The Pipeline Safety Trust is a nonprofit public charity that promotes public safety by increasing access to information on gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. The charity has created a guide that can help landowners become better informed on several topics, including:
- How pipelines work
- The regulation of pipeline safety
- Pipeline safety regulations during design, construction and operation
- Risks involved in having a pipeline nearby
- Preventing damage from occurring
The document also provides information on recognizing a pipeline leak and how to respond to such leaks. According to the U.S. Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, more than 23,000 gross barrels of materials carried on a pipeline were spilled in 2013.
Additionally, this important document goes on to discuss cleanup, restoration activities and how to handle the abandonment of a pipeline.
When a new pipeline is planned for an area, landowners will need to learn about various issues such as what an easement is, pipeline safety, and how agreeing to have a pipeline cross your property could affect the resell of the land in the future.
Click here to download a copy of the guide.
About the Pipeline Safety Trust
As a nonprofit, the company came to be following the tragic death of three young men during the 1999 Olympic pipeline explosion.
On June 10, 1999 a gasoline pipeline operated by Olympic Pipeline Company exploded in Bellingham, Washington’s Whatcom Falls Park. The disaster started around 3:00 p.m. and at 5:00 p.m. the gasoline vapors exploded and sent a fireball down Whatcom Creek. Each victim was near the creek at the time of the explosion.
SAFE Bellingham was created as families fought for better pipeline oversight and the prevention of such accidents. From there, the Pipeline Safety Trust was created and has since been working toward the same cause.
The Pipeline Safety Trust encourages those who have specific questions about their legal rights as a current or future landowner with a pipeline on their property to contact an experienced attorney in their area.
At Simien & Simien, we have a tremendous amount of legal experience in oil and gas law and can help you navigate through this sometimes confusing subject.