Pipelines are safe

In a recent op-ed published in the Post-Gazette, “Gas Pipelines Represent Prosperity” (Sept. 5 Perspectives), David Spigelmyer and James Kunz described the many benefits that Pennsylvanians could see from the expansion of natural-gas pipelines and related energy infrastructure in the commonwealth. That op-ed prompted a response from Art Wegweiser (Oct. 3), who wrote that Mr. Spigelmyer and Mr. Kunz “seem[ed] to deftly dance around the issue of safety, with only a passing reference to this vitally important aspect” of natural-gas development.

Mr. Wegweiser is right to draw attention to pipeline safety. There are thousands of miles of pipelines in Pennsylvania, and the people of the commonwealth expect these lines to operate safely. He also is right to remind the industry about the effect that significant pipeline accidents can have on people, property and the environment. These events, while extremely rare, demonstrate the importance of continuing to pursue the industry’s goal of zero incidents.

The good news, according to a 2015 report from the American Gas Foundation, “Natural Gas Pipeline Safety and Reliability: An Assessment of Progress,” is that pipelines are safe — and getting safer. As the AGF observes:

• Pipelines are the safest means of transporting energy products. Data compiled by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics show that pipelines have been the cause of fewer fatalities and injuries than the trucking and rail industries over the past decade. Data compiled by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration show a significant reduction in the number of pipeline incidents involving fatalities or injuries over the past two decades. Reports from the U.S. Government Accountability Office and nongovernmental entities reach similar conclusions.

• The natural-gas industry invests more than $19 billion annually in pipeline safety and reliability. The industry is pursuing a number of pipeline-safety research and development initiatives, and a number of states, including Pennsylvania, have special programs in place to accelerate the repair and replacement of higher-risk pipeline infrastructure. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently launched a similar initiative to modernize the nation’s interstate gas transmission lines.

• Industry has played a leading role in the development of pipeline-safety standards for more than six decades. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers released the first set of comprehensive safety standards for gas pipelines in the early 1950s, establishing the framework that state and federal pipeline-safety regulators adopted in the years that followed. Today, PHMSA and its state partners incorporate dozens of industry codes and standards for pipeline design, construction, operation and integrity management.

• PHMSA has made significant changes to the nation’s pipeline-safety regulations in the past 15 years, and Congress recently increased the amount of funding available for the federal pipeline-safety program, including for grants awarded to state pipeline-safety regulators such as the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. PHMSA also is pursuing new regulatory initiatives, and the pipeline industry is participating in the rulemaking process.

Mr. Spigelmyer and Mr. Kunz made a strong case in presenting the benefits of gas-pipeline and energy-infrastructure development, and Mr. Wegweiser added an important cautionary note about pipeline safety. My hope is that your readers will review the AGF report and other available sources of information to learn more about the industry’s efforts to improve pipeline safety.

Keith J. Coyle, an attorney with the law firm of Babst Calland and a shareholder in the firm’s Energy and Natural Resources Group, recently served on Gov. Tom Wolf’s Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force. He leads the Marcellus Shale Coalition’s Pipeline Safety Workgroup and is a former PHMSA adviser. He also participated in the development of the AGF report.