Oil spills hit on land, too: Aging pipelines imperil Midwest - CSMonitor.com
U.S. pipelines at a crossroads | MNN - Mother Nature Network
But not everyone is so impressed with that record. According to the PHMSA's own statistics, pipeline accidents kill or hospitalize at least one person in the U.S. every 6.9 days on average, and cause more than $272 million in property damage per year. Critics often blame weak regulations as well as lax enforcement
Regulators weigh more rules for natural gas pipelines | Reuters
Many pipelines date to the 1960s or earlier and old lines are rarely retired. The overall length of active U.S. pipelines has grown more than 20-fold since the 1920s.
As part of its safety push, the department is also asking for feedback about the need to reduce operating pressure for some pipelines that are more than 40 years old.
Pipeline safety has actually improved sharply over the past 20 years. But from 2006 through 2009 U.S. oil and gas pipeline accidents killed 56 people, caused $1.2 billion in property damage and spilled 381,000 barrels of oil, government data shows.
Recent oil spills from TransCanada's Keystone pipeline, as well as Exxon Mobil's Silvertip line, have also raised concerns about the environmental risks posed by crude oil pipelines.Earlier this year, the Senate commerce committee approved legislation that would raise fines against reckless operators of petroleum and natural gas lines and require automatic shut-off valves to prevent oil spills and gas explosions.
