Tips for tracking down pipeline and pending energy projects
As the Department of Transportation pushes companies to replace or repair oil pipelines, reporters may want to keep an eye out for projects in their area, says Bowdeya Tweh The Times of Northwest Indiana.
He and environmental reporter Lauri Harvey Keagle have been covering a plan to replace pipelines in their area. Their most recent story says one company plans to build an “oil pipeline that will cross the wetlands, backyards and farmland of hundreds of land owners in Northwest Indiana.” However, landowners aren’t excited about lease agreements to build on their properties, the story says.
“A lot of people realized they were getting agreements and deals that aren’t that good,” Bowdeya says. “People are concerned about what the company is telling them in contracts.”
Bowdeya gave me some good tips to learn more about pipelines and pending projects.
Understanding the industry is the first hurdle, he says. He says these sources can help get you up to speed.
- Pipeline Safety Trust offers good information for property owners and journalists.
- Industry sources Association of Oil Pipe Lines and the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Bowdeya Tweh
To see a map of hazardous pipelines, search the PHMSA’s National Pipeline Mapping System. To find out which companies operate pipelines in your area, the same site allows you to search for operators.
Once you know the operators, check earnings filings regularly for information about projects, Bowdeya says. Also, check companies’ quarterly FERC filings that detail notices that have been filed, he says.