Independent Risk Assessment Underscores Pennsylvania Pipeline Safety
In southeast Pennsylvania, construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline is nearing completion. The project, which will be capable of carrying up to 275,000 barrels per day of natural gas liquids for both domestic and international use, underwent a rigorous regulatory review process – after which local, state, and federal officials approved the pipeline for construction and operation. And any lingering concerns over the project’s safety should be put to rest by the publication of an independent study of ME2 which was recently completed at the request of local residents.
An independent risk assessment report was commissioned by Delaware County officials earlier this year. Houston-based G-2 Integrated Services, a consulting firm with extensive expertise in the pipeline and energy industries, examined the possibility of an accidental release of the Mariner East 2 or the Adelphia pipelines in Delaware County, concluding that such an incident was highly unlikely to occur. According to a Daily Times report on the study:
In their analysis, G-2 “concluded that the individual fatality risk levels estimated for both the Mariner East 2 pipeline and the Adelphia pipeline fall within a range of other common risk sources such as traffic accident, house fire, or fall from stairs.”
In fact, the report stated that a person is 20 times more like to die from a traffic accident or fall from stairs and 35 times more likely to die from a house fire than from an incident involving the Mariner East 2 pipeline 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Based on this 79-page report, local residents should rest easy knowing that the operation of pipelines in their communities is safe, efficient, and highly unlikely to result in any type of adverse incident. GAIN looks forward to the successful completion of the Mariner East 2 pipeline.