Federal report gives enhanced guidelines for safety
Representatives from the American Gas Association are reviewing recommendations contained in a recently released report from the Interagency Task Force on Natural Gas Storage Safety and joining in industry efforts to enhance safety measures.
The report outlines recommendations related to well integrity, safety and environmental protection measures. The task force analyzed the nation’s 400-plus underground natural gas storage wells and gave 44 recommendations for industry and federal, state and local regulators and governments to further improve safety and reliability.
“There is nothing more important to America’s natural gas utilities than the safety of the customers we serve and the communities in which we operate,” said Lori Traweek, AGA’s chief operating officer. “Natural gas storage is fundamental to our nation’s energy use today and into the future. Natural gas storage regulations must recognize this irrefutable fact.”
AGA and its members will continue to collaborate with federal agencies on data-gathering initiatives and technical information explaining what operators are currently doing to help ensure the integrity of their underground storage wells and identifying steps that might effectively enhance safety, she said.
“We are pleased to see the Interagency Task Force recognizes that gas storage cannot be discontinued or replaced without significantly compromising reliability,” Traweek said.
While the report acknowledged that incidents at underground natural gas storage facilities in the United States are rare, potential consequences require additional actions to ensure safe and reliable operation over the long term.
Beyond federal and state regulations, Traweek said, the natural gas industry has taken the initiative to work with external stakeholders to develop two recommended practices, or RPs, for underground storage. RP 1170 and 1171 provide guidance to operators on how to design, operate and ensure the integrity of underground storage for natural gas.
“Natural gas storage is critically important to our nation’s ability to deliver essential energy to homes and businesses throughout the year, and the 177 million Americans who enjoy the benefits of natural gas will continue to rely on it to deliver reliable and affordable service,” she said.