Natural Gas Pipeline Safety
A PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR CUSTOMERS
AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE
A restored right of way
in a forested area.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Dominion’s Pipeline Integrity
Management Program embraces
the U.S. Department of
Transportation’s goal of improving
safety and raising public confidence
in the natural gas industry.
Local Emergency Response
911
Dominion 24-hour emergency line
1-888-264-8240
Dominion Integrity Management
1-304-627-3200
Call before you dig
811
Dig Safely New York
1-800-962-7962
For additional information, search
IMP on Dominion’s website:
www.dom.com or call 304-627-3200.
New York 811
1-800-272-4480
North Carolina 811
1-800-632-4949
Ohio Utilities Protection Service
1-800-362-2764
Pennsylvania One Call
1-800-242-1776
Virginia Utility Protection Service
1-800-552-7001
West Virginia 811
1-800-245-4848
www.dom.com
Tapping Into the Power of
Cooperation and Communication
Call 811 Before You Dig:
It’s the Law.
GAS PIPELINE SAFETY STARTS WITH A PARTNERSHIP
It feels like magic, that instant delivery of reliable energy. But the vast network of pipelines that span
the country transporting natural gas from the wellhead to your stovetop is no trick. Decades of planning
and development have created the world’s safest interstate natural gas transport system — safer than
highway, rail, airborne and waterborne transport.
Millions of people depend on a consistent flow of natural gas to heat their homes, feed their families
and power their lives. Dominion works to fill that need by operating and maintaining nearly 8,000 miles
of natural gas pipeline across six states. But at Dominion, connecting customers with clean, reliable
energy is only our part-time job. Our full-time job is safety. Nothing is more important than safety;
it is our top priority and No. 1 core value.
As one of the leading suppliers of natural gas across the Mid-West, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions,
we are committed to safe operations, safe facilities and safety-minded employees. But we can’t do it
alone. Our continued success depends on cooperation and communication among pipeline operators,
contracted staff, landowners, emergency response teams, and local community members. We routinely
conduct community awareness programs and coordinate with local first responders to establish
emergency procedures.
We have the technology, infrastructure, and protocols in place. But safety is more than manuals, rules
and procedures. It’s more than a computer program or the flip of a switch. Safety is information and
understanding. Safety is knowing what to do, who to call, and how to spot minor issues before they
escalate into something more serious.
Working together as a team, we can keep our communities safe.
Homes and businesses are
connected by an underground
network of power lines,
telecommunication wires, and
pipes carrying natural gas,
water and other materials. It is
impossible to know the location
of all underground facilities in a
given area, but it can be costly
and dangerous to dig in an area without knowing.
This is why the national Call 811 system was developed.
811 is a FREE call and is REQUIRED by state law for any
work that will disturb the earth.
Calling 811 provides an automatic connection to the
state One Call center. One Call centers provide one
telephone number for citizens to call if they intend to use
equipment for excavating, blasting, tunneling, or other
similar work. The state One Call center will determine
the location of all underground facilities.
Please call three working days prior to the start of
the project. If Dominion is involved, qualified Dominion
personnel will be onsite to monitor any excavation
within ten feet of the pipeline.
Pipes and valves are visually inspected
from the air and on the ground.
Call 811 before doing any work
that disturbs the earth.
One Call numbers in the Dominion
Transmission area include:
NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina 811:
1-800-632-4949
NEW YORK
Dig Safely New York:
1-800-962-7962
New York 811:
1-800-272-4480
MARYLAND
Miss Utility District One Call:
1-800-257-7777
OHIO
Ohio Utilities
Protection Service:
1-800-362-2764
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania One-Call
System Inc.:
1-800-242-1776
VIRGINIA
Virginia Utility
Protection Service:
1-800-552-7001
WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia 811:
1-800-245-4848
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We work closely with our community
partners to establish and maintain
safety protocols.
Call 811 before doing any work
that disturbs the earth.
National One-Call: 811
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Keys to Safe
Pipeline Operation
We operate our facilities according to the highest safety standards.
Our operators must complete rigorous government-mandated
training protocols and meet strict qualification requirements. Our
pipeline systems are vast and complex. To ensure pipeline integrity
and safety, we focus on several key operational areas:
CORROSION PREVENTION
Dominion’s Gas Control Center operates
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
We use pipe made of high strength materials that meet or exceed
natural gas industry standards and federal regulations. — Naturally
occurring corrosives, such as water and hydrocarbons, are removed
from the natural gas at processing plants before the gas is delivered
into transmission pipelines. Additionally, gas quality is tested at
strategic points to determine the potential for, and minimize
the likelihood of, internal corrosion. External corrosion is controlled
through the application of a protective coating, and the use of
cathodic protection. Cathodic protection prevents corrosion by
applying a low-voltage electrical charge to the pipeline to prevent
the loss of steel.
MONITORING
Skilled welders join sections of pipe. Each
individual weld is inspected multiple times.
We closely regulate the pressure at which our system operates. —
When it comes to the pipeline, Dominion is always connected.
Our Gas Control Center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Facility equipment continuously monitors and controls the
flow of natural gas and detects fluctuations, alerting operators
immediately if operating conditions change.
INSPECTION
All Dominion Transmission pipelines and facilities are inspected
regularly to identify potential problems and ensure compliance
with all applicable regulations governing operation and
maintenance. — Operating pipelines are visually inspected by
trained personnel through aerial patrols and surveys conducted
on foot. Many of these inspections include instrument-aided
leak surveys. Valves, transmitters, regulators, and other critical
components are also periodically inspected.
In addition, even though pipelines operate under the ground and
out of sight, they can be inspected from the inside using in-line
inspection tools, such as smart pigs. Smart pigs are devices that
travel through the pipeline with the natural gas. The pigs are
equipped with various sensors that can detect and characterize
pipeline defects. We use these tools to evaluate pipelines for
corrosion and any physical damage. These tools assist with early
detection and can help us eliminate threats before a serious
condition arises.
AWARENESS
Damage prevention and public awareness are critical to pipeline
safety. — The more you know, the safer you will be. Our extensive
Pipeline Public Awareness Plan provides critical pipeline safety
information. Our flow of communication materials includes
information about the products Dominion transports, instructions
on the utilization of “one-call” (or “Call Before you Dig”) programs,
how to recognize hazardous conditions, and what actions to take
if such conditions are observed.
Our outreach efforts target the general public, individuals living
within our pipeline corridor, public officials, contractors, excavators,
and emergency response personnel. Methods of communication
include mailings, newspaper (or other print) advertisements, and
face-to-face meetings (both large and small).
In addition to Public Awareness, we actively participate in the
“one-call” programs of each of the states in which we operate.
Dominion personnel work closely with excavators and developers
to ensure the safety of all parties, and that our facilities are
protected from damage.
Although pipelines operate underground,
in-line inspections can be conducted using
smart pigs.
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5
Respecting the
Pipeline Perimeter
Natural gas pipelines need space. The right-of-way
(ROW) corridor is an important element in maintaining
the integrity and safety of the system. The ROW is
established through an agreement with the landowner.
In the agreement, the landowner grants Dominion
the right to use a portion of his or her land to install,
operate, and maintain a natural gas pipeline. The
agreement remains effective even if the property is
sold, and is binding on any future owners.
After construction, the ROW may be used for
agricultural purposes, lawns and recreational activities.
Developments often set it aside for environmental
green space. The ROW can also be restored to support
wildlife habitat or as a pollinator corridor using native
plants to attract pollinator species such as honey bees
and butterflies. Although building on the ROW is not
permitted, Dominion will work with landowners,
developers, and contractors as needed to accommodate
crossings of roads, railroads, cables or other utility lines.
You Can Help
PIPELINE EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
If you suspect a gas leak, leave the area immediately.
When you get to a safe place, call 1-888-264-8240
or 911.
TO ENSURE PIPELINE SAFETY:
Do not construct buildings or other
structures on the right-of-way.
We constantly monitor and inspect our system, but
we also rely on help from our customers and the
community. Your participation is invaluable. You can
help by simply being alert when near our facilities or
pipeline rights-of-way.
Do not plant trees or other vegetation
that may obstruct the right-of-way.
Don’t excavate, change the grade
or impound water within the rightof-way without permission from
Dominion Transmission.
SIGHT
See a patch of discolored soil, frozen ground (in warm
weather) or dead vegetation near a pipeline? It could
indicate a leak. A leak occurring near standing or flowing
water may also cause bubbles.
Don’t move heavy equipment or
logs across the right-of-way, and
avoid blasting within 200 feet of
the pipeline without approval from
Dominion Transmission.
SOUND
Hear something out of the ordinary? Leaks may make
a loud, high-pitched whistle, hiss or roar.
SMELL
Smell rotten eggs or sulfur? Although natural gas is
odorless, local distribution companies, and some
transmission pipelines, add an odorant that gives it a
distinctive, repugnant smell.
FIVE EXAMPLES OF DOMINION PIPELINE/HCA MARKERS
.
6
6
High-consequence
area entrance or
exit marker
(arrow on top)
HCA line-of-sight
marker
Marker and cathodic
protection test
station
IMPORTANT!
If you suspect a gas leak, leave the
area immediately.
When you get to a safe place:
.
Linemarker and
cathodic protection
test station
Citizen input is an important part of
pipeline maintenance.
If you see, hear
or smell something,
say something.
.
Vent pipe
A patch of discolored soil, frozen ground
(in warm weather) or dead vegetation could
indicate a pipeline leak.
.
CALL THE 24-HOUR
EMERGENCY NUMBER*
1-888-264-8240
or
CALL 911
*Dominion’s Gas Control Center operates
24 hours a day, every day of the year.
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