API supports the development of PHMSA rule to address pipeline safety

Rorick stated: “Pipelines are extremely safe and 99.999% of the product reaches its destination without incident, but we’re not satisfied until 100% of our product reaches its destination without incident.

“That is why we have been working with the PHMSA and supported the development of an effective rule to address pipeline safety for liquids pipelines. We share the same objective of safe pipeline operations with PHMSA, however, we are concerned that this rule has the potential to decrease pipeline safety rather than improve it. We appreciate PHMSA taking into account our comments during the rulemaking process, and while this rule is an improvement over previous versions, the agency’s ‘one size fits all’ approach in portions of the final pipeline rule creates situations where industry will be forced to redirect its attention away from areas that present higher risks to those that are lower in risk.

“Pipeline operators work diligently and spend billions of dollars every year to construct, operate and maintain their facilities in a safe and reliable manner. It makes little sense to issue a rule that at times inhibits or weakens an operator’s ability to do that.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/equipment-and-safety/16012017/api-supports-the-development-of-phmsa-rule-to-address-pipeline-safety/