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Lightning knocks out Longhorn pipeline leak detector
Lightning knocks out Longhorn pipeline leak detector
City of Austin not notified of problem, but company promises better communication.
Austin American-Statesman
By Stephen Scheibal
Monday, October 10, 2005
Were anything to bring the City of Austin together with operators of the Longhorn pipeline, it might as well have been a bolt of lightning.
A lightning strike Sept. 11 knocked out an electronic leak-detection cable along approximately three-quarters of a mile of the 700-mile gasoline pipeline, which runs from Houston across South Austin to El Paso. This leak detection system covers about eight miles through part of the Hill Country.
The stretch in question lies beneath Slaughter Lane in Southwest Austin, an area that includes homes and environmentally sensitive land, both of which the city feared for when it unsuccessfully sued to block the pipeline.
The section of the leak-detection system was out for almost three weeks.
Officials for Longhorn Partners Pipeline LP, the company that operates the line, said there was no gasoline running through the line when the lightning struck. As long as the line's contents remained still, the company electronically monitored pressures inside to ensure that nothing escaped from the pipe.
A week later, the company did pump gasoline through the line for about 36 hours. During that time, Longhorn dispatched crews to monitor the stretch and make sure that the pipeline did not leak, company spokeswoman Gina Johnson said.
The leak detection cable was replaced about 10 days ago, although the company is not scheduled to resume gasoline shipments through the line until later this month, Johnson said.
The process worked exactly as it was supposed to, company President Richard Rabinow said.
"We were never in jeopardy of not having leak detection," Rabinow said. "We felt the situation was very clearly under control and not a risk, not a threat."
However, the process did not include a phone call to the City of Austin. City officials said Longhorn had no obligation to alert the city but should have done so given the safety concerns about the pipeline.
"The spirit of open communication is what we're anticipating," said Tom Ennis, a division manager in the city's Watershed Protection and Development Review Department. "It's all part of the safety and reliability of the system."
But the incident is not likely to renew hostilities between the parties. Both say discussions since the outage promise better communication in the future.
The company pledged to notify the city whenever there is an operational problem or change that could affect the safety of residents or the environment around Austin.
"We got some things clarified," Ennis said.
Rabinow emphasized that the company is committed to protecting people and the environment and to operating in an open, transparent way.
"We want to be a good neighbor," he said.
sscheibal@statesman.com; 445-3819
City of Austin not notified of problem, but company promises better communication.
Austin American-Statesman
By Stephen Scheibal
Monday, October 10, 2005
Were anything to bring the City of Austin together with operators of the Longhorn pipeline, it might as well have been a bolt of lightning.
A lightning strike Sept. 11 knocked out an electronic leak-detection cable along approximately three-quarters of a mile of the 700-mile gasoline pipeline, which runs from Houston across South Austin to El Paso. This leak detection system covers about eight miles through part of the Hill Country.
The stretch in question lies beneath Slaughter Lane in Southwest Austin, an area that includes homes and environmentally sensitive land, both of which the city feared for when it unsuccessfully sued to block the pipeline.
The section of the leak-detection system was out for almost three weeks.
Officials for Longhorn Partners Pipeline LP, the company that operates the line, said there was no gasoline running through the line when the lightning struck. As long as the line's contents remained still, the company electronically monitored pressures inside to ensure that nothing escaped from the pipe.
A week later, the company did pump gasoline through the line for about 36 hours. During that time, Longhorn dispatched crews to monitor the stretch and make sure that the pipeline did not leak, company spokeswoman Gina Johnson said.
The leak detection cable was replaced about 10 days ago, although the company is not scheduled to resume gasoline shipments through the line until later this month, Johnson said.
The process worked exactly as it was supposed to, company President Richard Rabinow said.
"We were never in jeopardy of not having leak detection," Rabinow said. "We felt the situation was very clearly under control and not a risk, not a threat."
However, the process did not include a phone call to the City of Austin. City officials said Longhorn had no obligation to alert the city but should have done so given the safety concerns about the pipeline.
"The spirit of open communication is what we're anticipating," said Tom Ennis, a division manager in the city's Watershed Protection and Development Review Department. "It's all part of the safety and reliability of the system."
But the incident is not likely to renew hostilities between the parties. Both say discussions since the outage promise better communication in the future.
The company pledged to notify the city whenever there is an operational problem or change that could affect the safety of residents or the environment around Austin.
"We got some things clarified," Ennis said.
Rabinow emphasized that the company is committed to protecting people and the environment and to operating in an open, transparent way.
"We want to be a good neighbor," he said.
sscheibal@statesman.com; 445-3819
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