The chances of a pipe leak or explosion on your property are relatively small, but the consequences can be enormous. Know what to do and what not to do. Emissions from products transported by pipelines can affect the environment and cause injuries or deaths, as well as damage to property. The risk associated with oil pipelines varies depending on a number of factors, such as the product being transported through the pipeline, the size and operating pressure of the pipeline, as well as the population and nearby natural resources to the oil pipeline.
Pipeline explosions shook communities near Pittsburgh and Boston, causing evacuations, destroying homes, injuring dozens of people and killing a young man. The impacts of compressor stations fall mainly on the local communities surrounding the stations, which are often socially vulnerable. This document addresses the knowledge gap between air pollution from compressor stations and the specific health outcomes of local communities. We present an analysis of the main pollutants emitted by compressor stations and the associated health impacts, and then evaluate how these emissions affect relevant policies, data quality and community health.
We conclude the document with policy recommendations that aim to minimize the impacts of compression stations on community health. Atmospheric chemical emissions from natural gas compression stations and the potential health effects and regulatory exposure limits of those chemicals in the PubChem database, see Kim et al. California Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS), see the global air quality guidelines of the California Air Resources Board (201) of the World Health Organization (WHO), see WHO (202). NOx is consumed in radical reactions that produce ozone, so local NOx concentrations are exhausted within a few hours. When there are highly reactive VOCs in the gaseous phase, VOCs also participate in photochemical reactions that generate radicals and produce ozone, extending the lifespan of a smog event from a few hours to a full day (Baird and Cann, 200).
The compression stations are regulated by federal and state laws. Although the EPA classifies a compressor station as a minor stationary source of emissions, numerous examples of NAAQS violations at compressor stations have been documented (Babich, 201). This is often because NAAQS specify different measurement time scales for different pollutants depending on their lifespan in the atmosphere, but these measurement time scales may not be relevant for compression stations that release a significant amount of emissions in a short period of time, especially during purges. The NAAQS are enforced through state-dependent “state implementation plans” (SIPs).
These SIPs are EPA-approved documents that define each state's approach to ensuring that air quality is monitored and complies with NAAQS (42 U, S, C.) Under guidance from the EPA, each SIP outlines requirements for emission sources to automatically control and report pollutants controlled. Under this agreement, the public must assume that these sources will adequately monitor themselves. While SIPs require that self-reported emissions data be available to the public, issuers may falsify or fail to report the data, or to report unreliable data due to poor measurement practices (Babich, 201). These concerns highlight the importance of full transparency in the process of collecting, reporting and analyzing emissions data, as well as actively alerting the public to cases of non-compliant emissions.
Conflicts of interest in the consulting industry can lead to inadequate analysis of impacts on the community. One of the scientists behind the MVP report has been questioned in the past for some of her statements (Wittenberg, 202). Although the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requires disclosure of conflicts of interest, it does not review it, and other regulatory agencies may not require such disclosure requirements. The community health risks associated with living near a compressor station justify tighter oversight by local, state and federal governments.
Below, we outline several policy recommendations to limit exposure to air pollution, assess impacts on the community, and increase transparency in the decision-making process. The Marine Water Air Monitoring Assessment (TAME) project of the Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) is an excellent example of how to encourage community participation in the air monitoring process (VA DEQ, 202). As part of this project, the VA DEQ deployed air monitors in two communities with EJ problems in the Tidewater area to track how nearby coal storage and transportation affects air quality. Real-time air quality data is publicly available online. The Virginia Department of Health will use the data collected during this project to communicate potential air quality risks to community members and develop strategies to combat health problems.
For these reasons, the TAME project serves as a model for programs that actively involve communities in the decision-making process and use data transparency to facilitate public knowledge of health impacts. It is crucial to ensure the health and well-being of the community during compressor station development and planning. Implementing stricter air quality standards and considering cumulative exposure risks will help protect EJ communities, which may face air quality problems from a variety of sources. Community members should be well informed about potential health risks, have easy access to accurate air quality data, and have the opportunity to actively participate in the decision-making process.
With these changes, affected communities will have more power to protect the health of citizens and defend their own needs. National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20894. Most of this country's large transmission pipelines were built decades ago in what were then rural areas. As our communities have grown, more and more neighborhoods and businesses have been built close to these once-rural oil pipelines. This development near these large oil pipelines increases the risk for people who live near them in the rare event of a pipeline failure.
It also increases the risk of oil pipelines being damaged, which also puts people at risk. Check the location of natural gas pipes before excavating and learn how to identify and respond to a leak or rupture. Even a small crack, scrape, or dent in a natural gas pipe or its lining can cause a dangerous leak or explosion. We own and operate 76 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines, which supply fuel to 4 SMUD power plants in southern Sacramento County.
This map shows the location of our gas pipeline, which runs from near Winters, in Yolo County, to Rancho Seco, in the south of the county from Sacramento.
