Editorial comment
Agency and urgencyThe first episode of the first season of HBO海角吃瓜网檚 海角吃瓜网楾he Newsroom海角吃瓜网�, which premiered in 2012, focused on fictionalised breaking news coverage of the tragic Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil spill in 2010. The coup for Will McAvoy海角吃瓜网檚 news team is tracking down an employee of the Minerals Management Service (MMS 海角吃瓜网� now defunct). On air, Will extricates from the employee an admission that only 56 inspectors were in charge of overseeing the 35 591 oil wells in the Gulf:
海角吃瓜网樅＝浅怨贤鴾That海角吃瓜网檚 635 wells for each inspector. The wells are required to be inspected once a month 海角吃瓜网� is that correct?海角吃瓜网� 海角吃瓜网淭he drilling wells, yes.海角吃瓜网�海角吃瓜网淚s it possible with so few inspectors and so many wells, to properly inspect each platform as scheduled?海角吃瓜网�海角吃瓜网淥ur 海角吃瓜网� our budget海角吃瓜网檚 very limited.海角吃瓜网�海角吃瓜网淎 single inspector would have to thoroughly review two wells a day, six days a week for a year.海角吃瓜网�海角吃瓜网淚 know.海角吃瓜网澓＝浅怨贤鴻
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I was reminded of this grilling when I read reports about the recent questioning of Stacy Cummings, the interim Director of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Agency (PHMSA). PHMSA is the US Department of Transport agency responsible for the approximately 2.5 million miles of oil and gas pipeline in the US. Cummings has been under fire about the slow rollout of new congressionally ordered safeguards. In 2011, Congress gave PHMSA 42 mandates concerning the use of leak detection systems on pipelines, the use of automatic and remote-control shut-off valves and new directions on how quickly pipeline operators must notify the authorities in the event of a spill.
The regulator is yet to carry out all of the mandates; in fact, Cummings is facing criticism for the agency海角吃瓜网檚 failure to enact a full 16 out of the 42 measures.
At a hearing in mid July, members of the House Energy and Power Subcommittee (part of the Energy and Commerce Committee) questioned Cummings on the delays. 海角吃瓜网淗ow do you grade your performance?海角吃瓜网� Rep David McKinley asked. 海角吃瓜网淒o you think it海角吃瓜网檚 a passing grade? Is it a 海角吃瓜网楥海角吃瓜网�? a 海角吃瓜网楤海角吃瓜网�? ... Did you do what you were asked to do? What海角吃瓜网檚 the schedule? Are you going to finish at the end of this year?海角吃瓜网� and it goes on. Cummings testified in writing that the PHMSA is on the case: 海角吃瓜网渨e share your concern and sense of urgency... we have a plan to complete every one of these mandates.海角吃瓜网�
Concerns about reporting and pipeline safety are particularly under the spotlight in the US this summer, following a spill from a Plains All American pipeline in California on 19 May that leaked some 340 000 l of oil, some of which reached the Pacific Ocean. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has asked for Plains to provide detailed information on the maintenance of the failed pipeline.
One member of the committee expressed concern that some of the un-implemented parts of the 2011 mandate could have made a difference in the recent California spill 海角吃瓜网� for instance, the requirement that pipeline operators notify the National Response Center within one hour of confirming the existence of a spill. Records seem to show that Plains called almost three hours after a spill was detected.
It海角吃瓜网檚 PHMSA海角吃瓜网檚 sense of urgency that is being called into question at the moment: is the agency pushing through new regulations quickly enough and is it reacting to growing public concern over pipelines?
Pipeline operators are asked to take voluntary steps to promote safety while PHMSA works on implementing reports and regulatory framework, and this can be hit and miss: operators can be hesitant to commit to new rules in light of short reauthorisation terms. Why follow through with proposed rulemaking if you think the goalposts might have moved by the time you finish?
Here海角吃瓜网檚 one reason why: news teams are always watching.
For more on PHMSAs integrity verification process, turn to the T.D. Williamson article on p.109.
