STAR
Program before joining. Both companies wanted to
make sure that participation made sense for them
and that they could follow through with energetic,
innovative performance. By talking to employees
about reducing methane emissions, Columbia discov-
ered that more people than expected had valuable
contributions to make to the program. Columbia also
found that several Natural Gas STAR activities were
standard practices.
To further assess whether the Gas STAR Program
was compatible with existing business practices, the
companies created a Natural Gas STAR Steering
Team. The Steering Team was composed of represen-
tatives from key groups accross the organization
which included:
• Senior management
• Field staff
• Environmental health and safety management
• Strategic Initiatives group
• Government relations
• Public relations
• Technical support
The Steering Team's major considerations were
whether the Gas STAR partnership made good busi-
ness sense for Columbia's pipelines and if the partner-
ship could have a positive environmental impact.
Other serious considerations were the costs of imple-
menting the program and the level of program partici-
pation to which the pipelines could commit. Neither
company wanted to join to simply add its name to a
list of supporters. If they joined, the companies were
determined to have a meaningful, exemplary program.
Catherine Abbott, President and CEO of Columbia
Gas Transmission and CEO of Columbia Gulf
Transmission, signed the Natural Gas STAR
Memorandum of Understanding with EPA on
September 27, 1999, committing both companies to
full Gas STAR partnership. The companies immedi-
ately began implementing
their program and com-
piling emission
reduction data.
This flurry of
activity culmi-
nated in the
submission of
the transmis-
I
sion compa-
nies' first
annual report
on March 8,
2000. This report
cataloged methane
emission reduction
measures dating back to
1993.
Taking time at the outset to form the Steering Team
and organize the program management structure has
made daily program operation and expansion easier.
Having team representatives from all levels of the
company (i.e., senior managers, middle managers,
field managers, and staff) facilitates decision-making.
Since representatives from all sections of both trans-
mission companies are involved in program deci-
sions, multiple levels of review and sign off are
unnecessary. In addition, with the Steering Team
serving as the focal point for the program, employee
participation is simplified. Employees know that if
they identify an innovative emission reduction
opportunity, sending a simple e-mail to a Steering
Team member starts the ball rolling.
Columbia Gas and Columbia Gulf Transmission
Natural Gas STAR Case Study Series
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ftrstlt
II
Members of the Steering Team began by contacting
field managers and technicians to assess and catalog
methane emission reduction opportunities company-
wide. The portfolio of opportunities identified through
this process served as the platform from which the
group operated. Steering Team members conducted
phone conversations and interviews with key staff, vis-
ited numerous field operation sites, and reviewed his-
torical documentation (e.g., workplans, handbooks,
and reports) to gather information about methane
reduction opportunities. This was also the team's
chance to promote participation and enthusiasm for
the program. It was important to educate employees
about the connections between methane emissions and
climate change. People appreciated that they could
make a difference and have a positive impact on a glob-
al environmental issue.
The field technicians and managers were in the best
position to identify reduction opportunities and imple-
ment such measures. The Steering Team has tried to
expand these groups' capabilities through technical
training like Gas STAR-sponsored workshops. Steve
Wilner, Vice President of Environmental Health and
Safety, thinks one of the most valuable aspects of send-
ing employees to these workshops is the information
sharing that occurs. "Employees have told me about all
kinds of innovative techniques and practices they
learned about through presentations and casual conver-
sations at these workshops."
-Building the
Through conversations, surveys, site visits, and onsite
meetings with field personnel, individual best manage-
ment practices (BMPs) and partner reported opportu-
nities (PROs) were identified. The Steering Team mem-
bers worked closely with the field experts to determine
what emission reduction activities were currently in
place and to establish methods for calculating the
reductions. They used EPA's emission factors as a
guide, but used real data whenever possible to get the
most accurate estimate of emission reductions. One key
Integration is the key. Integrating your Gas STAR program into existing practices and
programs promotes participation and gives Gas STAR instant credibility. By making
methane emission reduction an integral part of each employee's everyday responsibilities
the program can grow quickly.
Team approach. Creating a leadership team composed of employees from all levels and
all divisions ensures company-wide buy-in. Including decision-makers from all divisions
can make the decision-making process easier and more rapid.
i
Planning is important. Carefully considering up front the program's ultimate goals and
how it fits into the existing corporate structure and lays necessary groundwork for proper
integration and implementation.
Measure it. Setting goals and c ives, measuring them, and following through to
maintain and increase momentum \i sential. Devising metrics to measure and report
your reductions and savings, or better yet, incorporating measurement into existing
reporting and measuring systems streamlines data collection. Using real numbers wherev-
er possible provides more accurate estimates.
Columbia Gas and Columbia Gulf Transmission
Natural Gas STAR Case Study Series
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to Columbia's success is the use of outside references
like Gas Technology Institute operating handbooks,
and consultants to verify internal assumptions and
estimates. Measuring and calculating actual methane
emission reductions is a continuing challenge for
Columbia's transmission companies, but identifying
solutions is easier with their team approach.
The companies' overall approach to implementing
their Gas STAR Program was to integrate it into
existing programs and operational infrastructure to
the greatest extent possible. The Steering Team
worked to promote an understanding of the impor-
tance of methane emission reductions in daily opera-
tions to all employees.
An example of this approach was the integration of
the Gas STAR Program into Columbia's
Environmental Excellence Program. The primary
goal of the Environmental Excellence program is to
"promote best practices and innovative ideas that
protect the environment and bring benefit to the
company." In place since 1996, the program has
saved more than $7.1 million and has generated
more than 100 new ideas. All employees have access
to the on-line database of ideas and suggestions, and
employees who submit ideas to the program are rec-
ognized and rewarded. In 1999, several of the
Natural Gas STAR PROs were a product of the
Environmental Excellence program. The Steering
Team plans to submit more BMPs and PROs for
consideration in 2000. Columbia believes that inte-
grating Gas STAR into established and highly
regarded programs not only encouraged employee
involvement, but also gave Gas STAR instant credi-
bility with employees.
Gas STAR data collection presented another oppor-
tunity for program integration. Gathering the neces-
sary data to complete the annual report presented
the pipelines with their greatest challenge during
their first year as a partner. Although numerous
methane emission reduction measures were being
implemented company-
wide, neither
Columbia Gulf
Transmission nor
Columbia Gas
Transmission
had a centralized
system for gath-
ering emission
reduction data.
The process of
contacting station
managers individually
to compile this data was
time-consuming. In an effort
to streamline this process for future reporting, both
companies developed a centralized database to col-
lect and track the raw data necessary for calculating
emission reductions. Once the database was func-
tional, Columbia's pipelines fully integrated it into
their existing internal environmental data collection
system. The existing system was primarily created to
track Clean Air Act permitting and reporting infor-
mation but was easily upgraded to incorporate
methane emission reduction reporting. Although this
took considerably more up-front time and resources,
it established a streamlined system for future report-
ing that will reduce administrative costs in the
future. By incorporating methane emission reduction
reporting into the existing system, Columbia's
pipelines made Gas STAR an integrated part of daily
operations, simplifying subsequent reporting efforts.
Integration into its internal environmental audit pro-
gram is yet another example of how Columbia Gulf
Transmission and Columbia Gas Transmission have
strengthened and promoted Gas STAR Program par-
ticipation company-wide. Originally designed to
ensure compliance with regulations and company
policies, the auditing program broadened its scope to
include information about BMPs and PROs. Today,
auditors also question how certain methane reduc-
tion practices are being implemented at a site and
make recommendations to help field operators assess
the cost-effectiveness of implementation.
Columbia Gas and Columbia Gulf Transmission
Natural Gas STAR Case Study Series
-------
Jairung an<
lain tain ing
To help create and maintain program momentum,
Columbia's pipeline companies published numerous
articles concerning its newly formed Gas STAR
Program in weekly and quarterly internal newsletters.
The articles covered events and efforts related to
designing and implementing the program, such as
when the companies became a Gas STAR Partner,
when the Steering Team solicited ideas and input from
field workers, when field visits were made, and when
employees attended workshops or conferences. The
goal of the initial articles was to introduce the program
and build awareness company-wide. The ensuing arti-
cles kept the program in the forefront of employees'
minds and maintained the momentum.
After the first annual report was submitted, Columbia
Transmission Natural Gas STAR golf shirts were sent
to more than 70 employees
assisted in compiling
data for the report. The
Steering Team believed
that the shirts would
prompt inquiries and
discussions among
field staff at compa-
ny functions and
workshops and pro-
mote information
sharing among differ-
ent facilities. The team
felt that the shirts
would serve as an inspiration
and create healthy competition that
would further promote the program. Ultimately, they
believed that this effort would generate increased inter-
est and expand participation and reporting in the
future. So far, the shirts have been well received by the
employees and have realized the Steering Team's objec-
tive of promoting the program internally.
who
also
Another eventual goal is including Gas STAR annual
and cumulative emission reductions, as well as
Environmental Excellence Program winners, in
Columbia Energy Group's annual report to investors
and customers. Columbia's pipelines believe sharing
their environmental programs with the public, includ-
ing potential investors, will further illustrate the com-
panies' commitment to be environmentally conscious
and responsible organizations. It will also demonstrate
to employees how important and serious these efforts
are to the company.
"We're convinced that proactive
environmental responsibility is
good business. Efforts to reduce
our methane emissions often
improve the operating efficiency
of the pipelines, and that leads
to financial reward."
Steve Wilner
Vice President,
Environmental Health and Safety
Although Columbia Gulf Transmission and Columbia
Gas Transmission have only been partners since 1999,
their actions clearly show how committed they are to
serious long-term methane emission reductions.
Integrating Gas STAR into their Environmental
Excellence Program, data collection and reporting sys-
tem, and everyday operations ensures that the compa-
nies' remarkable methane emissions reductions will
continue to grow. The use of newsletter articles, onsite
visits, the Environmental Excellence Program, and
other program promotional materials ensure that
methane emission reductions remain in the forefront of
every employee's mind.
Columbia Gas and Columbia Gulf Transmission
Natural Gas STAR Case Study Series
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