Our Role in Ensuring Pipeline Safety

Natural gas is statistically the nation's safest energy resource. This excellent safety record is due in large part to diligence.

In the more than 40 years that the TransCanada GTN System has been in operation, it has had no significant pipeline accidents – thanks in large part to the company's comprehensive pipeline safety and integrity program.

Some of the program's components are in place to meet regulatory requirements, principally the Department of Transportation (DOT) code for gas pipelines. Others are implemented by the GTN System because they represent wise business practice and help the company meet its commitment to safety and environmental protection.

Safety is the GTN System's Highest Priority

The most important part of any safety program is the clear understanding by employees that safety is the number one priority. Employees that operate and maintain the GTN System are continuously reminded that their actions are to be guided by the following company policies:

There will be no injury to the public or to employees due to the failure to know, understand, and comply with safety or other regulatory requirements.
There will be no injury to the environment due to failure to know, understand and comply with environmental regulatory requirements.
The pipeline will be operated and maintained in a manner that maintains the system integrity and provides the greatest potential for net revenue.

GTN System operators know how to reduce the potential for accidents. They regularly test and maintain pipeline components and facilities, typically exceeding regulatory requirements.

Avoiding Damage by Third Parties and Natural Causes

The GTN System's two large mainlines and smaller laterals primarily traverse areas of low development (i.e., with 10 or fewer dwellings within 220 yards of the pipeline) in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.

According to the Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS), the largest cause of pipeline incidents is damage by third parties working near the pipeline or by natural causes such as landslides or stream/river washouts. The GTN System has a number of programs to reduce the likelihood of this type of incident.

Signage: Markers are placed along the pipeline to warn of its existence and the danger of digging in the vicinity.
Frequent Patrols: The pipeline is patrolled at least biweekly - a frequency much greater than that required by regulations. This allows the GTN System to see when construction or grading is taking place that might impact the pipeline, or to see if washouts have occurred that may have exposed the pipeline.
One-call System: One-call systems, which the company strongly supports, make it easier for a contractor or landowner to notify all utilities that might have underground facilities near where work is planned, so that the utilities may mark out exactly where their facilities are located.
Work Site Monitoring: Whenever the GTN System is called to mark out its facilities, the company assigns an employee to observe the contractor's or homeowner's work to make sure that the GTN System pipes are left untouched.
Regular Public Communications:

Correspondence: Letters are sent annually to all landowners along the route and to contractors known to do work in the vicinity of the pipeline. These letters remind the contractors or landowners about the need to contact the GTN System through the one-call system if they contemplate digging anywhere near the pipeline.
Advertisements: The GTN System annually places advertisements in newspapers serving communities near the pipeline to remind homeowners and contractors about the pipeline and the one-call system.
Training/Education: The GTN System offers a safety-awareness presentation to remind the public of its own safety role. It's tailored to the specific needs of individuals and organizations who request it

Pipeline Corrosion Prevented

According to DOT statistics, the second most common cause of pipeline accidents is corrosion, both internal and external.

Because the gas that the GTN System transports has been processed before it enters the pipeline, most of the components that might cause internal corrosion have been removed.

To combat external corrosion, the GTN System employs these methods:

Protective Coating: The outside of the pipe is coated with corrosion-prevention material before it is installed.
Cathodic Protection: Cathodic protection, which involves using electricity to prevent corrosion, is used to provide additional control.

The GTN System is Committed to Being a Safe Neighbor

No pipeline company can guarantee that its pipelines will never rupture, but the GTN System continues to take every reasonable precaution, including some well beyond the regulatory requirements, to greatly reduce the likelihood of a pipeline accident.

Although the GTN System places greatest emphasis on accident prevention, it is also fully prepared in case an incident does occur.

The record speaks for itself: In the more than 40 years that the GTN System has been in operation, it has had no significant pipeline accidents. But there is no room for complacency. Safety is essential and will always remain the company's highest priority.