It's the law!

Last month we were shaken by the tragic San Bruno gas line explosion.  It rattled our nation raising suspicions that our pipelines are aging and corroding.  I address this a bit in my recent blog,Gas line explosion triggers nationwide pipeline regulation, which reveals new regulations may soon impact pipeline inspections.  While pipeline corrosion is currently under serious scrutiny, the single greatest cause of gas pipeline accidents is not corrosion related.  According to the Office of Pipeline Safety, the leading origin of pipeline accidents is digging by third party excavators.  In fact, in June this year two back-to-back explosions occurred when contractors excavated near pipelines in Texas, resulting in many injuries and three deaths.  Many years ago, Congress passed the national “Call Before You Dig” or “One –Call” program, also known as 811.  Its message started to take off in 2007 when CGA (Common Ground Alliance) launched a national program, however public awareness of the program still needs to be augmented.  For this reason, I’vedevoted our October and November newsletters to explore Damage Prevention.  Helping to increase awareness of the “One-Call” program seems like a good place to begin.  How does the 811 program work?  Read more in Call 811 before digging – it’s the law! This month, we’re showcasing two companies which specialize in damage prevention.  We’re thrilled to announce that we now offer Rhino line markers and products.  We’re also featuring Sensit gas leak detection equipment which offers state-of-the art instrumentation.  Of course visit our website to view our other fine manufacturers and products or view/print our product line. Source: LincEnergy e-newsletter