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Gas Pipeline Safety: Stakeholders' and Officials' Views on Federal Odorizing Requirements

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Report Type Reports and Testimonies
Report Date April 18, 2018
Release Date April 18, 2018
Report No. GAO-18-409
Summary:

A sulfur-like odor can be added to natural gas to help people detect leaks and prevent explosions. Gas is odorized in certain pipelines according to risk-based federal requirements.

Half of stakeholders and 2/3 of state officials we spoke to said that more transmission pipelines should be odorized. These are the pipelines that run between gas processing plants and more populated areas.

Federal officials and the remaining stakeholders noted that transmission pipelines are pressurized and usually rupture rather than leak, so other required safety practices such as inspections could better address risks.

 

Photograph of a gas pipeline marker in a serene rural area.

Photograph of a gas pipeline marker in a serene rural area.

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