Safety Risks of Unregulated Pipelines Concern State Agency

A state agency wants to regulate natural gas pipelines after a deadly explosion. Currently, no state or federal agency can inspect natural gas gathering lines in Oklahoma&nbsp;or investigate if there&#39;s an explosion.<BR><BR><A href="http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?S=9976019" target=_blank>Pipeline Explosion Reveals Lack of Regulation</A>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<A href="http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?S=9350659" target=_blank>Is There a Pipeline in Your Neighborhood?</A>

Wednesday, July 29th 2009, 9:53 pm

By: News 9


By Amy Lester, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A state agency has stepped forward asking for the position to monitor the currently the unregulated natural gas pipelines in Oklahoma.

Currently, no state or federal government agency can inspect natural gas gathering lines in Oklahoma or investigate if there's an explosion, even if it's deadly. The Corporation Commission wants to change that.

"We don't want anyone to get hurt, so we'd kinda like to know where some of these pipelines are," said Brooks Mitchell, Corporation Commission appointing authority.

The gas lines are not on the commission's maps, and no one knows where they are, except the companies. Those companies are the only ones keeping an eye on them.

"We don't seem to have a problem with operators maintaining and taking care of their system, but what if we had a problem where people were not maintaining their pipelines," said Dennis Fothergill, Corporation Commission pipeline safety manager.

The commission met with people from pipeline companies to explain why it wants to regulate thousands of miles of natural gas pipeline and to help push a bill that died last session. The bill would give the agency the ability to regulate the natural gas pipelines that the federal government does not monitor.

The commission said it wants to eliminate accidents like the one that occurred last November when a pipeline ruptured in Alex and destroyed three homes and seriously burned one woman.

"Maybe it gives us the opportunity to go out and inspect them or you know look at companies records to make sure they're properly maintained," Mitchell said.

The bill would also allow the commission to investigate an accident like the one in November. Naturally pipeline companies have concerns about how the regulation would work, what it would cost and the impact on their business.

"Both sides came out saying, 'well we're going to work together and see if we can work forward on crafting something that everyone involved can accept,'" said Matt Skinner, Corporation Commission.

Wednesday's meeting was the first of many to come as part of a legislative study to see how this bill can become a reality.

If the bill passes, the commission won't be able to just do whatever it wants. Every new rule must go through hearings and votes, before it's put on the books.

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