EDF: Federal Pipeline And Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Proposes Vital Standards to Enhance Safety, Cut Methane From Nation’s Pipeline Network

On May 5, the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed much-needed protections to improve oversight and reduce pollution from the nation’s network of natural gas pipelines today.

"Natural gas pipelines are ubiquitous in our neighborhoods, cities, parks and rural communities and pipeline leaks are both safety risks, and a source of methane pollution that accelerates climate change,” said Erin Murphy, Senior Attorney for Environmental Defense Fund. “PHMSA’s proposal is a welcome step that reflects important updates to existing standards, including unlocking the use of advanced technologies to find and fix more pipeline leaks. Strong federal standards to reduce pipeline leaks are critical for delivering on the Biden administration's commitment to curb climate-warming methane pollution while increasing public health and safety.”

Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas over 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in the near-term. 

Natural gas is transported around the country in a network of approximately three million miles of pipelines, and leakage from this infrastructure is a major source of methane emissions. 

Recently, researchers found that gas gathering pipelines in the Permian Basin leak 14 times more methane than EPA’s inventory estimates.

Pipeline infrastructure also has a disproportionate impact on disadvantaged communities that can be remedied by more effective oversight. 

Just last year, scientists found that leaks on distribution pipelines tended to be located at higher densities in neighborhoods with more people of color and lower household incomes. 

And U.S. counties with more socially vulnerable populations have been found to have a higher density of natural gas transmission and gathering pipelines, according to peer-reviewed research.

“PHMSA has a powerful opportunity to protect communities across the country, including those disproportionately impacted by polluting infrastructure, while delivering on the administration’s climate goals,” added Murphy. “The technologies needed to find and fix harmful emissions are here, they’re cost-effective and they’re being used in the field. All while creating jobs and stopping wasteful emissions.”

PHMSA’s proposal issued May 5 responds to Congress’s express directive in the PIPES Act of 2020 to strengthen pipeline oversight by incorporating commercially available, advanced leak detection technologies and analytics. 

The proposal will improve community safety and reduce climate pollution by requiring operators to conduct more frequent leak surveys using more effective technologies, to repair more leaks identified on their systems more quickly, and to expand the mileage of gas gathering lines that must be leak surveyed. 

The proposal also requires operators to minimize intentional natural gas releases such as equipment venting and blowdowns, reducing product loss and methane emissions.

PHMSA has an important opportunity to swiftly finalize standards with clear and rigorous definitions for leak detection technology performance, detailed reporting requirements to understand safety and environmental impacts and expanded applicability of leak survey and repair standards to gathering pipelines. 

Gathering infrastructure has rapidly expanded over the last 20 years as natural gas production has increased, and there are now 435,000 miles of gathering lines in the U.S. 

Even with a much-needed gathering lines rule finalized by PHMSA in 2021, only about 90,000 miles of these pipelines are subject to basic safety requirements like emergency planning — and only 20,000 miles of gathering lines are required to conduct regular leak surveys. 

EDF said PHMSA should continue to expand protective standards for gathering line management to ensure greater safety and environmental protection.

PHMSA’s proposal is an important part of the White House methane action plan, as it addresses leaks from pipeline sources that are not otherwise covered by existing standards. 

Recently, EPA issued a protective supplemental proposal under the federal Clean Air Act to reduce methane pollution from new and existing sources in the oil and gas sector. 

In the Inflation Reduction Act, Congress also recently adopted the Methane Emission Reduction Program, which, when implemented, can help to further reduce methane pollution.

Next, PHMSA will hold a 60-day comment period on the proposal, and it will also be reviewed by the PHMSA Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee.

Worst Compliance Record In PA

Natural gas and natural gas liquids pipelines have the worst environmental compliance record of any industry in Pennsylvania.

Pipeline companies have been fined over $70 million for environmental and safety violations related to incidents like the 2018 explosion of the brand new Revolution Pipeline in Beaver County and the construction of the Mariner East natural gas liquids pipelines running across the entire state.  Read more here.

See related articles below for more background.

NewsClip:

-- AP: New Federal Pipeline Agency Rule Aimed At Cutting Methane Leaks

Related Article - Oil & Gas Methane:

-- DEP Methane Overflight Research Study Resulted In Voluntary Reductions In Oil & Gas, Landfill Facilities; Coal Industry Uncooperative

-- The Guardian: One Of The Worst Global Methane Leaks In 2022 Was In PA - Equitrans In Cambria County; Routine Abandonment, Non-Compliance Of Conventional Gas Wells

-- EDF: Conventional Gas Wells In Allegheny National Forest Leaked Over 6 Billion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas In 2019; Conventional Operators Seek To Block Methane Limits

-- EPA Accepts Final DEP Oil/Gas Facility VOC/Methane Emission Limits Regulations For Review, Stops Imposition Of Federal Highway Funding, Other Sanctions

-- Marcellus Drilling News: 3 Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Groups File Lawsuit To Block Rule Limiting VOC/Methane Emissions From Conventional Oil & Gas Facilities

Related Articles - Pipelines:

-- AG Shapiro: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Convicted Of Criminal Charges Related To Construction Of Mariner East 2 & Revolution Natural Gas/Liquids Pipelines In PA  [PaEN]

-- AG Shapiro: Southeast Directional Drilling Pleads Guilty To Contaminating Water Supply In Washington County, To Pay $15,000 Fine  [PaEN]

-- AG Shapiro Charges Energy Corporation Of America/Greylock, 2 Employees With Environmental Crimes Involving Leaks At Oil & Gas Well Sites In Clearfield, Greene Counties  [PaEN]

-- Senate Budget Hearings: PA’s Experience With New Pipeline Construction Shows State Laws Not Strong Enough To Prevent Environmental Damage, Protect Public Safety  [PaEN]

-- Ohio/PA Train Derailment, Pipeline Explosions, Uncontrolled Releases Put Spotlight On Public Health, Safety Threats Posed By Petrochemical, Natural Gas Industrial And Pipeline Infrastructure In PA   [PaEN] 

-- Natural Gas Pipeline Pigging Facility Malfunction Dec. 27 Released 1.1 Million Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas; Same Facility Plagued Community With Blowdowns 3 Times A Day, 7 Days A Week For Nearly 10 Years Until Criminal Charges Brought Against CNX   [PaEN] 

-- Oil & Gas Industry Impacts: Navy Veterans Patrick & Helen Robinson Relate Their 7-Year Struggle Dealing With Impacts Of Mariner East Pipeline Construction In Indiana County, And They Continue   [PaEN]

-- Oil & Gas Industry Impacts: Cambria County Family Sues Sunoco After 3 Years Of Dealing With Damage To Home, Well, Septic System, Property From Mariner East Pipeline Construction   [PaEN]

-- Citizen Complaints Result In DEP Issuing PA General Energy More Violations At Loyalsock Creek Gas Pipeline/Water Withdrawal Construction Site In Lycoming County  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Counties, PEMA Need To Include A Complete Vulnerability Assessment Of All Natural Gas Facilities In State, County Hazard Mitigation Emergency Plans - By Cat (Cathy) Lodge, Washington County Resident   [PaEN]

-- DEP: Shell, Pipeline Contractor Assessed $670,000 Penalty For Falcon Ethane Pipeline Construction Violations In Allegheny, Beaver, Washington Counties   [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Attorney General Henry Charges 2 With Criminal Risking Catastrophe Charges Related To Work On Natural Gas Pipeline In Lawrence County; Pipelines Have Worst Environmental Compliance Record In PA [PaEN]

-- Center For Coalfield Justice: Nearly 11 Months Since An EQT Shale Gas Well Frac-Out Left Residents Near New Freeport, Greene County Without Clean Water; DEP’s Investigation Not Complete  [PaEN]

-- Earthworks Submits Video Evidence To DEP Of More Air Pollution Violations By Gas Flares At Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shell CEO Said Beaver County Petrochemical Plant Startup ‘Niggles’ Will Last Through 2023

-- Environmental Groups Circulate Petition Asking Dept. of Health, University Of Pittsburgh For Update On Studies Of Health Impacts Of Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities  [PaEN]

-- DEP Environmental Justice: State Dept. of Health, CDC Launch Environmental Public Health Tracking Program  [PaEN] 

-- Senate Hearing: Wholesale Electricity Prices Too Low To Support Coal, Natural Gas Power Plants In Market; Natural Gas Reliability Issues Will Continue  [PaEN]

[Posted: May 5, 2023]  PA Environment Digest