A key element in the current war against terrorists is the pipeline system that delivers fuel and water to American civilian and military personnel. According to George Tenley, a former administrator of the DOT Office of Pipeline Safety, as reported in a recent issue of Oil and Gas Journal, most American gas pipelines are over 50 years old. His conclusion: Their replacement should employ the latest in pipeline materials technology; future pipelines should be immune to corrosion and impact damage. To inhibit gas pipeline damage the Office of Pipeline Safety prepared a 41 page recommendation titled: "A Collaborative Framework for Office of Pipeline Safety Cost/Benefit Analyses." This OPS report recommended procedures and legislation that would prevent damage to existing gas pipelines. It was assumed that nothing would be done to make future gas pipelines immune to impact damage. The report did not address methods to correct pipeline problems involving corrosion or metal fatigue. On the other hand, the report did encourage what was referred to as "alternative approaches". It did not, however, disclose to whom such "alternative approaches" would be made.
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