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原文传递 PIPELINE SAFETY: THE OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY IS CHANGING HOW IT OVERSEES THE PIPELINE INDUSTRY.

题名：	PIPELINE SAFETY: THE OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY IS CHANGING HOW IT OVERSEES THE PIPELINE INDUSTRY.
关键词：	Accidents-; Accountable-Pipeline-Safety-and-Partnership-Act-of-1996; Enforcement-; Fatalities-; Freight-transportation; Hazards-; Implementation-; Injuries-; Inspection-; Liquids-; Natural-gas; Office-of-Pipeline-Safety; Pipeline-safety; Pipelines-; Risk-management; U.S.-National-Transportation-Safety-Board
摘要：	Pipelines are inherently safer to the public than other modes of freight transportation for natural gas and hazardous liquids (such as oil products) because they are, for the most part, located underground. Nevertheless, the volatile nature of these products means that pipeline accidents can have serious consequences. For example, when a pipeline ruptured and spilled about 250,000 gallons of gasoline into a creek in Bellingham, Washington, in June 1999, three people were killed, eight were injured, several buildings were damaged, and the banks of the creek were destroyed along a 1.5-mile section. The Accountable Pipeline Safety and Partnership Act of 1996 directed the Office of Pipeline Safety to establish a demonstration program to test a risk management approach to pipeline safety. Due to concern about the recent accident in Bellingham, the General Accounting Office (GAO) was asked to review the Office of Pipeline Safety's performance in regulating pipeline safety. The GAO examined (1) the extent of major pipeline accidents from 1989 through 1998 (the most recent data available), (2) the Office's implementation of the 1996 act's risk management demonstration program, (3) the Office's inspection and enforcement efforts since the act's implementation, and (4) the Office's responsiveness to recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (the Safety Board) and to statutory requirements designed to improve pipeline safety. Briefly, from 1989 through 1998, pipeline accidents resulted in an average of about 22 fatalities per year. Fatalities from pipeline accidents are relatively low when compared with those from accidents involving other forms of freight transportation: On average, about 66 people die each year from barge accidents, about 590 from railroad accidents, and about 5,100 from truck accidents. The total number of major pipeline accidents increased by about 4% over this 10-year period. The Office has implemented a risk management demonstration program, as the 1996 act requires, and has approved six demonstration projects, which are ongoing. Since the act's implementation, the Office has modified its inspection and enforcement approach. With respect to inspections, it has moved toward inspecting entire pipelines rather than segments of pipelines. The Office has also revised its enforcement of compliance with regulations by reducing its use of fines and, instead, working with operators to identify and correct safety problems. The Office's responsiveness to the Safety Board's recommendations and statutory requirements has been mixed. The Office has historically had the lowest rate of implementation for these recommendations of any transportation agency and has not impleme4600
总页数：	2000/05. pp61 (9 Fig., 12 Tab., 5 App.)
报告类型：	科技报告