It’s time to bring pipeline safety into the 21st century
The United States’ emergence as a global energy superpower would not have been possible without America’s extensive natural gas pipeline network. Approximately 300,000 miles of transmission pipelines carry natural gas safely to market, where it generates electricity, heats homes, powers American manufacturing and is exported to allies and trading partners abroad.
This stunning development is attributable to American ingenuity, and it is critical that our pipeline safety regulations also reflect advancements in technology and engineering practices.
Current regulations are based on federal standards that were established piecemeal over the span of half a century and often are inconsistent with modern practices.
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have begun hearings on reauthorization of the Pipeline Safety Act, the law that confers authority upon the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. PHMSA regulates pipeline design, construction, testing, operations, inspection and maintenance. The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America strongly favors using this reauthorization to bring federal pipeline safety regulations into the 21st century.
PHMSA is now finalizing a sweeping set of changes that will be the most significant update to natural gas transmission pipeline safety rules since federal regulations were first issued in 1970. PHMSA’s updates will advance safety by defining specific requirements to facilitate using modern pipeline safety technologies and processes.
For example, PHMSA’s new rules establish requirements governing the use of noninvasive tools that can evaluate pipeline condition and identify pipe needing repair or replacement. The rules also set out requirements for operators to test certain existing pipelines to ensure that they meet today’s safety standards.
These regulations enjoy broad support from public safety advocates and natural gas pipeline companies, as well as bipartisan support on Capitol Hill.
The Interstate Natural Gas Association recently joined several public advocacy groups and pipeline trade associations in penning a letter encouraging Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to act expeditiously to advance this important regulatory update. The Republican chairs and Democratic ranking members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and the Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety, sent a similar letter expressing their support for completing the rule.
The Interstate Natural Gas Association hopes to see these critical regulations completed this year and anticipates that they will lay the foundation for Congress and PHMSA to continue updating older regulations to reflect today’s technological and engineering capabilities.
Day in and day out, pipeline operators work to ensure and enhance the safety and reliability of America’s natural gas pipeline system, a piece of critical infrastructure. Just as technological advances made the shale revolution possible, new technologies and engineering practices are improving the performance and safety of the nation’s natural gas pipeline network.
The results of this innovation have been substantial. Gas transmission pipeline leaks are down almost 70 percent over the past 20 years.
Furthermore, third-party excavation damage incidents decreased by 20 percent between 2002 and 2017. This is attributed to pipeline safety awareness programs, most notably the national 811 “Call Before You Dig” program.
Regulatory certainty improves safety, encourages investment and spurs job growth in any industry — and especially in capital-intensive sectors such as infrastructure. The interstate natural gas pipeline industry supports sensible regulation and the prompt completion of pending rules.
The United States has been the world’s largest natural gas producer since 2012, and last year we became a net natural gas exporter. To maintain our global energy leadership, we need safe and efficient pipelines. Achieving this goal will require an upgraded regulatory framework that facilitates the deployment of American innovation.