Pipeline Safety Rulemaking Happens Too Slowly

The recent tragic gas transmission line explosion in San Bruno, CA is the catalyst for quite a discussion of the aging gas pipeline infrastructure. Critics are coming out of the woodwork saying that there needs to be a better inspection regime, and that this problem should have been corrected before the explosion. Do you remember Bellingham, Washington pipeline explosion of 1999? That event was the catalyst that started the push to upgrade the inspection rules…more than 10 years ago…

Yet, what nobody seems to be discussing is the extremely slow pace of the regulatory process. TIMP (Transmission line Integrity Management Program), DIMP (Distribution line Integrity Management Program) and OQ (Operator Qualification) were the top priority of PHMSA and its predecessor organizations for the better part of a decade. The rule making process is so slow that well designed and well intentioned rule changes always take much too long.

With a more streamlined rule making process PHMSA could have promulgated the new pipeline safety rules a year or two faster. That might have resulted in more high consequence problems being detected in time to prevent a catastrophe.

I have had my own experiences with PHMSA’s rule making process. They are dedicated and expert professionals in pipeline safety, and they know that the process is too cumbersome and slow. Yet their hands are tied with procedural rules and a staffing level that is too small for the job.