New Government Task Force Focuses on Safe Storage of Natural Gas

DOE and PHMSA form new Interagency Task Force

Two large government agencies recently joined forces and announced the formation of a new Interagency Task Force on Natural Gas Storage Safety.

Department of Energy (DOE) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) of the Department of Transportation formally announced the launch of the Task Force, which will have one key goal: Ensure the safe storage of natural gas across the U.S.

Learn how we're working with @PHMSA_DOT to make #NatGas storage safer → https://t.co/YOvoOZVxn3 @USDOT pic.twitter.com/1VmlIJLELI

— U.S. Department of Energy (@ENERGY) April 1, 2016

Education and testing

The Interagency Task Force plans to increase the safety of natural gas storage through two main methods: holding workshops and urging more inspections of gas wells.

The DOE will hold workshops that will focus on topics ranging from ensuring well integrity, to formulating proper response plans, to assessing potential vulnerabilities, and other “best practices” type of sessions.

Regarding safety inspections of gas wells, the PHSMA [link url=”https://amuedge.com/new-safety-regulations-needed-for-natural-gas-pipelines-phmsa-says/” title=”recently proposed new regulations“] for natural gas transmission pipelines. Through the new regulations, the PHSMA hopes to broaden the scope of safety coverage for natural gas transmission throughout the U.S.

Aliso Canyon, CA

The recent, massive natural gas leak in California undoubtedly played a role in the newfound focus on natural gas pipeline safety in the U.S. That gas leak, which occurred in Aliso Canyon, dragged on for months and was reportedly the [link url=”https://amuedge.com/study-ca-methane-leak-was-second-largest-ever-in-u-s/” title=”second largest leak of its kind“] in the history of the U.S.

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