The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has proposed an Advanced Leak Detection and Repair Rule to address unintended leaks and intentional releases from the more than 2.7 million miles of gas pipelines across the country. This would help better protect our climate and waterways, as well as the health and safety of our communities.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg must act immediately on this critical rule which was first proposed by the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (“PHMSA”) in May 2023. The public comment period on this rule-making closed way back on August 16, 2023. There is no good reason for further delay!
Pipeline leaks not only cause harm to public health and the environment, but they also have disproportionate negative impacts on frontline communities. Peer-reviewed research estimates that potent greenhouse gas methane emissions from leaks on gas distribution systems are five times greater than currently estimated. Frontline communities are more likely to be impacted by these leaks because distribution pipelines tend to be located at higher densities in their neighborhoods.
Secretary Buttigieg has the opportunity to lead and deliver on this win for climate and public safety by directing his agency to finalize this much-needed rule without further delay. Now is the time to do all we can to better protect our communities and waterways from the health and climate impacts caused by pipeline methane leaks, already affecting both water quantity and quality across the U.S.
