Page 98 - Pipeline Pigging Technology

Environmental considerations and risk assessment

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

AND RISK ASSESSMENT RELATED TO

PIPELINE OPERATIONS

IN COMMON with many industries, environmental protection and pres-
ervation has not been a key factor in the historic development of the pipeline
industry. This situation can be attributed to two factors:

The development of the nation's hydrocarbon reserves historically has
been a national priority for the United States - and as a result, the
pipeline industry has been allowed to progress unfettered by some
of the rules and regulations imposed on other developing industries.
For the most part, the pipeline industry has had a very good safety
record as well as a reputation as a clean and efficient industry.

However, during the last 20 years, there has been a significant change in
the pipeline industry's view of the environment and in the environmental
regulators' awareness of the pipeline industry. The past two decades have
witnessed the proliferation of numerous environmental regulations, some of
which have had major impacts on the financial well-being and day-to-day
operations of many pipeline operators.
The major environmental regulations that may affect pipeline operations
fall into five broad areas: (1) occupational protection statutes; (2) laws on
transporting chemicals and hazardous substances; (3) chemical use and
assessment laws; (4) environmental protection statutes; and (5) laws regulat-
ing clean-up of unintentional disposal of chemicals. Table 1 details these
broad areas of environmental regulations and the specific laws within these
areas.

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