Press Release

PUC Announces Appointment of Terri Cooper Smith as Chairman of Damage Prevention Committee

Published on 10/24/2019

Filed under: Electric Gas Water and Wastewater Telecommunications

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission today announced the appointment of Terri Cooper Smith as Chairman of the Damage Prevention Committee (DPC). 

The focus of the DPC is to reduce the number of “hits” on underground lines and utilities. It meets regularly to review alleged violations of Pennsylvania’s Underground Utility Line Protection Act – also known as the “One Call Law” (Act 50 of 2017).

“Ms. Cooper Smith’s industry experience and understanding of the enforcement of Pennsylvania’s One Call Law makes her a strong choice for this position,” said Chairman Brown Dutrieuille, who announced Cooper Smith as her designee for the DPC at today’s PUC Public Meeting.

Cooper Smith is a Senior Pipeline Safety Engineer in the PUC’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement’s Safety Division and is certified by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) as a Lead Inspector in numerous areas of Pipeline Safety. 

In addition, Ms. Cooper Smith was instrumental in the development of the Pennsylvania Steam Regulations that went into effect in 2018.  She was also named as the Engineer of the Year for the Safety Division at the Annual Safety Conference held in 2017 and is a nationally recognized Safety Engineer with a degree in Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cooper Smith resides in the Philadelphia area.

About the DPC

The DPC is a peer-based group of 13 representatives, nominated by their industry or affiliated organization and appointed by the PUC. It makes informal determinations as to the appropriate response including, but not limited to, the issuance of warning letters, mandatory training programs and/or administrative penalties. The position of DPC Chairman holds a non-voting role, unless needed to break a tie. 

The DPC holds public meetings in Hearing Room 1 of the Commonwealth Keystone Building in Harrisburg. Each meeting is livestreamed on the PUC’s website where summaries of actions taken at those meetings also can be viewed.

About the PUC

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

Visit the PUC’s website at www.puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Search for the “Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission” or “PA PUC” on your favorite social media channel for updates on utility issues and other helpful consumer information.

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Contact:

• Denise McCracken
  Senior Communications Specialist
  717-787-5722
  demccracken@pa.gov