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ORIGINAL: FunCouple5280

2 foot deep burried pipeline in Arkansas, and a mysterious leak?.... Make me think of Jed Clampet out hunting lol

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ORIGINAL: MrRodgers

This is the worst I've seen actually. Can't wait for a pipeline in my neighborhood. I bet Arkansas is a very 'free' state and take great pride in their freedoms too.

Here

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Many critics of the Keystone XL pipeline say that corrosion risks are greater in pipelines carrying low-quality bitumen-laden crude from the oil sands. They have urged President Obama to reject the Keystone XL permit application.

“This latest pipeline incident is a troubling reminder that oil companies still have not proven that they can safely transport Canadian tar sands oil across the United States without creating risks to our citizens and our environment,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (Mass.), the ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee.

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Operator compliance with pipeline safety regulations that establish minimal federal safety standards is critical to preventing pipeline accidents. Ensuring compliance involves regular inspections of pipeline operator programs and facilities and, when compliance violations are identified, the application of appropriate administrative, civil, or criminal remedies.
Federal and state pipeline inspectors conduct these compliance inspections and also conduct accident investigations and respond to public complaints concerning pipeline operations.

Federal Inspections: More than 100 full-time pipeline inspectors operate out of PHMSA’s Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) regional offices in Trenton, NJ; Atlanta, GA; Kansas City, MO; Houston, TX; and Denver, CO. These inspectors implement a comprehensive inspection and enforcement program to verify that pipeline operators comply with pipeline safety regulations. OPS is responsible for oversight of interstate pipelines that cross state boundaries and intrastate pipeline systems in states where there is no certified state partner.

State Inspections: While the federal government is primarily responsible for developing, issuing, and enforcing pipeline safety regulations, the pipeline safety statutes provide for states to assume intrastate regulatory, inspection, and enforcement responsibilities under an annual certification. The majority of pipeline inspections in the nation are carried out by state inspectors who work for state agencies. If a state has a certified pipeline safety program, a state agency is responsible for conducting inspections of intrastate pipelines that lie entirely within a state's borders.

For more information on federal/state authorities.

Pipeline safety regulations were originally established in the early 1970s and were based primarily on industry consensus standards in effect at the time. The regulations have been updated throughout the years with the addition of several significant new regulatory programs. As these took effect, OPS implemented an inspection program for each specific new regulatory program. In 2008, OPS began pilot testing an integrated inspection process. By using data and information about a specific operator and pipeline system, an inspector can custom-build a list of regulatory requirements to be evaluated during an inspection. This data-driven process allows OPS to focus inspection resources on the regulatory provisions addressing the greatest identified risks. OPS maintains the ability to conduct the program-based inspections listed below, and has been conducting an increasing number of integrated inspections since 2008. State partners may choose to conduct integrated inspections or continue with the program-based inspections.