The Alamo Improvement Association (AIA) contracted with the Pipeline Safety Trust in 2015 to provide services intended to educate and inform the community about hazardous liquid pipelines and pipeline safety. That included presentations at two community workshops in June 2015, as well as the production of a report. AIA has entered into a second contract with the Pipeline Safety Trust to produce a website relating to pipeline safety in Contra Costa County, to conduct three additional public workshops and update and expand the original report to include more information about natural gas pipelines in Contra Costa County.
The funding for these services came from two Community Technical Assistance Grants (TAG) awarded by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Roger Smith, President of the Alamo Improvement Association was the primary point of contact for the TAG award and contract for services with the Trust. A steering committee for these grants was formed and has guided the work produced by the Trust under both contract. The committee includes Roger Smith, AIA; Michael Kent, Hazardous Materials Ombudsman within the Contra Costa County Health Services Department; Jennifer Quallick, Field Representative to Supervisor Anderson; and Aron DeFarrari, AIA board member and MAC member.