Researchers Map Natural Gas Leaks Beneath Syracuse City Streets

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Jon Coifman, 212-616-1325, [email protected]
Virginia Limmiatis, 315-452-7708, [email protected]

(NEW YORK, December 16, 2014) Researchers testing new ways to find and quantify methane leaking from underground natural gas pipes have identified more than 200 locations throughout the city of Syracuse where they found methane escaping from the local gas system (see maps here). While leaks like these rarely pose an immediate safety threat, unburned natural gas – which is principally methane – has a powerful effect on the climate, carrying approximately 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over 20 years. 

The tests are part of an ongoing demonstration project by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), which has been working closely with the gas utility National Grid to validate the technology and verify results in several of its service territories. Researchers took measurements along roughly 500 miles of Syracuse roadways, tracing National Grid’s natural gas lines underneath the city.

“Methane is escaping at many points along the supply chain that brings natural gas from the well to customers across the country. Stopping these leaks represents a huge opportunity to cut greenhouse pollution faster and at less cost than focusing only on carbon dioxide emissions alone,” said Jonathan Peress, EDF Air Policy Director for Natural Gas. “Better technologies and stronger policy will also make it easier for utilities to find and fix leaks, and to maintain the integrity of their pipes.”

Aging pipes are a growing challenge for utilities in many parts of the country, as both utilities and regulatory officials seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More than 30 percent of National Grid’s New York pipes are made from cast iron or other material prone to corrosion and leakage, according to the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. More than half the utility’s New York pipe is over 50 years old.

“National Grid has a comprehensive safety and reliability strategy that includes accelerating natural gas pipeline replacement to reduce leaks. Through our partnership with EDF we have access to technology and data that adds valuable insight to the programs and technologies we already have in place,” said Susan Fleck, vice president, Pipeline Safety for National Grid. “We continue to take a leadership role on a national level and support initiatives underway to reduce methane emissions. The significant investment that comes with these improvements can have an impact on our customers. We are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by working with our regulators and elected officials to develop appropriate funding mechanisms and policies to achieve these goals.”

Natural gas utilities routinely monitor their systems for safety, as required by state and federal regulations. But current methods involve specialized personnel and equipment, and until now it was difficult to determine how much gas is escaping from a given a leak. While major leaks are typically fixed quickly, vast numbers of others wait months or years for repair.

“New York is the fifth largest consumer of natural gas in the U.S. Now is the chance for New York to take a more thoroughly integrated approach to gas delivery system focusing on both near-term and long-term risks,” said Peress. “Reducing methane emissions from the existing gas delivery system should be a priority, along with the state’s efforts to modernize the electric grid. Together, both are essential to reducing the state’s greenhouse gas pollution and enhancing the resiliency and reliability of the energy infrastructure that New Yorkers depend on.”

EDF also recommends that regulators require utilities to provide more accessible information to the public about the leaks on their systems and accelerate their pipeline replacement programs. Syracuse is the sixth in a series of communities mapped by EDF, and the findings are typical of cities with similarly aging natural gas infrastructure.

New Mapping Technology

The EDF maps were developed using test equipment mounted on a Google Street View mapping car, under a partnership between EDF and Google Earth Outreach to explore new sensing and analytical technologies to measure environmental indicators in ways that have been difficult or impossible until now, and to make that information more accessible to everybody.

Working with scientists from Colorado State University, EDF has spent two years developing new tools to not only locate, but also accurately assess the amount of gas escaping from even small leaks amid millions of individual readings collected over thousands of miles of roadway. EDF is collaborating with regulators and utilities to validate the findings, which offer a valuable way to focus and accelerate upgrade efforts.

Natural gas utilities around the country routinely monitor their systems for safety, as required by state and federal rules. But current methods involve specialized personnel and equipment, and it is generally difficult to determine how much gas is escaping from a given a leak. While major leaks are typically fixed quickly, vast numbers of others wait months or years for repair.

EDF reminds users that information in the maps does not reflect real-time conditions. The data generated based on months of testing and analysis, with each leak verified with at least two sampling runs on dates noted on the maps. As always, EDF urges anyone who smells gas, or is otherwise concerned about a leak in their neighborhood to contact their utility immediately.

The EDF algorithms will be published in a peer-reviewed scientific paper later this year, and made available on an open-source basis.