Did you know we recently updated our briefing papers and added papers on three additional topics? These papers are a great source of 'Pipeline Safety 101' information - they are short and each focused on a single topic. They do not need to be read in order, though some basic understanding is helpful before reading about the more technical issues. Check them out if you haven't already! Here is the … [Read more...] about So much pipeline safety information!
incidents
Ignition of Natural Gas Transmission Pipelines
Question of the week: A fairly large, 24 inch I believe, natural gas transmission pipeline recently failed here in Pennsylvania, and I was surprised that it did not ignite. I thought when natural gas pipelines ruptured they normally catch fire. Can you tell me why this one didn’t? I think you are referring to the recent William’s Transco failure in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania that is … [Read more...] about Ignition of Natural Gas Transmission Pipelines
Santa Barbara Oil Spill
Question of the day - I see a pipeline just spilled oil into the ocean near Santa Barbara, California. What can you tell me about the company that operates that pipeline and their safety record? Thanks for the question. The cause and the size of the spill are still being determined, and the clean up will go on for weeks we are sure. Here is a quick analysis of the company that operates … [Read more...] about Santa Barbara Oil Spill
Oil Pipelines by the Real Numbers
Reporters ask us a lot about numbers, and we see both accurate and misleading figures being thrown around in the press and even on unnamed official websites, so we’re expanding here on our February 10 blog post that touched on numbers. That post mentioned both numbers from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and industry numbers published recently by API/AOPL … [Read more...] about Oil Pipelines by the Real Numbers
Everything is Awesome!…. or is it?
This recent tweet by Brigham McCown (former head of PHMSA in the Bush Administration) about rail and pipeline safety gave us pause. It praised government agency oversight and questioned congressional initiatives to push for greater safety, begging the question: Are we missing something? Should we as a country really be patting ourselves on the back for successful pipeline safety … [Read more...] about Everything is Awesome!…. or is it?