CONTACT: Sasha Tenenbaum
Senior Manager, Media and Public Engagement
stenenbaum@momscleanairforce.org
(917) 887- 0146
(WASHINGTON – May 8, 2023) The U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) proposed a new rule on May 5th that would improve oversight and reduce pollution from pipelines across the US. In response, Moms Clean Air Force National Field Director Patrice Tomcik released the following statement:
“The nearly 3 million miles of gas pipelines within the US are major sources of methane pollution, which is fueling the climate crisis and putting the health and safety of our families at risk. With the expansion of fracked gas operations over the past 15 years, the volume of gas extracted and transported through the vast network of pipelines across the country has significantly increased. I’ve seen this first-hand in my own community, where there are miles of gathering pipelines carrying unprocessed gas from well sites to processing facilities.
“This proposal is long overdue and is urgently needed to protect communities that are disproportionately impacted by pipeline infrastructure. Once finalized, these standards would improve pipeline oversight and help protect families by reducing climate-destabilizing methane emissions and other types of harmful air pollution.”
BACKGROUND
Natural gas, which has methane as a main component, is transported around the country in a network of approximately 3 million miles of pipelines. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, leaks from pipelines and contributes to climate change. The use of advanced technologies can significantly find and fix more leaks faster from gathering, transmission and distribution gas pipelines and facilities across the US. Gathering lines carry unprocessed gas from well sites to processing facilities; transmission lines are like gas “highways,” transporting processed gas around the country to demand regions; and distribution lines are operated by local utilities to deliver gas to customers.
This proposal will cover emissions from pipelines, natural gas underground storage facilities and liquid natural gas facilities. PHMSA’s proposal is in response to the PIPES Act of 2020 passed in Congress to strengthen pipeline oversight.