Serious pipeline incidents have declined in U.S.

Matthew Rezab
January 22, 2015

With pipeline controversies popping up all over the country the past few years, a lot of information can get lost in the woods. The three-year average for “serious incidents” has declined from an average of 66 per year from 1994-96 to 28 per year from 2011-13. “Significant incidents” during the same time periods have dropped from 295.3 per year to 278.6.

“Serious incidents” are defined as: Gas distribution incidents with a cause of other outside force damage and a sub-cause by nearby fire or explosion as the primary cause of incident.

PHMSA Pipeline Incidents: (1994-2013)
Incident Type: Serious   System Type: ALL   State: ALL
 
 
Calendar Year
Number
Fatalities
Injuries
1994 76 22 120
1995 59 21 64
1996 63 53 127
1997 49 10 77
1998 70 21 81
1999 66 22 108
2000 62 38 81
2001 40 7 61
2002 36 12 49
2003 61 12 71
2004 44 23 56
2005 39 16 47
2006 32 19 34
2007 43 16 46
2008 37 8 55
2009 46 13 62
2010 34 19 104
2011 32 12 51
2012 28 10 54
2013 24 9 44
Grand Total 941 363 1,392
 

“Significant incidents” include:

1. Fatality or injury requiring in-patient hospitalization.

2. $50,000 or more in total costs, measured in 1984 dollars.

3. Highly volatile liquid releases of five barrels or more or other liquid releases of 50 barrels or more.

4. Liquid releases resulting in an unintentional fire or explosion.

PHMSA Pipeline Incidents: (1994-2013)
Incident Type: Significant   System Type: ALL   State: ALL
 
 
Calendar Year
Number
Fatalities
Injuries
Property Damage Current Year Dollars
1994 326 22 120 $229,864,143
1995 259 21 64 $72,978,742
1996 301 53 127 $157,237,457
1997 267 10 77 $106,467,248
1998 295 21 81 $168,366,265
1999 275 22 108 $171,954,256
2000 290 38 81 $248,585,734
2001 233 7 61 $76,344,769
2002 258 12 49 $121,661,817
2003 296 12 71 $159,730,017
2004 310 23 56 $308,168,808
2005 334 16 47 $1,421,763,106
2006 257 19 34 $151,670,059
2007 268 16 46 $145,532,574
2008 279 8 55 $568,864,817
2009 275 13 62 $173,645,089
2010 263 19 104 $1,567,336,354
2011 288 12 51 $406,481,230
2012 249 10 54 $223,101,033
2013 299 9 44 $327,777,221
Grand Total 5,622 363 1,392 $6,807,530,740
 

All statistics provided by phmsa.dot.gov.

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