Uninhabited areas are logical places to build oil and gas pipelines. Having fewer people in close proximity to a pipeline minimizes the number of people who face immediate danger if a pipe were to leak or burst. (In the long term, a pipe rupture would harm many more people over a greater area). As we continue to develop rural areas, the population densities of areas around previously isolated pipelines will increase.
To ensure the safety of growing populations near pipelines, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) created the “class location system.” Under this regulation, areas within 220 yards of a pipeline are divided into four distinct classes. Class 1 locations have 10 or fewer dwellings, and Class 2 locations have between 11 and 46 dwellings. Class 3 locations have more than 46 dwellings, or are in an area where the pipeline lies within 100 yards of a building or a small, well defined outside area (such as a playground, recreational, outdoor theater, or place of assembly) that is occupied for a specified number of days per year. An area is deemed Class 4 if there is a building with four or more stories within the 220 yard zone; the number of dwellings in the building is irrelevant for this classification. It is important to note that a dwelling does not necessarily house a single person; it could refer to a family of 6 living in one house.
An area’s class location can shift as population density increases, and as areas go up the scale, pipeline operators must adhere to stricter sets of safety standards. When a class location changes, “pipeline operators must either reduce the pipe's operating pressure to reduce stress levels in the pipe; replace the existing pipe with pipe that has thicker walls or higher yield strength to yield a lower operating stress at the same operating pressure; or where the class is changing only one class rating, such as from a Class 1 to Class 2 location, conduct a pressure test at a higher pressure. Operators can apply for special permits to prevent the need for pipe replacement or pressure reduction after a class location changes” (Federal Register). The class location system provides a much needed sense of accountability for pipeline operators to consistently assess their pipes as environments change.
Republican lawmakers are now looking to slash this regulation, along with many other Obama-era sustainability laws. Allowing pipeline companies to maintain faulty infrastructure in newly populated areas would endanger the unfortunate residents who are trying to raise families nearby. Recently PHMSA has noted many problems with the structural integrity of many pipes currently in use, including issues with low-strength materials, shoddy welding and lackadaisical pipeline assessments. This disregard for the safety of the surrounding population is inexcusable, and could lead to tragedies. Pipeline operators must be forced to conform to the highest safety standards.
The class location system of regulation is a sensible middle ground between banning pipelines in populated areas and permitting oil companies to put their profits over community safety. At its core this regulation asks that oil companies be mindful of their infrastructure in areas where a leak could cause an immediate and detrimental effect nearby residents’ quality of life of life.. This regulation does not address the environmental damage caused by pipelines; it simply aims to keep people safe. In 2013 Southern California Gas Company was forced to pressure test and in some areas replace 606 miles of of their 3,640 mile transportation system, as a result of their pipeline going through Class 3 areas. These 606 miles are now less of a threat to the environment and to the people living nearby.
In a world where technology has enabled us to harness energy from the sun and fly to the moon, pipeline companies must create and maintain their infrastructure to the highest safety standards.The resources to do so are readily available and should be viewed as a small price to pay to ensure public safety.
By Harrison Chalnick, Chapter Executive Committee Member