Comment Today on Gas Pipeline Emissions August 3, 2023

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The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is accepting comments until August 16 on their proposal for gas pipeline leak detection and repair. This proposal would protect our health and environment by putting a dent in climate change-causing methane emissions.

When it comes to detecting methane leaks from pipelines, outdated regulations rely on 1970s technology. That dated method ensures that leaks last longer, putting our health and planet in further danger. Not only this, but many leaks from pipelines are legally allowed and intentional or even subject to operator discretion to report.

PHMSA hopes to change all of this with their latest proposal. Their new plan takes into account environmental impacts as well as the health and wellbeing of overburdened communities. Once it’s enacted, we can expect to see a sharp reduction of intentional releases as well as accidental leaks of methane.

We need to let PHMSA know that we support their proposal to reduce methane emissions from pipelines and protect the climate. Submit your comment today with help from our talking points.

Take Action

Take climate action today! Submit your comment to decrease methane emissions from pipelines.

Please personalize your submission while following the format below, utilizing the talking points.

Your name will only be visible on the docket if you opt for it to be. Anonymous submissions are acceptable.

Introduce yourself along with your interest in this rulemaking. Why does it matter to you personally, professionally, or otherwise?
Explain why you are in support of this rule. Speak on what feels most important to you, based on the talking points provided below.
Thank the agencies for their forthcoming work and make your support for the proposed rule explicit.

Edit the sample language below as you see fit, based on your interests and expertise. Please be sure that the final comment is in your own words.

Sample Language:

To whom it may concern,

My name (and health credentials if relevant) is _____, and I would like to express my support for Docket No. PHMSA-2021-0039-0020 as presented by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

Harms of methane emissions
- When a leak occurs, high levels of methane can lead to a potential explosion of the pipeline.
- Methane has been linked to respiratory damage including breathing issues, asthma, and decreased lung function.
- Greenhouse gas emissions are the main driver behind climate change. Methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Harms of climate change
- Methane emissions contribute to unprecedented changes to our climate in the form of heatwaves, increasing prevalence and severity of natural disasters, such as hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes, water scarcity as a result of drought, geographic spread of diseases, and sea level rise.
- Not only are these impacts dangerous for our environment and health, some affect pipeline stability.
  - Flooding, hurricanes, erosion, and lightning can all damage a pipeline, leading to more leaks and methane emitted.
Environmental and health justice
- People living in low-income areas and people of color are more likely to bear the burden of both climate change and proximity to pipelines, putting them at higher risk for all of the concerns listed above.

I support PHMSA’s proposal in its current state and ask that as leak detection and repair technologies continue to improve, those improvements are reflected in future policy in collaboration with other relevant agencies.

Sincerely,

Name, City, State (or you may submit anonymously)

Please copy and paste your comment here once it is written in your own words. Comments will be accepted until Wednesday, August 16, 2023.

Thank you for speaking up and submitting a comment to PHMSA!