"We've hired 100 people to work 100 percent on pipeline safety in our distribution system over the last two years, " he said.
However, a 2011 pipeline safety law is intended to minimize all accidents.
McGowan and reporters Lisa Song and David Hasemyer went on to publish seven more stories on the spill and the regulatory issues surrounding pipeline safety.
"This aging infrastructure needs to come out of the ground as fast as possible, " said Carl Weimer, executive director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, a Bellingham, Wash.
The largest issues facing pipeline safety today come from the actions of third parties completely unrelated to the actual operation of the pipeline, such as construction projects, excavation, utility work, planning and zoning decisions near pipelines, and even homeowners.
Altogether, the risk of pipeline accidents has been steadily declining, says the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
When Hayward, a geologist, took over in 2007--after the Texas City refinery explosion and Alaska pipeline spill--he emphasized safety with a far greater sense of urgency.
The fact is, there is simply no replacement for the efficiency, safety, and expansiveness of our pipeline system.
The latest report said damage to the environment by the 1, 700-mile (2, 735km) pipeline would probably be limited, if certain safety measures were used.
Also, if the oil is to be used in the US, transporting it to refineries via the Keystone XL pipeline is far preferable from an emissions and safety standpoint than the only viable alternative, which is by rail.
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He also said that some pipeline operators expressed concern that that the technologies might interfere with operational safety.
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Instead, he found it had failed to operate at maximum allowable operating pressure--odd, given that this pressure is usually the upper limit for safety and El Paso was under federal restrictions after an August 2000 pipeline explosion killed 12 campers in New Mexico.
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