Over a Year Ago a Massive Gas Pipe Explosion Ripped through Allentown- Current Pace is Too Slow
Allentown Blast Claimed 5 Lives, Destroyed 8 Homes
Casey: UGI Can Move Faster and It Should
Washington DC- Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) called on UGI to speed up the pace on its plan to replace cast iron pipelines in Allentown- a cast iron pipeline that was involved in a deadly explosion over a year ago. The current pace of replacement still leaves 440 miles of cast iron pipelines operated by UGI in the state to be replaced.
In a letter to UGI’s CEO John Walsh, Casey called on the company to speed up the rate of replacement and raised concerns about the lack of transparency regarding pipeline location.
“Just over a year ago we learned about the deadly consequences that aging pipelines can have, it’s important that UGI move quickly to make sure a tragedy like this never comes to Allentown again,” Casey said. “While progress has been made, there is still much work to be done. The residents of Allentown need more information about pipelines. UGI should dedicate maximum resources to the project and get this done sooner.”
The deadly explosion in Allentown forced UGI to begin replacing pipelines, the oldest of which were first built in 1928. Last year, UGI replaced 7 miles of pipeline in Allentown, a small portion of the approximately 72 miles of cast iron pipeline in the city. The project’s current pace is around 7 to 8 miles per year in the city. Senator Casey believes this pace is unacceptable.
Senator Casey has continuously pushed to increase the safety of pipelines. His pipeline safety bill, which has been signed into law, requires the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct regular surveys regarding the replacement and safe management of cast iron pipelines, including the anticipated rate of replacement and the progress that has been made. Senator Casey anticipates that this provision will help hold the industry more accountable and speed up the replacement of cast iron pipelines, some of which are over 100 years old in Pennsylvania. In addition, his bill increases federal pipeline safety inspectors and requires automatic or remote controlled shut off valves for new pipelines. It also closes a loophole that exempts state departments from giving the DOT 48 hours’ notice of intent to drill. This will help prevent damage to pipelines. Finally, the legislation requires public access to pipeline emergency response plans and increases civil penalties for pipeline safety violations.
As part of the northeast corridor natural gas pipeline system, Pennsylvania has 7,500 miles of interstate pipelines. There are also 63,000 miles of intrastate transmission and distribution pipelines in Pennsylvania.
The full text of Casey’s letter to John Walsh can be seen below:
March 5, 2012
Mr. John L. Walsh
President
UGI Corporation
P. O. Box 858
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania 19482
Dear Mr. Walsh,
I write today to urge you to continue your efforts to replace cast iron pipelines. In your recent correspondence, you informed me that UGI spent $43 million on pipeline replacement last year and finished 2011 with less than 440 miles of cast iron pipelines remaining in Pennsylvania. While this is a positive step forward, much work still remains. I am especially concerned about the rate of replacement in the City of Allentown, which still has over 70 miles of cast iron pipelines. It is my expectation that the remainder of the cast iron pipeline replacement will be completed as quickly as possible.
Furthermore, I have been informed that there is a lack of transparency regarding cast iron pipelines. It is my understanding that the City of Allentown does not have basic information about cast iron pipes, including age, exact location, and estimated date of replacement. I find the lack of data made available to the City and the public alarming and I urge you to increase your efforts to share more information with the municipalities in which your pipelines are located.
As you know, there were several pipeline explosions in Pennsylvania last year. Tragically, these incidents resulted in lost lives, injuries and property damage. The situations continues to cause considerable anxiety among many of my constituents. These incidents heightened my concerns about the overall safety of gas pipeline systems that UGI own and operate in Pennsylvania. I believe through increased transparency and prompt replacement of cast iron pipelines we can minimize the possibility of these incidents in the future.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
United States Senate
