In an attempt to minimize safety risks, the secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT) should direct the administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to collect information from operators of federally unregulated onshore natural gas gathering and hazardous liquid pipelines, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a new report Thursday.

The DOT should establish an online clearinghouse or other resource for sharing the information on pipeline safety practices that is collected, said the GAO. It noted that the data should be similar to what PHMSA collects annually from operators of regulated gathering pipelines (mostly located in nonrural areas), such as fatalities, injuries, property damage, location, mileage, size, operating pressure, maintenance and the causes of incidents and consequences.

“While incidents involving gathering pipelines regulated by PHMSA have resulted in millions of dollars in property damage in recent years, comparable statistics for federally unregulated gathering pipelines [many located in rural areas] are unknown,” the report noted.

“PHMSA is considering collecting data on federally unregulated gathering pipelines, but the agency’s plans are preliminary, and the extent to which PHMSA will collect data sufficient to evaluate the potential safety risks associated with these pipelines is uncertain,” the GAO said.

The nation’s pipeline network includes an estimated 200,000-plus miles of onshore gathering pipelines, many of which have not been subject to federal regulation based on their generally rural location and low operating pressures.

In response to a GAO survey, state pipeline safety agencies said the highest safety risks associated with unregulated gathering pipelines are construction quality, maintenance practices, unknown or uncertain locations, and limited or no information on pipeline integrity. “Without data on these risk factors, pipeline safety officials are unable to assess and manage safety risks associated with these pipelines.”

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