Newspaper’s study finds federal oversight of nation’s pipelines is lax

by The Associated Press

The federal agency that polices the oil pipeline industry is small, underfunded and understaffed, a Texas newspaper reports after a yearlong study.

The Office of Pipeline Safety has jurisdiction of more than 2 million miles of pipelines but is one of the smallest units within the Department of Transportation, the Austin American-Statesman reported in its July 22 edition.

The agency has 55 inspectors and is budgeted for only 107 full-time employees. It delegates inspection and regulation to state and local authorities, it said.

OPS officials refused to submit to an on-the-record interview with the American-Statesman, saying they would respond to written questions only.

“We recognize the need to improve our regulations and enforcement activities,” an agency statement said, adding that “we have proposed $8 million in fines since 2000, signifying our intent to make more full use of all of our enforcement tools.”

Representatives of the oil pipeline industry say they are concerned about leaks, but I “think that overall they are going down, both in terms of number and volume,” said Michele Joy, general counsel of the Association of Oil Pipe Lines, a Washington-based trade group.