Fed proposal for gas line safety valves

The Department of Transportation proposed a new bill on Wednesday to ensure that utilities install safety valves that can be attached to gas lines across the US. The proposal follows decades of fatal fires and explosions caused from the hazardous build up of gas from ruptures and leaks to gas lines.

While the safety valve will not prevent a rupture to a gas line from occurring, it will stop the flow of gas when it detects a rupture to the line.

According to the Associated Press, more than 270 accidents dating back to 1968 could have been prevented had similar safety valves been in place.

“This important action will add extra protections to communities serviced by the nation’s largest network of pipelines,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement on Wednesday.

The valves that cost around $30 dollars per piece can be affixed to gas lines that service residential homes and businesses. More expensive, manual valves are available for gas lines that provide larger volumes of gas to larger commercial customers. The US government has estimated that every year more than 40,000 manual valves will be installed.