http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/national/regional/nj-pipeline.html

  

April 27, 2000

Federal Panel Clears Plans for Gas Pipeline in New Jersey

By  ROBERT HANLEY

HACKENSACK, N.J., April 26 -- In a policy switch, the federal government has conditionally approved plans for a 90-mile natural gas pipeline in New Jersey that has been denounced for months by Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, the state's Congressional delegation and officials of the 33 towns along its proposed route.

   The new order, issued on Tuesday by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, keeps in place some environmental hurdles that the commission set last December. The stiffest of those requires that all state environmental permits for the entire project be granted before any piece of it can be built.   

The order also requires that the proposed line's owner and builder, the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation, obtain ironclad, 10-year sales contracts, not just tentative agreements, for the line's new gas supplies.

      But the approval also lifted a major federal obstacle that the commission imposed four months ago, and dashed the early optimism of the pipeline's foes, who said in December that they thought their campaign had all but blocked the $529 million project.

      Mrs. Whitman's spokesman, Peter McDonough, said today that the governor was "terribly, terribly disappointed" and had ordered the state's attorney general, John J. Farmer Jr., to challenge the order in a federal appeals court in Washington.

      "We will fight it as forcefully as we can," Mr. McDonough said. "It's an unneeded project."

      An ardent opponent of the project in Congress, Bill Pascrell, a Democrat from Paterson, called the project ill conceived and speculative. "This battle is far from over," he said in a statement. "By no means are we waving a white flag." He said he was considering an appeal in the federal courts.

      Gary Lauderdale, senior vice president of Transcontinental's parent company, Williams Companies, said it was pleased with the commission's decision and eager to work with state and federal agencies to have the pipeline constructed in an "environmentally responsible manner."

     The commission said it approved the project, intended to transport 700 million cubic feet of gas a day to New Jersey and the New York City area, because of growing demand in the deregulated gas market, spot shortages of gas in recent months, recent sharp increases in heating oil prices, and 18 gas-fired electrical generating stations proposed in New Jersey to meet peak summer power demands.

     Governor Whitman and the other critics contend that existing natural gas supplies and pipeline systems are sufficient to satisfy present demands and future growth.

     Initially, the Transcontinental project was part of a bigger proposed pipeline system that would link the New Jersey-New York City region to a major natural gas hub outside Chicago. Vast new supplies of gas from the Canadian Rockies are to reach that hub this fall through a pipeline now under construction.

     Transcontinental and other gas companies had planned to open the Northeast to that Canadian gas with new lines running from the Chicago hub to Defiance, Ohio, then from Defiance to another major natural gas hub in Leidy, Pa., and from there into New Jersey and New York City.

      In an interim order last December, the regulatory commission said the pipeline companies had not proved there was sufficient demand for new gas supplies near segments of the proposed pipeline in Indiana, Ohio and western Pennsylvania. At the time, those companies proposed selling the bulk of the gas to subsidiaries. The commission declined to accept such sales as proof of viable new markets and refused to grant a permit for any part of the Chicago-to-New Jersey project until the pipeline companies found independent, unaffiliated buyers for at least half of the gas in the Midwest and western Pennsylvania.

      In December, the commission was satisfied  with Transcontinental's proposed list of customers in the New Jersey-New York area and its arguments that a market existed for gas to be transported on a segment of the proposed line from Leidy. But it refused to approve the Leidy-to-New Jersey piece of the project until its sales conditions for the Midwestern segments were met.

      Transcontinental appealed in January and asked the commission to review its pipeline separately and not as the final link of a Chicago-to-New Jersey system.

      In its policy reversal on Tuesday, the commission granted the request and considered the Transcontinental part on its own. It also said it would dismiss the applications for the pieces of the line from Chicago to Leidy unless the pipeline companies proposing them meet, by June 25, the sales requirements set in December.

      A spokesman for Transcontinental, Chris Stockton, said there was sufficient natural gas now reaching the Leidy hub from the Gulf of Mexico, Texas and other parts of the country to supply the proposed New Jersey line.

 

 

PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL INTERESTED GROUPS

The Community University Consortium
for Regional Environmental Justice
proudly announces

WORKSHOPS FROM THE FIELD 2000:
COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
MAY 19TH-21ST, 2000
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, NEWARK, NJ

Featuring the "Bucket Brigade" community based air pollution monitoring
project that is BUSTING toxic industries throughout the world!  Presented by
Communities for a Better Environment (CBE).

The registration deadline is Monday, May 1st
Scholarship Funds are available.

See http://www.cucrej.rutgers.edu/html/conference_flyer.htm
for on-line registration and scholarship application

The Community/University Consortium for Regional Environmental Justice
(CUCREJ) invites you to join us for the 2nd "Workshops from the Field:
Community-Based Research for Environmental Justice" Conference at the
Rutgers Law School in Newark, New Jersey from Friday, May 19th to Sunday,
May 21st.  As the environmental justice movement has expanded in the last
decade, community-based expertise, research, and campaigns have been
responsible for the bulk of the movement's successes.  Despite the proven
success of community-based research, most researchers and policy-makers
still fail to consider the community when identifying and addressing
environmental justice problems.  Some of the methods and innovations in
research developed by our communities are still foreign to others facing
the same issues.

"Workshops from the Field" seeks to address these problems by focusing on
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workshop will focus on two cases where community-based research has been
done, providing attendees with a detailed, workshop-specific training
workbook for use during the conference and afterward in your work back
home.  The conference will also feature key plenaries and a poster/caucus
session where researchers, communities, and local governments can
highlight their capabilities and needs.

Hi List,

I have been battling the natural gas pipeline in our state for quiet
sometime, and the headlines in our local paper was not well received by me
this am.  "PIPELINE APPROVED FOR NEW JERSEY".  "A Texas based natural gas
pipeline won final federal approval Tuesday to build a controversial 155
mile gasline through Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  At a hearing in
Washington, the Transcontinental Gas Line Co., (Transco) received a
certificate of construction after it jettisoned 2 partners that kept the
project from moving forward."

Transco wants the public advocates to believe that is the only reason they
were turned down by FERC.  Whereas, the meeting in Washington, DC, in
December, listed resolutions that had were suppose to met before anything
went forward.  Have these resolutions been met?  Does anyone know anything
about this approval?

Thanks "STOP", the pipeline in NJ and the country,
Lynn










At 06:12 PM 4/25/00 -0000, you wrote:
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>To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>safepipelines-unsubscribe@onelist.com
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>There are 5 messages in this issue.
>
>Topics in this digest:
>
>      1. Oped: Soaked by Oil (Washington Post)
>           From: lne@...
>      2. Editorial: Longhorn pipeline highlights safety needs
>           From: lne@...
>      3. Urgent: Pipeline stories needed!
>           From: Susan Harper <sharper@...>
>      4. Secretary Slater Announces Proposal on Pipeline Integrity Management
>           From: "Annette Smith" <vce@...>
>      5. WORLD PETROLEUM CONGRESS-JUNE 11-15
>           From: Denny Larson <cbebucket@...>
>
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>Message: 1
>   Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 14:08:58 -0400
>   From: lne@...
>Subject: Oped: Soaked by Oil (Washington Post)
>
>Note: I spoke to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's legislative director, and
>they would like to be helpful, particularly with activating their
>membership and talking to basin (primarily MD, VA, PA) legislators.
>
>Lois
>---------------------- Forwarded by Lois Epstein on 04/24/2000 02:07 PM
>---------------------------
>
>From: Lisa Swann on 04/24/2000 11:17 AM
>
>The 'To:' list is long.  Place document in edit mode (by double-clicking
>      anywhere in it) to review the 'To:' list.
>cc:
>Subject:  Oped: Soaked by Oil by William Baker
>
>
>---------------------- Forwarded by Lisa Swann on 04/24/2000 11:17 AM
>---------------------------
>                             News from the Net
>Date:               04/24/2000
>EDF Program:   PPA
>Publication:        Washington Post
>Headline:      Oped: Soaked by Oil by William Baker
>EDF Quoted:
>Reporter:      Oped
>Soaked by Oil
>
>
>
>Sunday , April 23, 2000 ; B08
>
>It will be years, if ever, before sections of the Patuxent River recover
from the oil spill at Pepco's
>Chalk Point Generating Station in Aquasco, Md.
>
>Once again we see the images and hear the stories of birds and animals
coated, of marshes soaked, of
>creeks flooded, of commercial fishermen put out of work by spilled oil.
Once again we hear officials
>say things that sound vaguely medical about a beloved river--words like
"containment," "best
>standards," "response and prevention" and "long-term remediation."
>
>On a recent night, in the volunteer fire station at Benedict, in the
shadow of the Chalk Point station's
>cooling towers and down river from the spill, hundreds of people gathered
to hear these words. And
>they also heard these from Bernie Fowler, a former state senator and
apostle for the river: "Can any of
>you tell me that this will never happen again?"
>
>There was no one foolish enough to make such a promise to Sen. Fowler. So
perhaps we are destined
>to learn these lessons, and to hear these words yet again. If that is so,
let us take the most wisdom we
>can from this go around. We haven't all that many rivers to lose.
>
>The spill reaffirms that whenever oil, water and wildlife mix, the result
is devastating. Swanson Creek
>and all that lived in it, where the oil first collected, may be nearly
dead. Nearly 50 acres of marshes,
>where the pipeline broke and the spill began, are oil soaked. "Trashed,"
said one state official. In the
>river rockfish, white perch, yellow perch, shad and herring are going
about their spring business of
>making the future. How will their offspring be affected?
>
>Otters, muskrats, frogs and water snakes are feeding as the days warm.
Will they bear long-term
>damage? Eagles, ospreys and herons are tending eggs and nursing chicks.
What about them? Some
>have died, and all are at risk. In the mud are the worms and clams. On the
reefs are the oysters. In the
>boats are the watermen. On the docks and by the shore are the parents and
the children. None will be
>free from some type of impact.
>
>Pepco seems to have learned a lesson from Exxon's shameful performance
after the Exxon Valdez hit
>a rock in Alaska more than 10 years ago and spilled its cargo. Pepco
President John Derrick stood
>squarely before the crowd and said he, and his company, were "profoundly
sorry" and would take full
>responsibility. He spoke sincerely, directly. He did not duck hard
questions. "We are here for the long
>haul for this," he said, adding, "There is no question about that."
>
>Yet was there another lesson Pepco could have learned, one about
prevention? About going beyond
>the required standards? About just not being sorry?
>
>Pipeline breaks are not rare. Last year, 159 pipeline accidents spilled
6.5 million gallons of chemicals,
>killed four people, injured 19, and caused approximately $30.5 million in
property damage nationwide.
>
>Now, as the oil slides away from its pursuers, we learn again just how
slippery oil is when it is on the
>loose in water. And we learn again how important it is to keep it
contained if a spill should happen. It is
>clear that the response to this spill may have been quick at first, but it
was not well managed, nor was it
>well coordinated.
>
>There was not enough of the right kind of equipment or of well-trained
people, even though Pepco had
>an approved response plan. It met the standard. But when the wind blew, it
blew away the standard,
>and so it seems there is another lesson to learn. "The standard" is not
adequate to protect the
>environment.
>
>We all must do better in the future. We at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
stand ready and willing to
>help.
>
>--William C. Baker
>
>is president and CEO of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
>
>                       © 2000 The Washington Post Company
>_______________________________________________
>|-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------|
>|Created By:      |Lisa Swann       |Created On:      |04/24/2000       |
>|                 |                 |                 |10:30:29 AM      |
>|-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------|
>|Last Modified By:|Lisa Swann       |Last Modified On:|04/24/2000       |
>|                 |                 |                 |10:31:16 AM      |
>|-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------|
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>      Lois N. Epstein, P.E.
>      Senior Engineer
>      Environmental Defense (Washington, DC)
>      lepstein@...
>
>
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>Message: 2
>   Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 14:09:19 -0400
>   From: lne@...
>Subject: Editorial: Longhorn pipeline highlights safety needs
>
>
>---------------------- Forwarded by Lisa Swann on 04/24/2000 01:29 PM
>---------------------------
>                             News from the Net
>Date:               04/22/2000
>EDF Program:   Ecosystem Restoration
>Publication:        San Antonio Express-News
>Headline:      Editorial: Longhorn pipeline
> talk highlights safety needs
>EDF Quoted:
>Reporter:      Editorial
>http://www.mysa.com/pantheon/homebase/hbcommentary/2302kpipeline1ed0423nz.s
html
>
>Editorial: Longhorn pipeline
>                 talk highlights safety needs
>
>                 (Last updated Saturday, Apr 22, 2000)
>
>                 Controversy over attempts to reopen a 50-year-old
>                 pipeline to transport oil from Houston to El Paso has
>                 cast a timely spotlight on pipeline safety and related
>                 environmental hazards.
>
>                 A battle is raging in Austin over plans to reopen the
>                 Longhorn Pipeline.
>
>                 Critics voice reasonable fears of leaks contaminating
>                 Austin's groundwater sources.
>
>                 The pipeline passes by numerous schools and dense
>                 population pockets where spills could be disastrous.
>
>                 Texas Land Commissioner David Dewhurst has
>                 wisely decided not to grant easements for the pipeline
>                 until operators make a convincing case for the
>                 pipeline's safety. Chalk one up for Dewhurst.
>
>                 The issue is important for all Texans because of the
>                 state's many pipelines. Residents of Karnes County
>                 got firsthand experience with pipeline dangers in
>                 March when a 39-year-old natural gas line exploded
>                 under U.S. 181, closing the road for two days.
>
>                 Meanwhile, the Austin American-Statesman reports
>                 that the Longhorn dispute is under way as the law
>                 funding the federal Office of Pipeline Safety nears
>                 expiration and is being reconsidered by Congress.
>
>                 The newspaper notes the office has blocked state
>                 efforts to monitor safety of interstate pipelines,
>                 claiming that job as federal turf.
>
>                 Clearly, that stance makes little sense, particularly
>                 when the federal office lacks adequate resources to
>                 do the job properly.
>
>                 Vice President Al Gore and some lawmakers are
>                 pushing legislation to improve pipeline safety. Gore
>                 wants to increase inspections in densely populated
>                 areas and increase fines for spills.
>
>                 Texans should get behind efforts to ensure pipelines
>                 carrying oil and natural gas are well-maintained and
>                 safely operated.
>
>                 In addition, the state needs more power to enforce
>                 safety standards on interstate pipelines passing through
>                 Texas.
>_______________________________________________
>|-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------|
>|Created By:      |Beth Hudson      |Created On:      |04/24/2000       |
>|                 |                 |                 |12:41:39 PM      |
>|-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------|
>|Last Modified By:|Beth Hudson      |Last Modified On:|04/24/2000       |
>|                 |                 |                 |12:42:15 PM      |
>|-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------|
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>      Lois N. Epstein, P.E.
>      Senior Engineer
>      Environmental Defense (Washington, DC)
>      lepstein@...
>
>
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>Message: 3
>   Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 12:17:48 -0700
>   From: Susan Harper <sharper@...>
>Subject: Urgent: Pipeline stories needed!
>
>(please feel free to pass this along)
>Dear Advocate for Pipeline Safety,
>
>The recent National Pipeline Safety Reform Conference held in Washington
>DC on April, 9 through 11, was both a wonderful beginning and, for me,
>an eye-opening experience of the depth and breadth of pipeline problems
>facing the citizens of this country and the lack of oversight of these
>systems.  Further, the lack of knowledge about this problem is to say
>the least, severe.  Across the country thousands of people have horrific
>stories, but no one knows about anyone else’ so no one knows how big the
>problem really is.
>
>We want to influence Congress and the Senate to change the status quo,
>yet our legislators are in the dark too.  We need to empower our cause
>by getting our stories out there – letting the public know how
>bad/dangerous/unfair/inept/greedy, etc. these pipeline companies and
>their pipelines (whether existing or proposed) are. And to let everyone
>know that no one is minding the store, i.e. how the Office of Pipeline
>Safety utterly has failed to carry out its mission and why.
>
>When we were walking the halls of Congress, congressional aides kept
>asking us for stories; they wanted concrete examples of pipeline
>horrors.  They were hungry for them.  Without the stories it is hard to
>get their attention.  Out of sight in this case is really out of mind.
>Therefore, we are requesting that each of you (or a designated member of
>your group) send us your stories.  We would like to put them together in
>a booklet and distribute it nationwide on the anniversary of the
>Bellingham tragedy (June 10th).  We believe that bringing together the
>stories from all over the nation will highlight the immensity of this
>problem and demonstrate to our citizens the dire need for change.
>
>In our “Pipeline Expose” we would also like to include stories from
>people from other states who could not attend the conference.
>
>Please email or send your stories a.s.a.p. (use May 30th as the absolute
>deadline, but the sooner the better).  Don’t worry if you don’t have
>time to polish them or perfect them.  Anne Bricklin, a CCA Board member,
>has volunteered to edit the collection.  She is well capable of doing
>this since she is not only a nurse, an attorney and environmental
>activist, but also, she has graduate level writing credentials and is a
>published author.  Even if you only have time to send “just the facts,”
>please do so.  She will put them into story form for you.
>
>Here are the ways you can submit your stories:  email:
>sharper@...  fax: (206) 728-1289  or regular mail:
>Cascade Columbia Alliance, P.O. Box 2635, Seattle, WA  98111-2635.  If
>you have questions please call me at (206) 728-1289.
>
>Thank you for taking the time to work on this important issue that
>effects all of us.  Together we make a big difference!
>
>Warmest Wishes,
>Susan Harper
>Executive Director
>Cascade Columbia Alliance
>
>
>
>
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>Message: 4
>   Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 20:18:27 -0400
>   From: "Annette Smith" <vce@...>
>Subject: Secretary Slater Announces Proposal on Pipeline Integrity Management
>
>U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
>Office of the Secretary ~ Office of Public Affairs
>Washington, DC 20590
>-----------------------------------------------------
>For Immediate Release
>Monday, April 24, 2000
>Contact: Patricia Klinger
>Tel.: (202) 366-4831
>RSPA 10-00
>
>U.S. Transportation Secretary Slater Announces
>Proposed Rule on Pipeline Integrity Management
>In High Consequence Areas
>
>        U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater today announced a
>Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) proposal that would
>provide extra protection to pipelines in the most sensitive areas where a
>pipeline failure could pose the greatest threat to people and the
>environment.
>
>        The proposed regulations would step up inspection and safety
>standards for hazardous liquid pipelines in "high consequence areas"
>(HCAs) such as populated areas, areas that are considered highly
>susceptible to environmental damage, and commercially navigable waterways.
>
>        "Safety is President Clinton and Vice President Gore's highest
>transportation priority," Secretary Slater said.  "We continue to be
>committed to protecting lives and the environment.  This proposed rule
>will improve our ability to fulfill that commitment, especially in areas
>where pipelines could pose the greatest threat to people and the
>environment."
>
>        The proposed rule would require pipeline operators to develop and
>follow a safety program including continuous evaluation of pipelines
>through internal inspections, pressure testing or other testing.  The rule
>would apply to liquid pipeline operators operating 500 or more miles of
>pipeline used for the transportation of hazardous liquids.  Consequently
>it would affect nearly 87 percent of federally-regulated hazardous liquid
>pipelines.
>
>        The Department's Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) will enforce the
>regulations.  RSPA plans to propose increased safety requirements for
>small hazardous liquid and natural gas transmission pipeline operators in
>separate rules.
>
>        "Pipelines are one of the safest means to transport hazardous
>liquids, and we must be sure to minimize the potential damage to
>pipelines," said Kelley S. Coyner, Administrator of DOT's Research and
>Special Programs Administration, the agency that oversees the federal
>pipeline safety program. "These proposed measures will improve our ability
>to identify damage to pipelines in high-risk areas and step up our safety
>measures so we can prevent pipeline failures in the future and ensure the
>safe transportation of hazardous liquids."
>
>        The proposed rule is in today's Federal Register.
>
>                                ###
>
>        Visit the DOT Public Affairs Web Site at:
>                http://www.dot.gov/briefing.htm
>
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>Message: 5
>   Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 07:35:28 +0000
>   From: Denny Larson <cbebucket@...>
>Subject: WORLD PETROLEUM CONGRESS-JUNE 11-15
>
>REPLY TO: Jeffrey James Emmett <jeffjim@...>
>
>My name is jeff, I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I've just joined this
>list, I saw it while I was poking around on the moles site. I just wanted to
>let everyone know about the World Petroleum Congress which will be in
>Calgary between June 11-15 this summer. The conference is a chance for oil
>people from around the world to share information about how to further their
>industry. Representatives from all the major oil companies and oil exporting
>nations will be in attendence, there shoud be about 3000 delegates. The
>congress has its own site, search under World Petrleum Congress to find out
>more about the event.
>
>Anyway I just wanted to let you all know that this was happening and I'd
>like to invite you all up here to help us out. We will be doing what we can
>to raise awareness about climate change and the many human rights and
>environmnetal abuses that so many oil companies are a part of. It would be a
>shame to pass up this oppurtunity to get a positive message out.
>
>I'm sure something could be worked out to try and keep costs down for
>travelling activists. This, of course, will be a non-violent celebration.
>
>Hope to hear from you,
>
>jeff
>
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>________________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
>
>

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/page1/ledger/f4db9e.html
tuniti

Big gas pipeline clears a hurdle

04/26/00

By Jeffery C. Mays
STAFF WRITER

A federal agency, saying the company had met one of the key objections to the project, gave conditional approval yesterday to a much-disputed pipeline project that would run through 10 New Jersey counties.

 The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, meeting in Washington, D.C., said it was satisfied there was sufficient demand for natural gas in the New Jersey market for Houston-based Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corp. to proceed with its plan to run a 91-mile pipeline many residential neighborhoods of central and northern New Jersey.

 "Transco has adequately demonstrated market need," the commission said in a 60-page ruling.

 Until yesterday, demonstrating market need was one of the project's biggest hurdles. But in its ruling, FERC officials said Transco must deliver contracts showing that 100 percent of the pipeline's capacity is under contract before the project can begin.

 Even if Transco is able to provide the binding contracts, there are still a number of stringent contractual and environmental conditions that must be met.

 Opponents were surprised and angered by yesterday's ruling.

 "The last thing New Jersey needs is another gas pipeline, especially one that raises very important environmental and safety questions for the people who live and work near its proposed route," said U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.), through whose district part of the pipeline would pass. "While FERC has looked the other way when it comes to the concerns of New Jerseyans, I remain hopeful that the state will find grounds to stop the Transco pipeline through New Jersey's legal system."

 Rep. William Pascrell (D-8th Dist.) also was angered by the ruling.

 "While we are not pleased that FERC decided to ignore the strong argument we have made against this speculative and ill-conceived project, this battle is far from over," said Dave Filippelli, Pascrell's legislative director. The pipeline would run through part of Pascrell's North Jersey district.

 The ruling is similar to one FERC made in December that imposed a series of 100 environmental standards, including posting a $1 million bond for any environmental damage and hiring environmental monitors and an ombudsman to deal with complaints from residents. Those conditions still have to be met.

 Houston-based Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corp. had originally proposed a $585 million regional project called MarketLink that would transport an additional 700 million cubic feet of gas daily to New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

 The expanded line would fold into the company's existing 10,500-mile network that carries natural gas from the Gulf of Mexico to the Northeast. Transco already transports two-thirds of the natural gas used in New Jersey.

 Yesterday's ruling split Transco from its two partners in the MarketLink project and limits the project to 91 miles through 31 municipalities in 10 New Jersey counties -- Bergen, Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Union and Warren.

 For the last two years, homeowners, environmental experts and politicians throughout the state have opposed the project, saying it is not needed and would pose a safety risk because it would pass through densely populated areas and damage wetlands and parks.

 Land use, development and endangered species also would be harmed, the opponents have said.

 Transco officials said the project is needed to meet increasing demands in the Northeast. The company says its current pipelines are at 100 percent capacity.

 Transco officials could not be reached for comment.

 In its ruling, FERC said too many of the original contracts Transco offered as proof that there was a demand for the project allowed clients an escape clause. Transco must file evidence with its new contracts that there are no market-related "out clauses rendering the contract nonbinding," FERC ruled.

 FERC officials could not be reached for comment.

 "Transco has to come back with 100 percent of executed contracts and not contracts with their affiliates or subsidiaries. That's something they don't have," Filippelli said. "Transco may see this as a victory, but there are still strict conditions to be met."

 In November, Gov. Christie Whitman threatened to sue if the project was approved, saying that there was no demand for the pipeline and that it would destroy acres of preserved and protected open space and wetlands.

 Filippelli said Pascrell was willing to take the case to federal court if necessary, but it's still not clear what the next move would be.

 Options include seeking a stay of yesterday's ruling or filing another appeal.

 "This project is not in the best interests of New Jersey, and we will continue to make that case," Filippelli said.

  

---

© 2000 The Star-Ledger. Used with permission.

 

Communities for a Better Environment's Northern California Office has moved
from SF to Oakland

NEW ADDRESS/CONTACTS NUMBERS:

Communities for a Better Environment (CBE)
1611 Telegraph #450
Oakland, CA  94612

phone 510-302-0430
fax 510-302-0437

REPLY TO: Jeffrey James Emmett <jeffjim@...>

My name is jeff, I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I've just joined this
list, I saw it while I was poking around on the moles site. I just wanted to
let everyone know about the World Petroleum Congress which will be in
Calgary between June 11-15 this summer. The conference is a chance for oil
people from around the world to share information about how to further their
industry. Representatives from all the major oil companies and oil exporting
nations will be in attendence, there shoud be about 3000 delegates. The
congress has its own site, search under World Petrleum Congress to find out
more about the event.

Anyway I just wanted to let you all know that this was happening and I'd
like to invite you all up here to help us out. We will be doing what we can
to raise awareness about climate change and the many human rights and
environmnetal abuses that so many oil companies are a part of. It would be a
shame to pass up this oppurtunity to get a positive message out.

I'm sure something could be worked out to try and keep costs down for
travelling activists. This, of course, will be a non-violent celebration.

Hope to hear from you,

jeff

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary ~ Office of Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20590
-----------------------------------------------------
For Immediate Release
Monday, April 24, 2000
Contact: Patricia Klinger
Tel.: (202) 366-4831
RSPA 10-00

U.S. Transportation Secretary Slater Announces
Proposed Rule on Pipeline Integrity Management
In High Consequence Areas

         U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater today announced a
Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) proposal that would
provide extra protection to pipelines in the most sensitive areas where a
pipeline failure could pose the greatest threat to people and the
environment.

         The proposed regulations would step up inspection and safety
standards for hazardous liquid pipelines in "high consequence areas"
(HCAs) such as populated areas, areas that are considered highly
susceptible to environmental damage, and commercially navigable waterways.

         "Safety is President Clinton and Vice President Gore's highest
transportation priority," Secretary Slater said.  "We continue to be
committed to protecting lives and the environment.  This proposed rule
will improve our ability to fulfill that commitment, especially in areas
where pipelines could pose the greatest threat to people and the
environment."

         The proposed rule would require pipeline operators to develop and
follow a safety program including continuous evaluation of pipelines
through internal inspections, pressure testing or other testing.  The rule
would apply to liquid pipeline operators operating 500 or more miles of
pipeline used for the transportation of hazardous liquids.  Consequently
it would affect nearly 87 percent of federally-regulated hazardous liquid
pipelines.

         The Department's Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) will enforce the
regulations.  RSPA plans to propose increased safety requirements for
small hazardous liquid and natural gas transmission pipeline operators in
separate rules.

         "Pipelines are one of the safest means to transport hazardous
liquids, and we must be sure to minimize the potential damage to
pipelines," said Kelley S. Coyner, Administrator of DOT's Research and
Special Programs Administration, the agency that oversees the federal
pipeline safety program. "These proposed measures will improve our ability
to identify damage to pipelines in high-risk areas and step up our safety
measures so we can prevent pipeline failures in the future and ensure the
safe transportation of hazardous liquids."

         The proposed rule is in today's Federal Register.

                                 ###

         Visit the DOT Public Affairs Web Site at:
                 http://www.dot.gov/briefing.htm

(please feel free to pass this along)
Dear Advocate for Pipeline Safety,

The recent National Pipeline Safety Reform Conference held in Washington
DC on April, 9 through 11, was both a wonderful beginning and, for me,
an eye-opening experience of the depth and breadth of pipeline problems
facing the citizens of this country and the lack of oversight of these
systems.  Further, the lack of knowledge about this problem is to say
the least, severe.  Across the country thousands of people have horrific
stories, but no one knows about anyone else’ so no one knows how big the
problem really is.

We want to influence Congress and the Senate to change the status quo,
yet our legislators are in the dark too.  We need to empower our cause
by getting our stories out there – letting the public know how
bad/dangerous/unfair/inept/greedy, etc. these pipeline companies and
their pipelines (whether existing or proposed) are. And to let everyone
know that no one is minding the store, i.e. how the Office of Pipeline
Safety utterly has failed to carry out its mission and why.

When we were walking the halls of Congress, congressional aides kept
asking us for stories; they wanted concrete examples of pipeline
horrors.  They were hungry for them.  Without the stories it is hard to
get their attention.  Out of sight in this case is really out of mind.
Therefore, we are requesting that each of you (or a designated member of
your group) send us your stories.  We would like to put them together in
a booklet and distribute it nationwide on the anniversary of the
Bellingham tragedy (June 10th).  We believe that bringing together the
stories from all over the nation will highlight the immensity of this
problem and demonstrate to our citizens the dire need for change.

In our “Pipeline Expose” we would also like to include stories from
people from other states who could not attend the conference.

Please email or send your stories a.s.a.p. (use May 30th as the absolute
deadline, but the sooner the better).  Don’t worry if you don’t have
time to polish them or perfect them.  Anne Bricklin, a CCA Board member,
has volunteered to edit the collection.  She is well capable of doing
this since she is not only a nurse, an attorney and environmental
activist, but also, she has graduate level writing credentials and is a
published author.  Even if you only have time to send “just the facts,”
please do so.  She will put them into story form for you.

Here are the ways you can submit your stories:  email:
sharper@...  fax: (206) 728-1289  or regular mail:
Cascade Columbia Alliance, P.O. Box 2635, Seattle, WA  98111-2635.  If
you have questions please call me at (206) 728-1289.

Thank you for taking the time to work on this important issue that
effects all of us.  Together we make a big difference!

Warmest Wishes,
Susan Harper
Executive Director
Cascade Columbia Alliance

---------------------- Forwarded by Lisa Swann on 04/24/2000 01:29 PM
---------------------------
                              News from the Net
Date:               04/22/2000
EDF Program:   Ecosystem Restoration
Publication:        San Antonio Express-News
Headline:      Editorial: Longhorn pipeline
  talk highlights safety needs
EDF Quoted:
Reporter:      Editorial
http://www.mysa.com/pantheon/homebase/hbcommentary/2302kpipeline1ed0423nz.shtml

Editorial: Longhorn pipeline
                  talk highlights safety needs

                  (Last updated Saturday, Apr 22, 2000)

                  Controversy over attempts to reopen a 50-year-old
                  pipeline to transport oil from Houston to El Paso has
                  cast a timely spotlight on pipeline safety and related
                  environmental hazards.

                  A battle is raging in Austin over plans to reopen the
                  Longhorn Pipeline.

                  Critics voice reasonable fears of leaks contaminating
                  Austin's groundwater sources.

                  The pipeline passes by numerous schools and dense
                  population pockets where spills could be disastrous.

                  Texas Land Commissioner David Dewhurst has
                  wisely decided not to grant easements for the pipeline
                  until operators make a convincing case for the
                  pipeline's safety. Chalk one up for Dewhurst.

                  The issue is important for all Texans because of the
                  state's many pipelines. Residents of Karnes County
                  got firsthand experience with pipeline dangers in
                  March when a 39-year-old natural gas line exploded
                  under U.S. 181, closing the road for two days.

                  Meanwhile, the Austin American-Statesman reports
                  that the Longhorn dispute is under way as the law
                  funding the federal Office of Pipeline Safety nears
                  expiration and is being reconsidered by Congress.

                  The newspaper notes the office has blocked state
                  efforts to monitor safety of interstate pipelines,
                  claiming that job as federal turf.

                  Clearly, that stance makes little sense, particularly
                  when the federal office lacks adequate resources to
                  do the job properly.

                  Vice President Al Gore and some lawmakers are
                  pushing legislation to improve pipeline safety. Gore
                  wants to increase inspections in densely populated
                  areas and increase fines for spills.

                  Texans should get behind efforts to ensure pipelines
                  carrying oil and natural gas are well-maintained and
                  safely operated.

                  In addition, the state needs more power to enforce
                  safety standards on interstate pipelines passing through
                  Texas.
_______________________________________________
|-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------|
|Created By:      |Beth Hudson      |Created On:      |04/24/2000       |
|                 |                 |                 |12:41:39 PM      |
|-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------|
|Last Modified By:|Beth Hudson      |Last Modified On:|04/24/2000       |
|                 |                 |                 |12:42:15 PM      |
|-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------|









       Lois N. Epstein, P.E.
       Senior Engineer
       Environmental Defense (Washington, DC)
       lepstein@...

Note: I spoke to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's legislative director, and
they would like to be helpful, particularly with activating their
membership and talking to basin (primarily MD, VA, PA) legislators.

Lois
---------------------- Forwarded by Lois Epstein on 04/24/2000 02:07 PM
---------------------------

From: Lisa Swann on 04/24/2000 11:17 AM

The 'To:' list is long.  Place document in edit mode (by double-clicking
       anywhere in it) to review the 'To:' list.
cc:
Subject:  Oped: Soaked by Oil by William Baker


---------------------- Forwarded by Lisa Swann on 04/24/2000 11:17 AM
---------------------------
                              News from the Net
Date:               04/24/2000
EDF Program:   PPA
Publication:        Washington Post
Headline:      Oped: Soaked by Oil by William Baker
EDF Quoted:
Reporter:      Oped
Soaked by Oil



Sunday , April 23, 2000 ; B08

It will be years, if ever, before sections of the Patuxent River recover from
the oil spill at Pepco's
Chalk Point Generating Station in Aquasco, Md.

Once again we see the images and hear the stories of birds and animals coated,
of marshes soaked, of
creeks flooded, of commercial fishermen put out of work by spilled oil. Once
again we hear officials
say things that sound vaguely medical about a beloved river--words like
"containment," "best
standards," "response and prevention" and "long-term remediation."

On a recent night, in the volunteer fire station at Benedict, in the shadow of
the Chalk Point station's
cooling towers and down river from the spill, hundreds of people gathered to
hear these words. And
they also heard these from Bernie Fowler, a former state senator and apostle for
the river: "Can any of
you tell me that this will never happen again?"

There was no one foolish enough to make such a promise to Sen. Fowler. So
perhaps we are destined
to learn these lessons, and to hear these words yet again. If that is so, let us
take the most wisdom we
can from this go around. We haven't all that many rivers to lose.

The spill reaffirms that whenever oil, water and wildlife mix, the result is
devastating. Swanson Creek
and all that lived in it, where the oil first collected, may be nearly dead.
Nearly 50 acres of marshes,
where the pipeline broke and the spill began, are oil soaked. "Trashed," said
one state official. In the
river rockfish, white perch, yellow perch, shad and herring are going about
their spring business of
making the future. How will their offspring be affected?

Otters, muskrats, frogs and water snakes are feeding as the days warm. Will they
bear long-term
damage? Eagles, ospreys and herons are tending eggs and nursing chicks. What
about them? Some
have died, and all are at risk. In the mud are the worms and clams. On the reefs
are the oysters. In the
boats are the watermen. On the docks and by the shore are the parents and the
children. None will be
free from some type of impact.

Pepco seems to have learned a lesson from Exxon's shameful performance after the
Exxon Valdez hit
a rock in Alaska more than 10 years ago and spilled its cargo. Pepco President
John Derrick stood
squarely before the crowd and said he, and his company, were "profoundly sorry"
and would take full
responsibility. He spoke sincerely, directly. He did not duck hard questions.
"We are here for the long
haul for this," he said, adding, "There is no question about that."

Yet was there another lesson Pepco could have learned, one about prevention?
About going beyond
the required standards? About just not being sorry?

Pipeline breaks are not rare. Last year, 159 pipeline accidents spilled 6.5
million gallons of chemicals,
killed four people, injured 19, and caused approximately $30.5 million in
property damage nationwide.

Now, as the oil slides away from its pursuers, we learn again just how slippery
oil is when it is on the
loose in water. And we learn again how important it is to keep it contained if a
spill should happen. It is
clear that the response to this spill may have been quick at first, but it was
not well managed, nor was it
well coordinated.

There was not enough of the right kind of equipment or of well-trained people,
even though Pepco had
an approved response plan. It met the standard. But when the wind blew, it blew
away the standard,
and so it seems there is another lesson to learn. "The standard" is not adequate
to protect the
environment.

We all must do better in the future. We at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation stand
ready and willing to
help.

--William C. Baker

is president and CEO of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

                        © 2000 The Washington Post Company
_______________________________________________
|-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------|
|Created By:      |Lisa Swann       |Created On:      |04/24/2000       |
|                 |                 |                 |10:30:29 AM      |
|-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------|
|Last Modified By:|Lisa Swann       |Last Modified On:|04/24/2000       |
|                 |                 |                 |10:31:16 AM      |
|-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------|









       Lois N. Epstein, P.E.
       Senior Engineer
       Environmental Defense (Washington, DC)
       lepstein@...

At last week's National Pipeline Safety Reform Conference we circulated the
following statement of the "Essentials of Pipeline Safety Reform." I have
addd #4 to the statement because at the conference we learned of the
outstanding success in furthering safety that Regional Advisory Councils,
made up of local governments and interest groups, have had in Alaska. We
hope to be able to use this to convince lawmakers to strengthen pipeline
safety during upcoming congressional action regarding the reauthorization
of the Office of Pipeline Safety. Please consider adding your
name/organizational endorsement to this statement. If you send a reply
email to me (safebham@...) I will add your name to the master
copy. Also please distribute this to as many people as possible. The more
names/organizations that sign on the better.

Thanks

Carl Weimer
SAFE Bellingham


	 ESSENTIALS OF PIPELINE SAFETY REFORM

To ensure that Congress and the Administration hear our concerns regarding
the current level of pipeline safety and environmental protection, we ask
that you add your name below, endorsing the following reforms:

1)  Allowing states to establish and enforce their own, more stringent,
pipeline safety and environmental protection standards for interestate
pipleines, as long as such standards do not compromise safety.

2)  Establish new and stronger federal standards governing pipeline
operations, including requirements for periodic testing, leak detection,
corrosion prevention, and "process safety management."

3)  Improving community right-to-know, including an enhanced pipeline spill
database, and a national database with pipeline segment accident and
inspection histories, prevention strategies used, and potential release
scenarios.

4)  Development of a series of well funded Regional Advisory Councils, made
up of representatives from local government and potentially impacted
groups, to advise the pipeline companies, and state and federal regulators,
on all aspects of pipeline operations in their region.


I, ________________________  (representing ________________________),
support the four measures listed above to improve pipeline safety and
environmental protection.

Date:  _____________________

Address:  ___________________________

It looks like we are getting a lot of double messages posted. I'm not sure
why this is happening, but I am trying to find out. It appears that some
people are sending messages to both safepipelines@egroups.com, and
safepipelines@onelist.com. This will definitely cause double postings. I
think it is best to send only to the egroups address.

Sorry for the computer overload, but it is better than if no one was saying
anything.

Thanks

Carl Weimer
SAFE Bellingham

Please send an email message that all of us can forward to all of our local
lists briefly describing the outrageous decision to re-start the pipeline
and giving everyone an email address where they can send their comments in
opposition to the re-start--I know folks in Austin would respond..let's
overwhelm whomever made this ridiculous decision!
Brigid Shea
-----Original Message-----
From: Frank James MD <frankjamesmd@...>
To: safepipelines@onelist.com <safepipelines@onelist.com>
Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 9:29 AM
Subject: [safepipelines] Whatcom Thoughts on Pipelines


>From: Marian Beddill <beddill@...>
>Reply-To: WhatcomCreek@egroups.com
>Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 00:28:21
>To: WhatcomCreek@egroups.com
>Cc: (Brier Dudley - Seattle Times) bdudley@...
>Subject: Re: [WhatcomCreek] News on reopening pipeline - Why not!
>
> I propose that the Olympic Pipeline in Whatcom and Skagit Counties from
>the point of the Skagit valve to Whatcom Falls Park never be re-opened,
>because it is LESS safe now than even before the break.   It is far more
>likely to fail again -- and neither the smart-pigs nor a hydrostatic test
>will adequately identify the problem.  The only physical solution is a
>complete replacement of the pipe between those two points.  (Not discussing
>the operator or management failures.)  Neither OlyPipe not the agencies
have
>called for this action.
>
>Here's why.
>
>If you want to break a piece of thin steel, you can do it by bending it
back
>and forth.  The flexing causes crystalline cracking of the metal, which
goes
>on until the fatigue (the technical term) is sufficient to separate the
>piece at the bend-line you created.  I'll bet you've done that with
>tin-cans, rods, etc.
>
>Now, hold that thought....
>
>Look at a significant quote from that article:  (thanks, Frank)
>>>Although the NTSB is still investigating, it has disclosed some
>>>apparent factors in the accident: The pipeline had external damage,
>>>control computers may have malfunctioned and a safety valve may
>>>have failed, allowing a pressure wave to race upstream until the pipe
>>>burst at a weak spot in Whatcom Falls Park.
>
>My emphasis is on two phrases:
>  ".... pressure wave to race upstream ...."
> and
>  ".... a safety valve may ...."
>
>First; "pressure wave":
>This was the result of the phenomonon called "water-hammer" (which can
>happen in any fluid).  Definition: A sudden closure of a valve with fluid
>flowing fast through a pipe suddenly stops the mass of fluid like a freight
>train hitting a granite wall - creating an alternate compression of the
>fluid (read: HIGH PRESSURE) well above the normal --- and a reduction of
the
>pressure.   It pulses from very high to very low -- maybe even pulling a
>suction.  This is ordinary fluid dynamics 301.
>
>It zigs-and-zags from high to low pressure - pressure up-and-down - the
>pipe-wall is pushed out and in - flexed back-and-forth ---
>
>Uh-oh!.
>
>What's that method of weakening steel you just agreed you know about?
>Flexing?
>
>Second; "safety valve"?:
>That was a journalistic misnomer.  It was actually a "block valve".  In
>usual hydraulics terminology a  "safety valve" (like on top of your
>hot-water heater) is a discharge-waiting-to-happen.  If pressure goes high,
>it OPENS and lets some fluid flow OUT, thus relieving some pressure.   That
>is NOT what OlyPipe had at the Skagit facility - they had a "block valve",
>which is simply an on-off valve, like between the street and your house.
>When it shuts, flow stops and nothing goes anywhere.  The difference is
>critical, because only a BLOCK valve can cause the pressure wave.  So maybe
>the naming was not a journalistic slip, but a crafted sound-byte piece of
>spin.   Mr. Dudley, can you clarify your source?
>
>The pressure waves were what caused the actual break, in my professional
>opinion as a hydraulics research engineer experienced in exactly these
>processes.  ( I may be the only local resident who has actually and
>purposely blown up a large high-pressure pipeline just to record the
failure
>point ).  The pressure spike would have gone WELL ABOVE even the
hydrostatic
>test pressure they used last year when the other section broke.  It flexed
>the pipe walls - dozens or hundreds of cycles before the weakest spot
>finally broke - at the lowest elevation (highest head).  Flexed the pipe
>walls  -- Flexed the pipe walls  -- Flexed the pipe walls  -- Flexed the
>pipe walls  -- weakening them through the crystalline degradation - but the
>other weakest spots didn't get a chance to actually fail - yet.
>
>The question is not whether, but when, the next failure will occur.
> * It will be between Whatcom Creek and the Skagit control-station - the
>section which was subjected to the severe surges;
> * It will be near either a bend or joint;
> * It will likely be a longitudinal seam failure;
> * It will be at a low elevation - near a creek or river crossing;
> * It will again wreak havoc with the petroleum-products dumped.
>
>Will it kill again?  Do you want to know?
>
>Marian Beddill
>
>At 10:53 PM 4/17/00 -0700, you wrote:
>>PIPELINE MAY RESTART
>>They still don't know why the gas pipeline exploded in Bellingham last
year,
>>killing three, but it appears federal regulators are going to let Olympic
>>Pipeline Co. restart the line anyway. Also, the company still is refusing
to
>>use water pressure tests on its line as it passed underneath various
>>Eastside cities. The Seattle Times' Brier Dudley has the latest.
>>http://www.seattletimes.com/news/local/html98/pipe14m_20000414.html
>>
>>
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Avoid the lines and visit avis.com for quick and easy online
>reservations. Enjoy a compact car nationwide for only $29 a day!
>Click here for more details.
>http://click.egroups.com/1/3011/2/_/821252/_/956068194/
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>safepipelines-unsubscribe@onelist.com
>
>
>
>

From: Marian Beddill <beddill@...>
Reply-To: WhatcomCreek@egroups.com
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 00:28:21
To: WhatcomCreek@egroups.com
Cc: (Brier Dudley - Seattle Times) bdudley@...
Subject: Re: [WhatcomCreek] News on reopening pipeline - Why not!

  I propose that the Olympic Pipeline in Whatcom and Skagit Counties from
the point of the Skagit valve to Whatcom Falls Park never be re-opened,
because it is LESS safe now than even before the break.   It is far more
likely to fail again -- and neither the smart-pigs nor a hydrostatic test
will adequately identify the problem.  The only physical solution is a
complete replacement of the pipe between those two points.  (Not discussing
the operator or management failures.)  Neither OlyPipe not the agencies have
called for this action.

Here's why.

If you want to break a piece of thin steel, you can do it by bending it back
and forth.  The flexing causes crystalline cracking of the metal, which goes
on until the fatigue (the technical term) is sufficient to separate the
piece at the bend-line you created.  I'll bet you've done that with
tin-cans, rods, etc.

Now, hold that thought....

Look at a significant quote from that article:  (thanks, Frank)
>>Although the NTSB is still investigating, it has disclosed some
>>apparent factors in the accident: The pipeline had external damage,
>>control computers may have malfunctioned and a safety valve may
>>have failed, allowing a pressure wave to race upstream until the pipe
>>burst at a weak spot in Whatcom Falls Park.

My emphasis is on two phrases:
   ".... pressure wave to race upstream ...."
  and
   ".... a safety valve may ...."

First; "pressure wave":
This was the result of the phenomonon called "water-hammer" (which can
happen in any fluid).  Definition: A sudden closure of a valve with fluid
flowing fast through a pipe suddenly stops the mass of fluid like a freight
train hitting a granite wall - creating an alternate compression of the
fluid (read: HIGH PRESSURE) well above the normal --- and a reduction of the
pressure.   It pulses from very high to very low -- maybe even pulling a
suction.  This is ordinary fluid dynamics 301.

It zigs-and-zags from high to low pressure - pressure up-and-down - the
pipe-wall is pushed out and in - flexed back-and-forth ---

Uh-oh!.

What's that method of weakening steel you just agreed you know about?
Flexing?

Second; "safety valve"?:
That was a journalistic misnomer.  It was actually a "block valve".  In
usual hydraulics terminology a  "safety valve" (like on top of your
hot-water heater) is a discharge-waiting-to-happen.  If pressure goes high,
it OPENS and lets some fluid flow OUT, thus relieving some pressure.   That
is NOT what OlyPipe had at the Skagit facility - they had a "block valve",
which is simply an on-off valve, like between the street and your house.
When it shuts, flow stops and nothing goes anywhere.  The difference is
critical, because only a BLOCK valve can cause the pressure wave.  So maybe
the naming was not a journalistic slip, but a crafted sound-byte piece of
spin.   Mr. Dudley, can you clarify your source?

The pressure waves were what caused the actual break, in my professional
opinion as a hydraulics research engineer experienced in exactly these
processes.  ( I may be the only local resident who has actually and
purposely blown up a large high-pressure pipeline just to record the failure
point ).  The pressure spike would have gone WELL ABOVE even the hydrostatic
test pressure they used last year when the other section broke.  It flexed
the pipe walls - dozens or hundreds of cycles before the weakest spot
finally broke - at the lowest elevation (highest head).  Flexed the pipe
walls  -- Flexed the pipe walls  -- Flexed the pipe walls  -- Flexed the
pipe walls  -- weakening them through the crystalline degradation - but the
other weakest spots didn't get a chance to actually fail - yet.

The question is not whether, but when, the next failure will occur.
  * It will be between Whatcom Creek and the Skagit control-station - the
section which was subjected to the severe surges;
  * It will be near either a bend or joint;
  * It will likely be a longitudinal seam failure;
  * It will be at a low elevation - near a creek or river crossing;
  * It will again wreak havoc with the petroleum-products dumped.

Will it kill again?  Do you want to know?

Marian Beddill

At 10:53 PM 4/17/00 -0700, you wrote:
>PIPELINE MAY RESTART
>They still don't know why the gas pipeline exploded in Bellingham last year,
>killing three, but it appears federal regulators are going to let Olympic
>Pipeline Co. restart the line anyway. Also, the company still is refusing to
>use water pressure tests on its line as it passed underneath various
>Eastside cities. The Seattle Times' Brier Dudley has the latest.
>http://www.seattletimes.com/news/local/html98/pipe14m_20000414.html
>
>

PIPELINE MAY RESTART
They still don't know why the gas pipeline exploded in Bellingham last year,
killing three, but it appears federal regulators are going to let Olympic
Pipeline Co. restart the line anyway. Also, the company still is refusing to
use water pressure tests on its line as it passed underneath various
Eastside cities. The Seattle Times' Brier Dudley has the latest.
http://www.seattletimes.com/news/local/html98/pipe14m_20000414.html

Subject: McCain bill

      Friday, April 14, 2000, 12:00 a.m. Pacific


McCain offers his version of safety bill

by John Hendren
Seattle Times Washington bureau

WASHINGTON - Pipeline-safety legislation gained a key ally in Congress
yesterday as Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain offered his own
version and named it after two boys who died in the aftermath of last year's
Bellingham pipeline explosion.

Congressional oddsmakers view McCain's measure as the most likely to
succeed, since he is chairman of the Senate committee with jurisdiction over
pipeline issues. The Arizona Republican set a rapid schedule, planning to
hold a hearing on the bill on May 11 and to have amendments approved by the
end of May.


http://www.seattletimes.com/news/local/html98/bill14m_20000414.html

This article follows up on the oil pipeline leak outside of Washington DC.
Residents are advised not to:  use beaches, allow pets or livestock in the
area, harvest fish or crabs, or handle wildlife such birds or animals.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/000417/dc_md_pepc_1.html

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

The following the story is from Albany, New York's Capital District Business
Review about a proposal to subsidize the construction of natural gas
pipelines in eastern New York.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2000/04/17/story3.html

Hi all:
Below are the first paragraphs from a series of stories that ran today in
the Austin American-Statesman. The entire stories may be read at the
associated URLs. Lots of good stuff here.

Carl



http://www.austin360.com:80/news/1metro/2000/04/16pipelines_001.html

  Several lines cross Central Texas, but they go unnoticed -- until an
accident happens

By Christian Davenport - American-Statesman Staff
Posted: April 16, 2000

They are three feet below the surface, a labyrinth of steel veins that pump
oil and gasoline from one end of the country to the other under houses,
schools and rivers. Although they carry hazardous materials, the nation's
pipelines are undoubtedly the safest way to transport the products that
modern society depends on to fuel cars, heat homes and light stoves.
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http://www.austin360.com:80/news/1metro/2000/04/16pipelines_002.html

Chance of spills

By Christian Davenport - American-Statesman Staff
Posted: April 16, 2000

Texas has more than 250,000 miles of pipeline that carry natural gas, crude
oil and other refined products. The state has more miles of pipeline than
any other state, and Texas has about one-sixth of all the pipelines in the
country. Between 1984 and 1999 there were 1,654 accidents, which killed 46,
injured 339 and caused nearly $138 million in damage.
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http://www.austin360.com:80/news/1metro/2000/04/16pipelines_003.html
Safety measures

By Christian Davenport - American-Statesman Staff
Posted: April 16, 2000

Longhorn says its line is safe.

The company points to a preliminary study conducted for the EPA that
concluded that its pipeline will have "no significant impact" on the
environment or human safety as long as Longhorn completes 34 "mitigation
measures." The company has agreed, for example, to frequently inspect
pipeline segments in populated or environmentally sensitive areas. It will
also perform periodic internal testing of the line to test its strength and
detect flaws and cracks; replace the old pipe over the Edwards Aquifer with
new, thicker-walled pipe; and install a special leak-detection and control
system over the aquifer.
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http://www.austin360.com:80/news/1metro/2000/04/16pipelines_004.html

Deadly accident

By Christian Davenpor - American-Statesman Staff
Posted: April 16, 2000

Soon after the calls started flooding all 10 of Kaufman County's 911 lines
in August 1996, Don Lindsey, the county fire marshal and emergency
coordinator, told his staff to set up for mass casualties.

A pipeline carrying liquid butane had broken near the town of Lively,
southeast of Dallas, and it was gushing out with such force that "you could
hear the hissing from miles away," Lindsey said.
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http://www.austin360.com:80/news/1metro/2000/04/16pipelines_005.html

Same problems

By Christian Davenport - American-Statesman Staff
Posted: April 16, 2000

In the East Texas town of Devers, four people died when the car they were
in drove into, and ignited, a vapor cloud after a backhoe had hit a
pipeline, which was carrying a liquid mix of ethane and propane. In a press
release a year after the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board
said it "demonstrated the
need for faster action by the U.S. Department of Transportation on a series
of pipeline safety recommendations dating back more than five years."

That was in 1976.

Nearly 25 years later, the safety board is still criticizingthe federal
government for failing to properly regulate pipelines and implement
important safety measures.

Hi all:

Here is an excellent review of the National Pipeline Safety Reform
Conference that Annette Smith from Vermonters for a Clean Environment
posted to her list.

Also for those of you wondering how to post material to this list all you
have to do is address it to: safepipelines@egroups.com


      National Pipeline Safety Reform Conference
On April 9 and 10, VCE's executive director Annette Smith attended the
first National Pipeline Safety Reform Conference in Washington D.C.

  Participants included Mayors, Fire Marshalls, Attorneys, Industry
Lobbyists, Statisticians, Environmental Organizations, Citizens Groups,
Pipeline Accident Investigators, Doctors, Politicians, Parents of Children
killed by pipeline explosions, Landowners, Representatives of State, City,
and Federal governments, and News Media.  More than 30 presentations
detailed experiences with the pipeline industry.  Natural gas, oil,
propane, and gasoline pipelines were included in the discussion.  CNN is
planning to follow up with extensive coverage of pipeline safety in the
United States.

  People from Alaska, Washington, California, Texas, Minnesota, Illinois,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Georgia, Florida, Washington
state and the District of Columbia converged on Washington to share their
experiences.  In most cases, local communities led by courageous citizens
and their government officials demonstrated how they have been dealing with
concerns about new siting, construction, maintenance, operation, safety
inspections, aging pipelines, and a lack of coordination and cooperation
between the pipeline industry and the communities in which they operate.

  The impetus for the conference was what happened in Bellingham, Washington
on June 10, 1999 when a pipeline exploded.  Three children were killed.
  But the reason for national action on pipeline safety is what has happened
in the 10 months since that tragedy.  A doctor from the community of 65,000
talked about how the people are continuing to suffer.  Firefighters, police
officers, and paramedics are traumatized.  The parents of the children who
were killed described seeing their children burned over 90% of their
bodies, orange in color, walking out of the burned-out park in which they
had been playing, still able to talk.  14 hours later they were dead.  They
still don't know why this tragedy occurred.

  The state of Washington, which has more than 30,000 miles of pipelines,
has taken the lead in finding out what happened and making sure it never
happens again, anywhere.  What they have learned about the pipeline
industry and the federal government's failure to regulate it to ensure
public safety has outraged them.

  The pipeline industry falls under the jurisdiction of the federal
government.  For siting issues, the regulatory agency is the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission [FERC].  Safety issues fall under the Office of
Pipeline Safety [OPS].  Accidents are investigated by the National
Transportation Safety Board [NTSB].  States have limited powers to regulate
pipelines within their borders.  Safety and inspection of Intrastate
pipelines is subsidized by state taxpayers who pay 50 percent of the cost.
  OPS recently announced that it intends to phase out state's rights to
regulate pipelines over the next 3 years.

  OPS has a staff of 105 people, with about 45 field inspectors to police
1.7 million miles of oil and natural gas pipelines nationwide.  OPS has
repeatedly failed to act on Congressional mandates and NTSB
recommendations, failed to fund inspection technology research adequately,
maintained erroneous and inadequate accident data, failed to train its
field inspectors or establish certification requirements for pipeline
operators.

  Massive leaks and tragic explosions are far more common that the industry
wants the public to know.  The pipeline industry has faced no meaningful
reform for decades -- in fact regulations have been relaxed in recent
years.  Currently there is no requirement for old pipelines to be replaced,
ever.  There are no requirements for regular testing of pipelines with
"smart pigs", a device that identifies anomalies when it runs through a
pipeline.   If a pipeline company does a test and finds an anomaly, there
is no requirement to share that information with the community in which it
is located or to dig it up.  If they do dig it up, there is no requirement
that they replace sections that show anomalies.  In fact, there are no maps
of pipelines, and many communities have no idea what kinds of pipelines
they have running through their towns and cities or where they are located.
  There is no national policy to repair or rebuild an aging system that
transports more than a million miles of hazardous fuels throughout our
country.

  We learned beyond a shadow of a doubt that the pipeline industry is not
regulated, and has fought regulation with the immense power of its money.
  It is urgently in need of reform.   Bob Rackleff, President of the
National Pipeline Reform Coalition, said in his Keynote Address "it makes
little sense to let an industry expand when it has shown itself unfit to
operate safely what it already has."

  … The National League of Cities adopted a resolution calling for Pipeline
Safety Improvements at its meeting December 4, 1999.
  … The National Governors Association passed a resolution calling for
reform of the Office of Pipeline Safety at their Winter, 2000 meeting.
http://www.nga.org/Pubs/Policies/NR/nr20.asp
  … Two bills, H.3558 and S.2004, have recently been introduced in Congress
calling for Pipeline Safety reforms.
  … On April 11, Vice President Al Gore announced comprehensive legislation
to reform the industry.

  Frank King is the father of one of the children who died.  He speaks with
passion, focus, and outrage while his wife sobs quietly by his side.  Wade
was the light of his life, and Frank describes seeing his son walking out
of the park with melted skin dripping off his fingertips.  Instead of
cooperating with federal officials, the operators of the pipeline have
taken the Fifth Amendment.  The pipeline company is still operating.  On
Friday, April 7, the pipeline company sued the city of Bellingham, claiming
the city was responsible for the explosion.  Mr. King asked the
representative of the Office of Pipeline Safety who was present at the
conference to hold accountable the pipeline company that is responsible for
the death of his son.  He wants them shut down until OPS and NTSB can tell
him why his son died and assure him that it won't happen again. The OPS
representative was without answers, except to tell him that the pipeline
company will continue to operate.  Mr. King does not want his son to have
died in vain.  And he does not want anyone else to go through what he and
his community are going through.

  Of the pipeline industry, Frank King says "they lie, they are arrogant,
they are outrageous."

  The outrage of the people state of Washington is tangible; their sorrow is
deep.  They will not rest until they see meaningful change in an industry
that is out of control.

  Vermont is fortunate that we have so few pipelines within our state.  But
continuing efforts by industry to get into and through Vermont with their
high-pressure, hazardous natural gas pipelines represent a true and real
threat to our safety if they succeed.  The citizens of southwestern Vermont
have experienced some of the tactics of a pipeline company.  They came into
our communities and told us that if the pipeline crosses our land, we can
get gas for $5,000; they told us that they will put gas service in a little
town with 10 houses, but it will be expensive, it will cost them $70,000.
  We now know that these statements are false.  The interaction at the
Washington Conference has made it clear to VCE that this is how this
industry operates.

  If this pipeline company will lie to us about who will get the gas and how
much it will cost, how can we trust them when they tell us that they
construct the best pipelines in the industry and operate them in the safest
manner.  Why should we believe?  Why should we trust them with our
children?  The best thing that Vermont could do for its citizens is to have
a committee formed by the governor and address these issues BEFORE they
occur; not AFTER.

  What Can YOU Do?

  Contact your Representatives to the U.S. Congress and ask them to
co-sponsor H.3558 and S.2004.

ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Division of Spill Prevention and Response
Prevention and Emergency Response Program
SITUATION REPORT

INCIDENT NAME: Tesoro Pipeline Terminal

SITREP #: 1

SPILL NUMBER #: 00239910401

LEDGER CODE #: requested

TIME/DATE OF REPORT: 04/13/00

LOCATION: Tesoro Plant #1

TYPE/AMOUNT OF PRODUCT SPILLED: Diesel Jet A, Tesoro estimated 2000 gallons

CAUSE OF SPILL: Overpressurization at the pipeline manifold blew a strainer
cap, fuel released from strainer.

TIME/DATE OF SPILL: 04/13/00

POTENTIAL RESPONSIBLE PARTY (PRP): Tesoro

CURRENT SITUATION: An estimated 2000 gallons of Jet A fuel were released
inside a concrete secondary containment underneath the strainer. The
containment overflowed and the product migrated onto an unlined gravel
surface within the terminal facility. The product also migrated to a slough
connected to Cook Inlet. The leak is controlled and liner isolated.

Tesoro and A.P.C. responded to spill site with 3 vacuum trucks, 2 pumping
product near source of leak and 1 at the slough. Absorbent boom has been
deployed within slough and containment boom will be deployed.

A.F.D. responded and is currently on standby with foam.

FUTURE PLANS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Recover surface fuel on gravel and water
surfaces. Soil cleanup plans

will be initiated after containment and surface fuels recovered.

WEATHER: Clear and 47 F, winds calm,

COMMAND POST LOCATION: 555 Cordova Street, Anchorage, A.D.E.C. Office

UNIFIED COMMAND AND PERSONNEL:

<Picture>Incident Commander . Jack Neff,
Tesoro<Picture>F.O.S.C.<Picture>S.O.S.C. John Bauer<Picture>Field S.O.S.C.
John Bauer

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: John Bauer @ 269-7522

Bob Shavelson
Cook Inlet Keeper
P.O. Box 3269
Homer, AK 99603
(907) 235-4068
(907) 235-4069
bob@...
http://www.inletkeeper.org

Here are a few new pipeline articles that have showed up in the past couple
days. I have just included the first couple paragraphs - the entire
articles are available at the included URLs

Carl



http://www.lawnewsnetwork.com:80/stories/A21082-2000Apr12.html

Slick Tactics Mark Texas Pipeline Battle

By Ron Eckstein - Legal Times
April 13, 2000

A battle over federal approval for a Texas oil pipeline has been as twisted
as a Lone Star cyclone.

The Navajo Refining Co., previously fined almost $2 million for its
environmental transgressions, has teamed with greens to spout the virtues
of federal environmental laws to sue a competitor, Longhorn Partners
Pipeline. Via a pipeline not used since the early 1990s, Longhorn hopes to
transport gasoline into a market served by Navajo.

______________________________________________________________________________

http://www.oregonlive.com:80/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/news/oregonian/00/04/nw_3
1pipe11.frame

http://www.spokane.net:80/news-story-body.asp?Date=041100&ID=s789975&cat=
The Oregonian & The Spokane Review - 4/13

Pipeline safety rules proposed Clinton plan would increase requirements,
stiffen penalties

Associated Press -

WASHINGTON -- A proposal by President Clinton would boost safety
requirements for pipeline operators, stiffen penalties for violators and
give the public more information about pipeline safety and accidents.

The proposal, obtained by The Associated Press on Monday, also would open
the door for a greater state role in regulating pipelines, both through
analyzing new construction of pipes and in investigating pipeline accidents.

"The improvements in this bill assure that pipeline operators are more
accountable to the public for the risks they impose," Transportation
Secretary Rodney Slater said in a letter accompanying a draft of the
proposal.

________________________________________________________________________________
__

http://www.seattlep-i.com:80/national/pipe144.shtml

McCain introduces pipeline safety bill

Move 'guarantees' quick Senate action

Friday, April 14, 2000

By JOHN HUGHES - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John McCain, acting in response to last year's
Bellingham pipeline explosion, yesterday introduced legislation that would
boost pipeline safety requirements, increase training for pipeline
operators and make more information about pipelines available to the public.

The move by the Arizona Republican increases chances for a pipeline safety
bill to be passed this year, Washington state lawmakers say.

The former presidential candidate is chairman of the Senate Commerce
Committee, the panel with jurisdiction over pipeline issues. Washington
state's senators, Republican Slade Gorton and Democrat Patty Murray, are
co-sponsors.

"It really guarantees action quickly in the Senate," Cynthia Bergman,
Gorton's spokeswoman, said of McCain's action.

"The King and Tsiorvas Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2000" is named
for two of the three youths who died following a pipeline leak and
explosion last year in Bellingham.

Pipeline Reform Summit in Washington,  D.C.
Industry lobbyist takes  notes for OPS
GOVERNMENT: Official shrugs off potential  conflict of interest.

Khurram Saeed, The Bellingham Herald

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Just when it looked like it couldn't get any worse for
the federal Office of Pipeline Safety, it did.

The head of OPS told a reporter Monday that a lobbyist for a natural gas
association had been taking notes about pipeline safety reform on OPS'
behalf for the past two days at a national pipeline conference.

OPS, the agency responsible for overseeing the nation's interstate
pipelines, has been at the center of fierce criticism by pipeline activists
over the years for being too close to the fuel industry. That cozy
relationship has put corporate profits above public safety, pipeline
reformers contend.

Some conference speakers laughed out loud and shook their heads in
disbelief when told that Richard Felder was relying on the Interstate
Natural Gas Association of America for information about the conference.

"It's perfect," said Virginia attorney Jim Pates, an outspoken and longtime
critic of OPS. "It reflects not only the closeness of the relationship, but
the insensitivity of how it appears to the public."

Felder dismissed any potential for conflict of interest even though his
agency monitors companies that belong to the gas association. He said he
knew half of the 50 people in the room and was familiar with their
concerns, thus the notes wouldn't tell him something he didn't already know.

"I'm not worried about getting the issues, because there's a roomful of
people who'll send them to me," Felder said after speaking at the
conference.

Earlier in the day, several speakers publicly questioned why OPS hadn't
sent a representative, such as a note taker or public relations person, to
the meeting that covered such topics as improving pipeline safety
standards, protecting whistleblowers and granting more authority to local
governments.

"It's a professional organization that should be listening to us," said
Susan Harper, head of a Puget Sound environmental group that fought Olympic
Pipe Line Co.'s proposed Cascade pipeline. "Whether they like us or not,
they should be here."

Terry Boss, vice president of safety and operations for the natural gas
association, said he was taking notes on his organization's behalf and
offered to share them with OPS.

"I'm just doing a favor," Boss said. "Would it be better for OPS to have
someone here or for OPS not to have someone here?"

Frank King, whose 10-year-old son was killed in last June's Bellingham
pipeline explosion, said it was ironic that officials from the agency that
needs to learn about pipeline safety the most weren't there in person for
the two-day conference.

"Their arrogance is evident everywhere we go," he said.

"It's perfect. It reflects not only the  closeness of the relationship, but the
insensitivity of how it appears to the  public."

Reach Khurram Saeed at 715-2274 or
ksaeed@.... com.

Pipeline Safety Agency Defended As "Dedicated Federal Employees"

By JEFF NESMITH / Cox Washington Bureau
04-13-00

WASHINGTON -- Despite mounting criticism, the government's Office of
Pipeline Safety is staffed by "dedicated federal employees" who are
determined to make sure oil and natural gas pipelines are safe, a top
Transportation Department official said Wednesday.

Kelley S. Coyner, head of the department's Research and Special Programs
Administration, which includes the pipeline safety office, said the
government has invested too little in ensuring the safety of the lines.

But she rejected statements made during a two-day "National Pipeline Safety
Reform Conference" this week that the office has taken a lax approach in
regulation of the hundreds of thousands of oil and natural gas pipelines
under its jurisdiction.

"What we have are a core group of people who have made a choice for public
service, who are dedicated federal employees and who have worked hard to
prevent damage to the environment and damage to people," Coyner said at a
news conference.

"I do not agree that the pipeline safety office has not contributed
strongly to ensuring the safe transportation of natural gas and petroleum
products," she added. "I think the safety record speaks for itself. There
has been a steady decline in the number of releases" of gasoline, oil and
natural gas.

She added that she did "agree with them in terms that we must give state
and federal inspectors the tools they need to ensure that pipelines are
safe and that the funding levels are too low."

At the pipeline reform conference, environmentalists, community
representatives and state and local officials expressed skepticism at the
government's safety statistics and anger over accidents involving pipelines.

The meeting was organized largely because of a gasoline pipeline explosion that
killed two boys and a teen-aged fly fisherman in Bellingham, Wash., last year.

A federal investigation of the accident is under way and, according to
speakers at the conference, several employees of the owner of the pipeline,
Olympic Pipeline Co.,invoked Fifth Amendment rights against
self-incrimination when questioned by investigators.

A parade of conference speakers from Florida to Alaska warned of
environmental damage from pipeline spills and unseen leaks.

The Clinton administration this week proposed new legislation to improve
pipeline safety and strengthen the authority of local and state officials
to police the lines.

The proposal was announced by Vice President Al Gore, the expected
Democratic presidential nominee.

"The pipeline safety legislation that the vice president has proposed will
raise the level of resources not only for the federal government, but for
states as well to make sure pipelines are safe," Coyner said.

Pipeline Critics Launch National Safety Campaign

By JEFF NESMITH / Cox Washington Bureau
04-11-00

WASHINGTON -- Citizen groups and state officials called Monday for sharply
increased regulation of the national network of underground pipelines that
carry millions of gallons of crude oil, gasoline and other hazardous
substances.

"There has been shameful neglect of safety by both industry and
regulators," Robert Rackleff, a county commissioner of Leon County, Fla.,
and a longtime pipeline critic, told participants in a two-day "National
Pipeline Safety Reform Conference."

The parents of two boys who died last year in the explosion of a gasoline
pipeline in Bellingham, Wash., also spoke and called for reform in memory
of their sons.

Frank King, whose son died in the explosion, brought tears to the eyes of
the audience when he described a bedside vigil at which doctors told him
10-year-old Wade, a Little League catcher, was dying.

"I remember leaning down by Wade's ear an whispering to him, 'It's okay to
go. There's a baseball game going on in heaven, and they need a left-handed
catcher.' "

Participants at the meeting said thousands of leaks in the 1990s had
damaged property, fouled natural areas and caused more than 200 deaths.

The meeting attracted representatives of community groups from Florida to
Alaska, as well as lawyers and land owners who are fighting pipeline
projects and local officials who say they are hamstrung by federal
officials who are biased in favor of the industry they are supposed to
regulate.

Organizers of the meeting asked participants to press their senators and
congressmen to support bills that would shift much responsibility for
policing more than 200,000 miles of crude oil pipelines from the federal
Office of Pipeline Safety to state officials.

A spokeswoman for the Association of Oil Pipelines, an industry group, said
that "devolving authority to the states is not going to enhance pipeline
safety."

She said unhappiness with pipelines is spreading, partly because of
construction of new lines and partly because of publicity about accidents,
but insisted that the industry has reduced the number of spills and leaks
in recent years.

Austin, Texas, lawyer Renea Hicks, who represents ranchers who are fighting
plans to use new and existing pipelines to pump gasoline across Texas from
Houston to El Paso, said pipeline projects tend to spawn unusual coalitions.

He said that the city of Austin and Texas's Lower Colorado River Authority
have joined environmentalists, ranchers and other conservative landowners
in questioning the Longhorn Partners Pipeline Co. proposal.

Ranchers tend to be "much more conservative in other areas of politics,"
Hicks said. When they are aligned with city and water authority officials,
"people cannot complain about there being environmental crazies out there,"
opposing the project, Hicks said.

Rackleff said intense media interest driven by recent pipeline leaks,
including the one leading to the Bellingham explosion, meant federal
pipeline reform legislation might be passed by Congress this year.

He said Office of Pipeline Safety statistics indicate more than 300 million
gallons have spilled from oil pipelines in the last decade, "and that does
not include nine out of 10 incidents."

Lois Epstein, an engineer with the national environmental group
Environmental Defense(cq) and an organizer of the meeting, cited a spill
last weekend from a fuel line near the nation's capital as evidence of lax
federal oversight. The leak, from a Potomac Electric Power Co. pipeline,
spilled more than 100,000 gallons of fuel into Maryland's Patuxent River
and surrounding wetlands.

"Pipeline ruptures like the one in Maryland are not isolated incidents,"
said Epstein. "The Maryland spill follows several major oil pipeline
ruptures this year that have had enormous environmental consequences."

Clinton Wants More Pipeline Safety


Updated 11:04 AM ET April 11, 2000

By JOHN HUGHES, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Clinton administration wants to boost safety
requirements for fuel pipeline operators, stiffen penalties for violators
and give the public more information about pipeline safety and accidents.

An initiative unveiled today by Vice President Al Gore also would give
states a larger role in regulating pipeline construction and investigating
pipeline accidents.

"These pipelines are vital to our economy, but without adequate safeguards,
they can pose a serious threat to our families and to our environment,"
Gore said.

The proposal, submitted to Congress for consideration, would create new
requirements for pipeline operators in densely populated regions and in
environmentally sensitive areas. Operators would have to conduct internal
inspections or "another equally protective method" to periodically
determine the strength of lines, and then act to address any flaws.

Operators would need to share maps, manuals and emergency response plans
with local communities to better prepare for emergencies. Information about
pipeline accidents and safety-related issues would be made available to the
public.

Penalties would be increased. Companies that overpressurize a pipeline,
causing the line to fail,
could face a fine of $500,000, rather than the $25,000 fine under current law.

Congress this year has been expected to reauthorize the Pipeline Safety
Act, a 1990 law that regulates the pipeline industry through the Department
of Transportation's Office of Pipeline
Safety.

Proponents of additional pipeline safety requirements said Monday that
bills similar to the administration's proposal, by Sen. Patty Murray,
D-Wash., and Rep. Jack Metcalf, R-Wash., are the best hope for safety
improvements in the short term.

But lawmakers said passage will not be easy. Metcalf said he is having a
hard time getting colleagues interested in buried pipelines.

"The phrase out of sight, out of mind, certainly applies when pipelines are
concerned," Metcalf cautioned allies at a conference on pipeline safety.

Turf wars slow pipeline safety
   SAFETY: Office of Pipeline Safety wants to cut states'
   power.

   Stephen Power, The Bellingham Herald

   WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As Washington state grapples with how it can
   prevent pipeline accidents like the one that rocked Bellingham last year,
   federal and state regulators are locked in a growing turf war over who should
   perform inspections on interstate fuel lines.

   In recent months, the U.S. Office of Pipeline Safety has told officials in
   Arizona and Nevada that they may no longer inspect interstate pipelines,
   except when the agency requests their help. As a result, officials in those
   states say they will be powerless to catch the kind of code violations that
   result in accidents like the one in Bellingham last June that killed two
   10-year-old boys and an 18-year-old man.

   "It doesn't make any sense," said Terry Fronterhouse, Arizona's chief
pipeline
   inspector. "We're here. We have people out in the field on a daily basis. If
   they see something wrong, they can get it stopped immediately."

   He said that Washington state inspectors, working with Olympic operators,
   might have been able to find the problem that caused the rupture and
   explosion last summer.

   As part of the U.S. Transportation Department, the Office of Pipeline Safety
   regulates more than 157,000 miles of hazardous liquid lines and more than 2.2
   million miles of natural gas lines throughout the country. Over the past six
   years, the agency has sharply limited the role states can play in policing
   interstate pipelines -- a trend that delights oil and gas interests,
which spend
   millions of dollars each year in campaign contributions to lawmakers.

   Federal regulators say they want states to focus on pipelines within their
   borders. The vast majority of accidents -- about 80 percent -- involve
   intrastate systems, such as natural gas lines that heat people's homes,
   according to federal records. Statistics also indicate most mishaps occur
as a
   result of third parties, such as construction crews that dig without checking
   for fuel lines.

   "Real threats to people and the environment are where people are," said
   Richard Felder, associate administrator of the Office of Pipeline Safety.
"I'd
   much rather have the state of Nevada putting its resources into Las Vegas --
   the fastest-growing city in America -- than conducting a standard inspection
   on an interstate pipeline in the middle of the desert."

   Until the mid-1990s, the Office of Pipeline Safety encouraged state
   governments to carry out inspections of interstate pipelines. As its
budget has
   grown from $17 million to $36.9 million for next year, the agency has
   gradually reduced the number of states with interstate authority from 14
to 7,
   a trend that delights oil and gas interests.

   State officials say that, with only 55 inspectors nationwide, the Office of
   Pipeline Safety still lacks the manpower to police pipeline companies.
   Arizona, which has been allowed to regulate interstate pipelines since the
   1980s, has not recorded a single accident involving an interstate line in the
   past four years, according to records. Nevada has recorded only two
interstate
   accidents in the past 20 years, according to its safety chief. Both
states also
   have received consistently high marks in audits conducted by the federal
   government.

   "It actually is somewhat disturbing to hear the Office of Pipeline Safety in
   Washington, D.C., telling the state of Nevada where it should be devoting its
   resources," said Daren Gilbert, Nevada's chief pipeline inspector. "We
believe
   clearly we're better off making those decisions."

   The agency's moves have attracted scrutiny recently from Washington state
   congressmen, who are pushing legislation that would allow states to set their
   own safety standards on interstate lines within their borders.

   "It's an inappropriate time for the Office of Pipeline Safety to be
curtailing
   states' pipeline safety efforts," said Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash. "I can only
   hope that as OPS attempts to restore public confidence in Washington state,
   communities such as Bellingham and cities along the pipeline route, they will
   encourage -- not discourage -- greater state and local participation."

   Although the number of pipeline accidents has remained steady recently --
   averaging 375 a year between 1996 and 1998, according to federal records --
   over-development has placed more homes and businesses near pipelines, most
   of which were buried decades ago. Property damage from spills also has risen,
   from $78 million in 1996 to $104 million in 1998, according to records.

   In Nevada, the number of gas service lines has grown 33 percent -- to roughly
   388,402 -- since 1995, even as the number of state inspectors has remained
   the same: three. But state officials say their proximity makes them more
   effective regulators than the Office of Pipeline Safety.

   "When the feds do inspections, it's well in advance. Everyone knows they're
   coming," Gilbert said. Pipeline operators "get their best crews out on
the job.
   They're all mindful and watchful of everything they do. You get a sanitized
   version of reality."

   Gilbert and Fronterhouse said their states plan to contest the federal
   government's decision to curb their enforcement powers. In a recent letter to
   federal regulators, the Arizona Corporation Commission called the agency's
   moves "unacceptable" and said they would "compromise the safety and
   integrity" of interstate pipelines in Arizona." The National Association of
   Pipeline Safety Representatives has condemned the agency's plan as
   "unconscionable."

   Felder said he does not view the current dispute as a turf war.

   "We don't want to cut the state off from participating," he said. "We see
their
   role as being able to provide us with information that's particular to
the locale.
   They're our eyes and ears."

   Reach Stephen Power at spower@... or call (703) 276-5806.

Below is part of an article out of the Austin Newspaper regarding the
proposed Longhorn Pipeline. The entire article can be read here:
http://www.austin360.com:80/news/1metro/2000/03/23pipeline.html


News in cooperation with the Austin American-Statesman


Pipeline denied rights on state land

Official says he'll withhold approval until he's convinced of safety

By Christian Davenport
American-Statesman Staff

Posted: March 22, 2000

Texas Land Commissioner David Dewhurst said
Wednesday that unless he is convinced the Longhorn
pipeline can safely transport gasoline across the state, he
will refuse to sign the necessary paperwork and possibly
kill the project.

Dewhurst said concerns about how the 50-year-old
pipeline could pollute the public's drinking water and
endanger the lives of those who live near its 700-mile
path from Houston to El Paso prompted him to refuse to
grant the pipeline easements across state land in eight
counties. The easements, or rights to operate on state
land, are required under state law.

The pipeline runs through several South Austin
neighborhoods, whose residents have demonstrated
against Longhorn Pipeline Partners' efforts to reopen the
line. Residents say they are wary of the threat it poses.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is
considering whether Longhorn can reopen the line or
whether more study is warranted. A decision is expected
in a few weeks.

Dewhurst's announcement made him the latest in a
growing number of high-profile public officials --
including U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, and Joe
Beal, the general manager of the Lower Colorado River
Authority -- who recently have opposed the pipeline and
tried to sway public opinion against it.

;
From: Carl Weimer <carlw@...>
Subject: Pipeline Policy from the National Governor's Association

Thought people might be interested in this new policy passed by the
National Governor's Association at their national meeting held in late
February. I believe we have Washington's Governor Locke to thank for this.

Carl



Improved Pipeline Safety

New Policy. Urges Congress to amend federal laws relating to natural gas
pipeline safety, authorizing states to establish safety standards for
interstate pipelines that do not conflict with, but may exceed, federal
standards. Asks Congress to direct the U.S. Department of Transportation's
Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) strengthen its rules on pipeline operation,
maintenance, and public reporting of spills and leaks as well as to reverse
its policy of declining to grant any additional states "agent" status for
interstate pipelines. Calls for increased funding for OPS to work in
partnership with states and for technology research and development.