FARGO, N.D. -- Large-scale pipelines carrying things like natural gas and crude oil snake more than 7,000 miles beneath North Dakota and more than 9,000 miles across Minnesota.
While there's potential for disaster, significant incidents involving pipeline leaks are relatively rare, according to officials in both states.
Mile for mile, pipelines move commodities more safely than trains, planes, or trucks, said Darren Lemmerman, acting chief engineer for the pipeline safety team of the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office.
"Pipeline transportation is probably the safest mode of transportation that currently exists," said Lemmerman, whose agency inspects both intrastate and interstate pipelines.
Interstate pipelines are inspected on a priority basis determined by the federal government, said Lemmerman.
ADVERTISEMENT
Inspections involve in-depth reviews of company records regarding things like leaks and maintenance activity, as well as on-site visits to see how facilities are run, Lem-merman said.
While corrosion and physical flaws can cause leaks, the greatest threat to pipelines may be human beings, according to Lemmerman.
"The biggest cause of pipeline failure is third-party damage, or excavation-caused damage," said Lemmerman.
The human factor can be a weak link, agreed Al Moch, director of the Testing and Safety Division of the North Dakota Public Service Commission.
"Whenever you're transporting a volatile gas or liquid, there's always going to be the possibility of something going wrong, that's the way we are as human beings," said Moch, whose office is respon-sible for annual inspections of intrastate gas pipelines in North Dakota.
The federal government is responsible for other pipeline inspections in the state.
According to federal records, North Dakota has about 20 pipeline operators ranging from large to small, while Minnesota has approximately 90.
Lemmerman said Minnesota has 20 major transportation pipelines that connect to a variety of smaller distribution systems. Total pipeline miles in Minnesota are approaching 70,000, he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Pipelines can transport any-thing from crude and refined oil to natural gas and anhy-drous ammonia.
Crude oil, the fuel that caught fire in Wednesday's fatal pipeline blaze near Clearbrook is difficult to ignite, but not impossible, Moch said.
"There are gases that come off crude oil that are highly volatile," he said.
Moch said there is one thing pipeline operators worry about any time there's a leak.
"Static electricity is a very dangerous thing when you're working with pipelines and there's gas present," he said.
Moch and Lemmerman emphasized that anyone planning a digging project should call their state's utility hotline before breaking ground to determine whether unseen hazards are lurking nearby.
"You risk serious injury or death if you don't call before you dig," Moch said.
