Pipeline Safety: Collecting Data and Sharing Information on Federally Unregulated Gathering Pipelines Could Help Enhance Safety Page: 2 of 41
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GAO
Accountability * Integrity * Reliability
Highlights
Highlights of GAO-12-388, a report to
congressional requesters
Why GAO Did This Study
Pipelines are a relatively safe mode of
transportation for hazardous liquid and
natural gas and are regulated by the
Department of Transportation's (DOT)
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration (PHMSA) and
state entities. Included in the nation's
pipeline network are an estimated
200,000 or more miles of onshore
"gathering" pipelines, which transport
products to processing facilities and
larger pipelines. (See figure.) Many of
these pipelines have not been subject
to federal regulation based on their
generally rural location and low
operating pressures. While incidents
involving gathering pipelines regulated
by PHMSA have resulted in millions of
dollars in property damage in recent
years, comparable statistics for
federally unregulated gathering
pipelines are unknown. This report
identifies (1) the safety risks that exist,
if any, with onshore hazardous liquid
and natural gas gathering pipelines
that are not currently under PHMSA
regulation and (2) the practices states
use to help ensure the safety of these
pipelines. GAO surveyed state pipeline
safety agencies in all 50 states and the
District of Columbia; interviewed
officials at PHMSA, state pipeline
safety agencies, pipeline companies,
and industry associations; and
analyzed data and regulations.
What GAO Recommends
DOT should (1) collect data on
federally unregulated hazardous liquid
and gas gathering pipelines and
(2) establish an online clearinghouse
or other resource for sharing
information on pipeline safety
practices. DOT provided technical
corrections on a draft of this report.
View GAO-12-388. For more information,
contact Susan A. Fleming at (202) 512-2834
or flemings@gao.gov.PIPELINE SAFETY
Collecting Data and Sharing Information on
Federally Unregulated Gathering Pipelines Could
Help Enhance SafetyWhat GAO Found
While the safety risks of onshore gathering pipelines that are not regulated by
PHMSA are generally considered to be lower than for other types of pipelines,
PHMSA does not collect comprehensive data to identify the safety risks of
unregulated gathering pipelines. In response to a GAO survey, state pipeline
safety agencies cited construction quality, maintenance practices, unknown or
uncertain locations, and limited or no information on pipeline integrity as among
the highest risks for federally unregulated pipelines. Without data on these risk
factors, pipeline safety officials are unable to assess and manage safety risks
associated with these pipelines. Furthermore, changes in pipeline operational
environments cited in response to GAO's survey and by industry officials could
also increase safety risks for federally unregulated gathering pipelines.
Specifically, land-use changes are resulting in development encroaching on
existing pipelines and the increased extraction of oil and natural gas from shale
deposits is resulting in the development of new gathering pipelines, some of
which are larger in diameter and operate at higher pressure than older pipelines.
PHMSA is considering collecting data on federally unregulated gathering
pipelines, but the agency's plans are preliminary, and the extent to which
PHMSA will collect data sufficient to evaluate the potential safety risks
associated with these pipelines is uncertain.
A small number of state pipeline safety agencies GAO surveyed reported using at
least one of five practices that were most frequently cited to help ensure the safety
of federally unregulated pipelines. These practices include (1) damage prevention
programs, (2) considering areas of highest risk to target resources, (3) safety
inspections, (4) public outreach and communication, and (5) increased regulatory
attention on operators with prior spills or leaks. However, the sharing of information
among states on the safety practices used appears to be limited. Some state and
PHMSA officials GAO interviewed had limited awareness of safety practices used
by other states. Increased communication and information sharing about pipeline
safety practices could boost the use of such practices for unregulated pipelines.
However, information targeted at gathering pipelines on PHMSA's website,
including relevant safety practices and state activities, is limited.
Pipeline SystemSource: PHMSA.
United States Government Accountability Office
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United States. Government Accountability Office. Pipeline Safety: Collecting Data and Sharing Information on Federally Unregulated Gathering Pipelines Could Help Enhance Safety, report, March 22, 2012; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc301144/m1/2/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.