Pipeline Safety Update goes live

DOT's new Pipeline Safety Update is exactly what it sounds like --an update on the status of pipeline safety across the country-- and more.

By visiting this new website, you'll be able to review the actions that our Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the states, and pipeline operators have taken to improve safety. The site also provides an overview of the nation’s pipeline system, including the factors that affect our pipelines and the role of stakeholders --that includes you-- in pipeline safety.

The Pipeline Safety Update is not a one-time thing; it's dynamic, and we'll keep it updated whenever new information is available. This site will be America's pipeline resource, a hub for updates on safety regulations, opportunities for public comment, and other initiatives.

If you're new to the world of pipelines or just curious about the pipelines beneath your community, you might be interested in the Pipeline Safety Guide, the Image Library, and the Glossary. We've also included an extensive chronology of this Administration's pipeline safety accomplishments.

Of course, we'll continue to use a wide range of channels to keep you informed about pipeline safety developments. Whether it's via the Federal Register, the PHMSA website, or the media, you won't miss a beat. We're also adding to to PHMSA’s Twitter outreach efforts with the new hashtag, #PipelineUpdate.

There are 2.6 million miles of hazardous liquid and gas pipelines crisscrossing America, and although we usually don’t see them, they play an important role all of our daily lives. They provide energy for hot water and heat as well as the gasoline we use to drive our cars. In fact, approximately 70 percent of the liquid fuels we use (oil, gasoline, jet fuel, etc.) and nearly all natural gas are delivered to our communities, businesses, and industries by pipeline.

And those pipelines are the safest way to deliver these critical resources. However, the past two years have brought a few devastating accidents involving natural gas explosions and hazardous liquid spills. From the loss of life in San Bruno, California, and Allentown, Pennsylvania, to the thousands of gallons of crude oil dumped into the waters of Michigan, Montana, and Utah, these incidents have demonstrated the importance of pipeline safety.

That's why we've brought you the Pipeline Safety Update. And because excavation damage is the number one cause of serious pipeline accidents, that's also why we're reminding everyone to "Know What's Below" by calling 8-1-1 before digging.

Pipeline safety is everyone's responsibility. At DOT and PHMSA we're working hard to do our part, and the Pipeline Safety Update is just our latest step forward. We hope you'll visit often, make good use of it, and let us know how we can make it even better.