INFRASTRUCTUREBolstering the Safety of the U.S. Network of Pipelines Carrying Hazardous Materials

More than a half million miles of pipelines are used to transport natural gas, crude oil, liquid carbon dioxide, refined petroleum products, and an array of other flammable, toxic, or corrosive gases and highly volatile liquids across the United States. These transmission pipelines are one of the safest and most efficient modes for bulk transport of such freight. However, when ruptures do occur, the consequences can be catastrophic, with results potentially including explosion, fire, asphyxiation hazards, or discharge of toxic material into the environment. The time required for pipeline operators to access and close manual shutoff valves during a rupture incident can increase these risks. 

A new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine assesses regulatory standards and criteria for deciding when and if automatic and remote-control shutoff valves ― called rupture mitigation valves ― should be installed on existing hazardous liquid and gas transmission pipelines running through or near populated and environmentally sensitive areas. These valves are already required on new pipelines and pipeline segments to enable faster shutdowns in case of a rupture.

The report says the varying conditions and circumstances of existing pipeline systems mean that retroactive installations of rupture mitigation valves can differ greatly in feasibility, complexity, cost, and the benefits they confer. For these reasons, a broad-based requirement for rupture mitigation valves on existing pipelines is not currently advisable. The report offers recommendations for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Agency aimed at bolstering the use of quantitative models for evaluating risk, improving integrity management and verification processes, and increasing the body of technical guidance for industry.