Clients
US Department of Transportation – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Cycla provides specialized engineering and technical support to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). As the federal regulatory authority with jurisdiction over pipeline safety, PHMSA is responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operation of the nation’s 2.3 million miles of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. For over 15 years, Cycla has assisted PHMSA accomplish this mission by providing qualified, unbiased analysis and technical support through its prime technical services contract with PHMSA. Cycla has directly supported PHMSA executives and management in the areas of program development, policy, enforcement, engineering, and oversight.
Cycla’s skilled and highly experienced consultants:
• Provide risk analysis expertise to inform PHMSA policy-makers on key pipeline safety issues
• Understand technical details about pipeline integrity management and regulatory initiatives
• Have knowledge about operator audits and inspection procedures through its support of compliance oversight activities
• Perform advanced data analysis to support PHMSA’s mission
• Develop specialized information management systems to support PHMSA’s risk-informed, data-driven oversight program improvements
Cycla has played a key support role to PHMSA in several ground-breaking safety and regulatory initiatives, including:
• Development and implementation of Integrity Management oversight program for Hazardous Liquid, Gas Transmission, and Gas Distribution systems
• Development and implementation of Operator Qualification program
• Development and implementation of the Control Room Management
• Dig Safely/Common Ground Alliance/811 One-call
• Risk Management Demonstration Project
• Stakeholder Communications
Cycla also provides ongoing support for PHMSA’s mission in the areas of:
• Regulatory impact assessment • Audit/Inspection support
• Data analysis
• Program development
• Research and development
Common Ground Alliance
Cycla performed the lead role in organizing and managing a ground-breaking 1999 study of the excavation damage to underground utilities, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation. This Study was the collaborative work of 160 industry professionals who identified best practices relating to damage prevention. The upshot of this study was the formation of the Common Ground Alliance (CGA), a member-driven association dedicated to ensuring public safety, environmental protection, and the integrity of services by promoting effective damage prevention practices. Cycla was instrumental in developing systems and processes by which data is collected and used to systematically address root cause issues resulting in a trend of declining incidents. CGA is making significant, measurable progress in creating a damage prevention culture across North America among all stakeholders, through such innovations as the national 811 one-call system.
United States Enrichment Corporation
Cycla was consultant to the corporate manager of Regulatory Assurance and Policy for the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC). Prior to 1994, uranium enrichment operations in the US were carried out by the US Department of Energy (DOE) at two gaseous diffusion plants in Ohio and Kentucky. Safety regulation of these facilities was also the responsibility of the DOE. In preparation for the privatization of the government’s uranium enrichment operations, USEC was required to obtain certification to operate from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The rigor of oversight and the standards for safe operation under the NRC were considerably more stringent than under the DOE. Cycla provided expert advice and solutions that involved complex technical and operational problems, which were further complicated by the complex regulatory environment. Cycla’s support was instrumental in the successful privatization of the U.S. Government's uranium enrichment and processing industry, and the subsequent successful IPO of USEC (NYSE:USU).
State of California, California Public Utilities Commission
Cycla provided expertise to CPUC to develop a first-of-kind risk-based approach to gas utility rate case applications. Cycla evaluated a PG&E rate case submittal for its soundness in using risk assessment as the basis for its recommended rate increases. This included providing expert witness testimony at the rate case hearings. CPUC also engaged Cycla to develop a process for use in future rate case evaluations that the CPUC can implement on an ongoing basis (including development of the necessary regulations), and to train CPUC personnel in its use.
US Department of Transportation – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Cycla supported the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration initiatives to develop policy and apply risk-based approaches for regulating commercial motor vehicle safety. Projects included development of risk-based criteria for setting roadside safety inspection priorities, risk-based prioritization of state safety issues and initiatives, and development of proposals for safety grants to states to address specific risk issues.
State of Louisiana
Cycla supported risk-based oversight of hazardous liquid pipeline integrity management programs under the jurisdiction of the State of Louisiana.
US Department of Energy
Cycla personnel performed risk and safety analysis in support of safety upgrades at defense nuclear weapons facilities including the Y-12 National Security Complex, Savannah River Site, and Rocky Flats Plutonium Processing Plant. Cycla provided expert support for management oversight of operations including operational readiness assessments and audits.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Cycla provided strategic consulting and program development activities in support of implementation of the newly promulgated regulatory requirements (10 CFR 830) regarding safety analysis, establishment of safety bases, and compliance with technical safety requirements and quality assurance plan requirements. Following discovery of safety problems at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) operated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the reactor was shut down. Because the reactor was relied upon both for research and as the sole source of an isotope used in cancer treatment, an aggressive restart effort was undertaken. Cycla developed the HFIR restart program and consulted in its execution, including implementation of a risk‐based resource management system. Based on the strength of the management evaluation and restart program, restart of the reactor was allowed in an environment of great political uncertainty within the DOE.
Commercial Nuclear Power Industry
Many of Cycla’s employees were instrumental in the early development of risk assessment and risk management methods in the US commercial nuclear power industry, and have managed and performed many of the earliest probabilistic risk assessments of individual nuclear power facilities sponsored by nuclear utility licensees.