U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said last week the federal government will issue new safety rules for natural gas and other pipelines this summer.
LaHood, whose Department of Transportation oversees pipelines across the country, said the recent increase in deaths from pipeline accidents “is not acceptable.” His remarks came during a daylong summit April 18 in Washington, D.C., in which pipeline experts discussed problems within the industry.
There were 22 deaths from pipeline accidents in 2010, up from 13 in 2009 and nine in 2008. There are 2.5 million miles of pipe in the U.S. carrying flammable materials such as natural gas, crude oil, gasoline and jet fuel.
LaHood said the DOT in August of this year would issue a rule requiring pipeline operators to inspect their pipelines and evaluate the risk of explosions, leaks, corrosion and other problems. The rule would require operators to immediately take action to mitigate risks.
“I’m deeply concerned about the rising number of deaths in pipeline explosions,” said LaHood. He said pipeline operators and government officials need to better coordinate their efforts in the wake of last year’s accidents, which included a gas line explosion in San Bruno, Calif., on Sept. 9 that killed eight people and destroyed nearly 40 homes.
UGI Utilities, which operates a pipeline network in Allentown, Pa., said last week it would double or more its spending to replace cast iron gas pipes in that city, site of a February 2011 explosion that killed five people.
UGI spokesman Dan Adamo said the gas utility would replace six miles of pipe in 2011 in Allentown after replacing three miles in 2010. Adamo said the company would spend $41 million to replace gas mains and service lines in Pennsylvania this year.
The company has said it costs about $1 million to replace one mile of pipe.
UGI said it has about 400 miles of cast iron gas lines in the state; there are 79 miles of pipe in Allentown.
LaHood announced the formation of last week’s summit during a visit earlier this month to the Allentown explosion site. The blast occurred on February 9. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission continues to investigate the accident, and reports say the PUC is examining a pipe installed in 1928 as the possible cause of the explosion.
The U.S. Senate in February introduced legislation calling for improvements in pipeline safety, many of which are incorporated in the DOT proposal. LaHood earlier this year asked Congress to increase maximum civil penalties for pipeline safety violations from $100,000 per day to $250,000 per day, and from $1 million to $2.5 million for a series of violations.
The DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration tracks pipeline incidents through its Pipeline Safety Program. From 1991-2010, the PHMSA reports 378 fatalities and 1,583 injuries from pipeline incidents, resulting in more than $5.4 billion in property damage.
Among the incidents still being investigated is a crude oil spill that occurred in July 2010 in western Michigan. Some 1 million gallons of thick tar sands crude oil was spilled into the Kalamazoo River and Talmadge Creek when a pipeline operated by Enbridge Inc., a Canadian company, failed.
Enbridge, in its annual report issued earlier this month, said it had spent more than $500 million on the cleanup.
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