To further our mission of promoting pipeline safety through education and advocacy, by increasing access to information, and by building partnerships with residents, safety advocates, government, and industry, that result in safer communities and a healthier environment, we thought it would be helpful to organize pipeline safety information that is geared towards our site users’ of this website needs, in order for them to navigate though the world of pipelines more easily.
To find information to suit your needs please select from one of the following categories.
Here Are Some of the Best Places to Get More Information
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Stakeholder Communication website is one of the best places to start. It includes important information on a whole range of subjects.
For maps of natural gas transmission pipelines and hazardous liquid pipelines down to the neighborhood level go to the public viewer of the National Pipeline Mapping System.
For information about pipeline safety in specific states go to PHMSA’s state pages.
For a variety of filtered pipeline incident data go to PHMSA’s Incidents Report Page
Incident data is available in many forms on the PHMSA Pipeline Incident 20-year Trends page. From this page, you will be able to find information for all, serious, and significant incidents by pipeline type. Use this link for the “PHMSA Pipeline Incident 20-year Trends page: https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/data-and-statistics/pipeline/pipeline-incident-20-year-trends
Wikipedia has a great list of pipeline incidents (thanks in large part to group member Michael Holmstrom).
Here are the federal regulations on pipeline safety set by PHMSA.
Here is a downloadable copy of the Pipeline Safety Statutes in the U.S. Code that Congress sets.
For information about incidents, enforcement cases, and inspections of specific pipeline companies go to PHMSA’s Operator Information Page.
For contact information for PHMSA’s regional Community Assistance and Technical Services (CATS) managers that should be able to help answer questions and get information go to the CATS Homepage.
For information that local governments can use to ensure safer pipelines by using their zoning, permitting, and planning authorities go to Pipelines and Informed Planning Alliance Homepage, or the Municipal Research & Services Center Planning Near Pipelines website.
Other Federal Links
- PHMSA, Office of Pipeline Safety
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- National Transportation Safety Board – Pipeline Accident Pages
- GAO Report on Pipeline Safety: The Office of Pipeline Safety Is Changing How It Oversees the Pipeline Industry ( 2066Kb), GAO/RCED-00-128, May 15, 2000
- Pipeline Safety and Security: Improved Workforce Planning and Communication Needed Report to the Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Government Accounting Office, August 2002. GAO-02-785.
- Federal Pipeline Safety Act (49 U.S.C. 60101 et seq.) Subtitle VIII Pipelines, Cornell Legal Information Institute
- U.S. Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board
Major Pipeline Industry Associations
- American Gas Association
- American Petroleum Institute
- American Public Gas Association
- Association of Oil Pipelines
- Interstate Natural Gas Association of America
- Common Ground Alliance
State Regulator Links
- National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives
- National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
Studies on Pipelines Effects on Land Values
- Effects of Pipeline Ruptures
- Natural Gas Pipes Property Values
- Residential Property Values
- ROW magazine article: The Effect of Natural Gas Pipelines on Residential Valuation
- Albright letter responding to ROW article
- Palomar pipeline valuation study
- Property Value Impact Analysis, Plantation Pipeline, Richmond, Virginia Pipelline Spill of April 17, 2006
Citizen Groups Concerned with Pipeline Safety and Siting Issues
- Canadian Alliance of Pipeline Landowners’ Association (CAPLA)
- Sqwalk – Concerned with the Georgia Strait Crossing (GSX) pipeline proposal and energy policy in British Columbia. (BC)
- Danielle Dawn Smalley Foundation (TX)
- Pipeline Safety Coalition (PA)
- Save Lafayette Trees (CA)
- Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance
- The Alaska Forum for Environmental Responsibility
- Floyd County Chapter of the Blue Ridge Coalition Opposes the Greenbrier Pipeline in Virginia
Other Resources
- Out of Sight, Out of Mind – What Every Local Government Should Know About Pipeline Safety, by Jim Pates, City Attorney, Fredericksburg, Virginia
- Municipal Research & Services Center of Washington Pipeline Safety Information for Local Governments
- Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission
Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Links
- California Energy Commission LNG pages
- Fall River, Massachusetts – Coalition for Responsible Siting of LNG Facilities
- National Public Radio- Liquefied Natural Gas Coverage
- Sandia National Labs – Liquefied Natural Gas Safety Study
- Save Passamaquoddy Bay
- Center for LNG An industry funded group that provides much information regarding LNG
- Tim Riley Law Lots of LNG safety Information from a California Lawyer
More information on the Olympic Pipeline Tragedy in Bellingham
- The Pipeline Safety Trust website on the Whatcom Creek Journey, with history, stories and photos
- City of Bellingham – Olympic Pipeline Incident Pages
- NOAA – Whatcom Creek Restoration Plans (on the webpage, search for Whatcom Creek)
- NTSB Findings on Bellingham Pipeline Explosion – Released on 10/8/02
- Olympic Pipe Line Company