A federal task force has published a report to help prevent natural gas leaks after one such incident occurred at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility in California.The Energy Department said Tuesday the Interagency Task Force on Natural Gas Storage Safety’s report includes lessons from the Aliso Canyon leak; analysis of 400 U.S.-based underground natural gas storage wells; and recommendations to prevent and mitigate the risks of future leaks.
DOE added the report recommends for facility operators to eliminate “single point of failure” designs; conduct risk assessments; establish transition plans to address high-risk infrastructure; and implement safety and reliability procedures while facilities undergo design modernization.
The task force studied the stability of wells at natural gas storage facilities; the impact of leaks on public health and environment; and energy reliability concerns in case of future leaks, DoE noted.
DOE said the task force held three public workshops to obtain input from local and state level stakeholders such as gas storage operators and state regulators.
The White House formed the task force in response to the Aliso Canyon leak and the energy secretary led the panel comprised of representatives from the departments of Transportation, Commerce, Interior and Health and Human Services; the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
