|
TOO
CLOSE TO HOME. Even in a culture as technologically
advanced as the United States, we still rely heavily on oil
and natural gas to fuel our cars, heat our homes, power our
computers, and make products such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
The pipelines that make up this intricate web form a pattern
across our urban and rural landscapes of over two million
interstate, intrastate and local miles–long enough to
reach around the Earth 88 times. Every year, leaking and spillage
of a reported average of 6.7 million gallons–or possibly
twice that much (the equivalent of the 11-million gallon Exxon
Valdez spill in 1989) occurs.
Accidents
Waiting to Happen
All
around us pipelines are corroding, leaking, polluting, exploding–and
even killing. In a majority of the cases, pipelines are built,
monitored and operated according to regulation. In many cases,
a pipeline operator will exceed regulatory requirements. Still,
pipeline accidents occur in North America an average of every
couple of days. In fact, on average, every four days someone
is injured; every seventeen days someone loses their life.
Since 1986, just in the U.S., there have been 3140 incidents,
1407 injuries, and 322 deaths from natural gas pipelines alone.
55 Inspectors for 2 Million Miles of Pipeline
The
federal government is relying on a small, under-funded and
understaffed agency to police a powerful and wealthy industry.
Created years ago in 1968, the Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS)
has only 55 inspectors and is budgeted for only 107 full-time
employees. But the agency has an overwhelming jurisdiction
of over two million miles of interstate, intrastate and local
pipelines. The precise location of thousands of pipelines
under its jurisdiction for decades is still unknown.
|
