Independent Report Shows Public Lacks Access to Information on Potential Risks
ALLENTOWN, PA - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today pushed the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to increase the amount of information it shares with the public regarding gas pipelines. An independent report recently gave Pennsylvania a score of .75 out of 3 in terms of transparency on pipeline information.
“More than a year after the disaster in Allentown, the public still cannot access incident data or inspection records,” said Senator Casey. “Pennsylvanians have the right to know if they’re living near an aging pipeline and have access to information about any damage sustained to pipes in their community. I urge the Public Utility Commission to quickly increase transparency on these issues.”
Standing with Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski at the site of the explosion last year, Senator Casey highlighted the need to upgrade and improve pipelines and released a letter calling on PUC to increase the level of information it shares so the public can better assess potential risks.
The Pipeline Safety Trust released a report showing Pennsylvania ranks 25th among states for transparency on pipeline information. The report found that PUC only provides access to contact information for agency staff and information on pipeline regulations, but provides no information on pipeline maps, incident data, inspection records, enforcement records, and excavation damage data.
Senator Casey has been a longtime advocate for pipeline safety, expressing concern about the safety of U.S. pipelines even before the disaster in Allentown last year. In letters and meetings with PUC and pipeline owners, Senator Casey has pushed for more transparency and action, especially regarding the need to replace the most dangerous pipelines.
In the recently passed Pipeline Transportation Safety Improvement Act, Senator Casey secured a provision to require regular reporting of progress on replacing cast iron pipes like the one that caused the explosion in Allentown. Pennsylvania has over 3,000 miles of aging cast-iron pipelines, the fourth highest total in the nation. In total, Pennsylvania has tens of thousands of miles of gas pipelines.
Senator Casey’s full letter to PUC Chairman Robert Powelson is below:
March 26, 2012
Mr. Robert F. Powelson
Chairman
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
Dear Chairman Powelson:
In light of several gas pipeline incidents in Pennsylvania in the past year, I urge the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to increase the amount of information relating to gas pipelines that is available to the public. I am hopeful that the increased availability of information on gas pipelines will help to reduce and ultimately eliminate gas pipeline incidents and will help protect Pennsylvania residents. Though it is my understanding that Pennsylvania law does not allow utility companies to file pipeline maps with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission for security reasons, I am confident there is room for improvement in the information sharing process.
In November 2011, the Pipeline Safety Trust released a survey of States regarding public access to information about gas pipelines. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania was ranked in 25th due to the lack of information made available to the public and received a 0.75 score on a scale of 0 to 3. The Trust reviewed States on the inclusion and accessibility of eight basic items on each agency websites. The survey found that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission only provided easy access to contact information for agency staff and regulations but provided no information on transmission pipeline maps, incident data, inspection records, enforcement records and, excavation data.
I urge you to take immediate steps to share more information with the public. With the number of aging pipelines around the Commonwealth, Pennsylvanians must be able to have comprehensive data about pipelines in their communities. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
United States Senator
###
