Page 17 - Oil and Energy January 2013

January 2013 • 17
“More work must be done to increase
the accuracy of the accounting for fugitive
emissions from distribution pipelines.”
CLF reports. “The discrepancies between
the data collected by the Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection
and the data from the Department of Public
Utilities illustrate the lack of transparency
and accuracy surrounding methane leaks
from distribution pipelines.”
FLAWED ANALYSIS IS WIDELY USED
This problem is not unique to
Massachusetts, but actually emanates from
the flawed analysis developed jointly by
EPA and the Gas Resources Institute in
1992. “According to a 2009 study, the leak
rates established for cast iron pipelines may
have been underestimated by no less than
half,” according to the report. “Meanwhile,
EPA continues to rely on this outdated,
discredited methodology to calculate the
fugitive emissions from pipelines.”
CLF recommends that theMassachusetts
DEP work with EPA and the local LDCs to
use existing leak surveys fromthe companies
to establish a better, Massachusetts-specific,
leak rate to be used for determining more
accurate estimates of emissions. “Without
better data, it is difficult to assess the true
impact of increased natural gas use [and]
pinpoint the major sources of fugitive emis-
sions,” the report states.
Massachusetts and other states should
also update regulations regarding leak clas-
sification and repair, so that utilities have
less discretion to leave leaks unrepaired,
CLF states. “In virtually every state that has
adopted leak classification and repair time-
lines, Grade 1 leaks require immediate action
or repair. However, timelines for repair of
Grade 2 and Grade 3 leaks vary widely, and
regulations may require nothing more than
re-evaluation of these leaks to ensure that
they have not developed into Grade 1 leaks.
This is a missed opportunity for states to
exercise greater control over greenhouse gas
emissions from pipelines,” the report states.
FASTER REPLACEMENT OF LEAKING PIPES
CLF also recommends that Massachu-
setts accelerate the replacement of older,
leak-prone gas pipelines. This idea has been
gaining traction throughout the country, in
part because of the major safety concerns
that were raised in the wake of high profile
gas pipeline explosions in San Bruno, Calif.,
and Allentown, Pa.
CLF also notes that the lack of precise
information about gas emissions is a
hindrance in setting energy policy. “Scholars
have raised serious concerns about the
impacts of these fugitive emissions on the
ability of natural gas to provide a less carbon-
intensive alternative to coal, even over the
short-term. The gas industry must be willing
to work with regulators and stakeholders
to remedy the current shortcomings in the
ability to measure and quantify fugitive
emissions,” the report states.
“Every day, thousands of methane
leaks are actively releasing one of the most
potent greenhouse gas emissions into the
air in Massachusetts. Under our current
regulations, we do not have an accurate
accounting of these emissions, ratepayers
cannot easily determine how much of their
bill is going towards LAUF, and companies
have no incentive to repair leaks unless
they pose an immediate hazard,” the report
concludes. “Massachusetts can and should
take swift, direct action to change this state
of affairs and bring fugitive emissions from
distribution pipelines under control.”
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