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Our Role In Ensuring Pipeline Safety
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Natural gas is statistically the nation's safest energy resource. This excellent safety record is due in large part to diligence.
The North Baja System's TransCanada affiliate, the GTN System, has
been engaged in constructing and operating interstate pipeline systems
for more than 40 years with 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 North Baja
System because they represent wise business practice and help the
company meet its commitment to safety and environmental protection.
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Safety is the North Baja 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 North Baja System are continuously reminded
that their actions are to be guided by the following company policies:
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- 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.
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The North Baja System's operators know how to reduce the potential
for accidents. They also test and maintain pipeline components and
facilities on a regular basis (often exceeding the applicable regulatory
requirements).
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Avoiding Damage by Third Parties and Natural
Causes
The North Baja System primarily traverses areas of low development
(i.e., with 10 or fewer dwellings within 220 yards of the
pipeline) in California and Arizona.
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 North Baja System has a number of programs to reduce
the likelihood of this type of incident.
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- 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 North Baja System operators 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 North
Baja System 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 North Baja System
is called to mark its facilities, the company assigns an employee
to observe the contractor's or homeowner's work to make sure
that the pipeline is not compromised.
- Regular Public Communications:
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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 North Baja System through the one-call
system if they contemplate digging anywhere near the pipeline.
Advertisements: The North Baja 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 North Baja 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
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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 North Baja System transports has been processed
before it enters into the system, most of the components that might
cause internal corrosion have been removed.
To combat external corrosion, the North Baja System employs these
methods:
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- 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.
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The North Baja System is Committed to Being a
Safe Neighbor
No pipeline company can guarantee that its pipelines will never
experience an emergency event, but the North Baja System continues
to take every reasonable precaution, including some well beyond
the regulatory requirements, to reduce the likelihood of a pipeline
accident.
Although the North Baja 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
North Baja System's TransCanada affiliate, the GTN System, has operated
natural gas pipeline systems, 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.
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