The City of Long Beach Gas and Oil Department’s natural gas utility was honored with the System Operational Achievement Recognition (SOAR) Award this summer at the American Public Gas Association (APGA) annual conference in Denver.
The natural gas utility is one of nine utilities nationwide to receive the APGA selective honor that is presented annually, according to the City of Long Beach.
“I am very proud that our city has been recognized for our strong commitment to maintaining this critical infrastructure and for making safety a top priority,” said Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia.
To receive such recognition, a natural gas utility must demonstrate commitment to excellence in four areas: System Integrity, System Improvement, Workforce Development and Employee Safety.
A total of 997 municipal gas utilities operate in the United States, and Long Beach is the only municipal natural gas utility in the country to be recognized two years in a row, according to city officials.
The Long Beach natural gas utility operates and maintains more than 1,900 miles of natural gas pipeline. City officials stated that Long Beach Gas and Oil re-invests approximately $8 million to $10 million annually into pipeline replacement to ensure the safe delivery of natural gas without service interruptions.
“Since our employees [are] in the field […] with this potentially explosive product on a daily basis, it is important that we provide them the proper training and equipment to accomplish this in a safe and productive manner,” said Chris Garner, director of Long Beach Gas and Oil.
