REX Pipeline Back in Operation

Natural gas is now flowing once again through the Rockies Express Pipeline. The pipeline had to be shut down and repaired after a rupture November 14, 2009 in Philo.

WHIZ’s Katie Jeffries has more.

Pipeline officials say a welding issue caused the rupture that forced around 50 residents to evacuate their homes. Rockies Express spokesman, Allen Fore, says the company has repaired the problem and notified the Muskingum County Emergency Management Agency, the pipeline would be operational January 26th. The EMA then notified first responders.

"Bo Keck sent out an email, he is the EMA Director, he sent out an email, I believe last week, that they were going to charge the line with gas," said Joseph Wilson, the Harrison Township Fire Chief.

"Do you guys feel safe now that it is back on," I asked.

"Safe as we should I guess," replied Wilson.

But the Rockies Express Pipeline did not notify residents who live near the pipeline it was back in operation.

"We don’t have any notification system for residents in the area, because there is no impact.  When you reactivate a line there is, at certain parts of the line you are going to increase the pressure in the gas, but as far as impact any residents there is none, it’s underground," told Allen Fore.

Yet, it was the residents who were impacted when they were forced to evacuate their homes when the rupture occurred.  Fore says there are safety measures in place, such as an automatic shutdown when there is a problem, that are required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

"There is always going to be an everyday safety operation that is in place and protocols to make sure, to do the best you can to make sure no incidence will ever happen.  We can’t promise that, what we can indicate is that the latest technology is being utilized," said Fore.

Residents who live in the area have told WHIZ News they want some type of immediate notification system if there is an emergency and they need to evacuate. Fore says he is willing to hear suggestions, but currently there is no plan to change the company’s notification system.

"We work with emergency responders and we work with them for notification of residents and that is generally in the pipeline industry, that is not just our company, that is how generally the practice is in evacuation or anything like that is to work with the emergency responders to set up a system of quick notification of those in the impacted area or adjacent to that," told Fore.

Now that the pipeline is operational, if you hear strange noises coming from the line call 911 right away, with WHIZ News, I’m Katie Jeffries.

Katie Jeffries

KJeffries@whizmediagroup.com