By Vickie Buchanan
McAfee & Taft attorneys Chris Paul and Vickie Buchanan
attended the 2011 International Pipeline Security Forum held in
Ottawa, Canada, on October 25-26. This was the sixth consecutive
year our counsel have participated in this invitation-only event.
The Forum, first held in 2005, is a conference coordinated by
the United States and Canada under the Smart Border Declaration
of December 2001 and the Security and Prosperity Partnership of
March 2005. The purpose of the Forum is to bring key stakeholders
from both sides of the border together to discuss critical energy
infrastructure protection and emergency management issues
specifically relating to interests and concerns with respect to
pipeline security and vulnerabilities. The venue of the Forum
alternates annually between the United States and Canada with the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security
Administration, and Natural Resources Canada hosting the event.
Attendees include senior representatives and officials from U.S.
and Canadian pipeline-related associations, pipeline owners and
operators, and contractors and representatives from government,
security intelligence and law enforcement agencies.