Just the Reality: Pipeline Safety Official Admits He’d Avoid Buying A Home Near Pipelines Like Keystone XL A federal pipeline safety official admitted on camera recently that he made a point of ensuring his home wasn’t in the path of any pipelines before buying it, and that he wouldnt advise anyone to build in the path of a pipeline. The official, Bill Lowery, is responsible for community assistance and technical services for the southwest region of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) [1]. At a Public Safety Trust conference [2] on Nov. 21, Lowery was asked, Knowing what you know about the problems in the Keystone XLs construction, what would you do if your house was in its path? His answer: Here is what I did when I bought my house — I looked on all the maps, I looked for all the well holes. I found there is nothing around me but dry holes and no pipelines. And its not because Im afraid of pipelines, its not because I think something will happen. Its because something could happen. ... Youre always better off, if you have a choice.... He trailed off before finishing his sentence, but added that, If I was building a house, I wouldnt build it on a refinery, ... I wouldnt build it on a pipeline, because theyre all industrial facilities. Thats just the reality. Watch video of PHMSA’s Bill Lowery explaining what measures he took to keep his own family safe from pipelines, and the reality of pipeline risks: “Lowerys answer was not terribly reassuring to those along the Keystone XL route, inferring they should have done their due diligence before settling in,” said Ramsey Sprague, spokesperson for the Tar Sands Blockade [3]. “Lowery expects the public to trust that regulators will keep them safe, although he himself doesnt trust it enough to buy property near a pipeline.” TransCanadas Keystone 1 pipeline had 14 leaks in its first two years of operation and the southern route of Keystone XL has suffered a rash of anomalies caused by construction code violations documented in a report by the advocacy group Public Citizen [4]. CBS News confirmed (Preview) [5] construction violations in an investigative report. President Obamas decision on the northern route is expected in early 2014. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) released a report [6] in October pointing out that PHMSA spends more time at industry conferences than on-site at incidents. Jeffery Wiese, an associate PHMSA administrator, countered the report with a letter [7] stating PEER misinterpreted data. However PEERs report raises legitimate concerns [8] about PHMSAs attendance at such events, given that PHMSAs own representatives are quick to point out their staff are stretched thin in their attempt to regulate the vast pipeline network in the United States — a network that is continually growing, while the number of regulators stays the same. Carl Weimer, Executive Director of the Public Safety Trust speaking in New Orleans ©Julie Dermansky Members of the Tar Sands Blockade confronted PHMSA with their concerns about Public Citizens damning report calling for new hydrostatic testing of the southern route of the Keystone XL. They questioned Lowery about what was being done to ensure the pipelines integrity in light of the high number of repairs made before the pipeline was even put into use. Lowery told them he was pretty sure TransCanada was required to do some kind of additional testing after fixing all the anomalies, but was unsure of what kind. However, on June 17th, TransCanadas spokesman Shawn Howard confirmed in an email [9] a new hydrostatic test is not required after the anomalies are fixed. Howard explained, “All replacement pipe sections are pre-hydrotested in the same manner as the pipeline prior to installation. The final tie-in welds are tested using radiation technology in combination with ultrasonic technology. The welds are subject to an approximately 24 hour delay prior to non-destructive examination being performed. The pipeline is then re-inspected on an inspection frequency of every 3-5 years during.” Tar Sands Blockade hold up a message for PHMSA in New Orleans French Quarter ©2013 Julie Dermansky When asked if the same company that created the problems should be trusted to do the repairs, Lowery said, I dont know if they should be trusted, but there is a certain level of oversight we are funded for. When asked how many inspections were done while the repairs were being made, Lowery replied, For any thumbs up or thumbs down questions you need to file a Freedom of Information Act (request). Despite two warning letters sent by PHMSA to TransCanada on September 10th [10] and 26th [11], TransCanada intends to put the southern end of the pipeline into operation by the end of the year. The letters cite TransCanada for not following construction specifications, which led to anomalies, and point to TransCanadas alarming welding record. Of the 205 welds in a single section of the pipeline, 50% have failed. Similar warning letters [12] were sent by PHMSA [13] to TransCanada about the Bison pipeline in 2011. The Bison Pipeline ruptured [14] six months after it was put into service in Wyoming. In both cases, PHMSA chose not to fine TransCanada, nor did they enforce remedial actions to ensure the pipeline’s integrity. When asked, PHMSAs Community Assistance & Technical Services managers Bill Lowery and Harold Winnie won’t discuss PHMSA’s regulatory power: PHMSAs mandate [15] is to keep the public safe. The agency can fine companies that are not in code compliance and even recommend the companies be prosecuted. The question is: if the agency has the teeth to protect the public, why isn’t it using them?
Posted on: Thu, 05 Dec 2013 02:51:09 +0000
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