Taxation without benefit? This was exactly what fostered the creation of the Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ES-CA), and you can still see on your tax bill, and likely for the next decade, a remnant of the Eastern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority (ESCAFCA) taxes. ES-CA is vigilant, and the Board has questioned the return on investment of pipeline monitoring.
At a December 9, 2015 LPA hosted meeting at the Placitas Community Center, Dwight Paterson asked if folks were OK with his concept to tax themselves to pay for his idea to install 48 pipeline monitoring wells. There were many more questions from the audience then there were answers. Questions such as, will it work? One question, what are the chances that a leak would be detected prior to a catastrophic event? The answer, there will be 48 points to monitor, and the audience appeared baffled. Another question was, have pipelines ever been monitored like this so we know it will work. Mr. Paterson answered, this would be a first, but it is better than nothing which is what we have now. How much better than nothing, he could not say. The plan did not seem ready for prime time.
At the meeting’s conclusion it was suggested, and Mr. Paterson agreed, that it might be a good idea to build a couple of monitoring wells near homes abutting one or more of the pipelines and see if this concept works. Maybe create some test spills. But, the March 2016 Signpost quotes Mr. Paterson as moving forward with the plan to tax residents for his experiment.
The EPA requires monitoring wells around underground hydrocarbon storage tanks and have since 1988. According to the EPA bulletin 600/9-90-044, vapor monitoring wells must be within 13 feet of a tank and experts agree that this “may” allow leak detection within 30 days of a leak. Some of the variables: leak volume, soil conditions, and vapor monitoring equipment’s relevance for the material to be detected (the five pipelines carry many different materials). Everyone is in agreement, a catastrophic rupture would be disastrous for portions of Placitas and no one wants this including the pipeline companies. The begging question is if monitoring wells spaced over 1,000 feet apart, and often hundreds of feet from a pipe, ever be able to detect a leak such that it could prevent a catastrophic rupture?
On March 12, 2016, ES-CA President Ed Majka and I met with Mr. Paterson at his home to ask what had changed from the LPA public meeting. His home is about a quarter mile south of where the five pipelines run parallel across a 200 foot or so wide BLM owned corridor. Dwight had no new information, but after talking with people, he felt that folks want this monitoring and they can vote to tax themselves to support it or not. So, he is moving forward, we assume with LPA’s blessing, to bring his plan/experiment to culmination. ES-CA will make any new information available as it is available.
ES-CA will continue to work with regulatory agencies and directly with the pipeline companies to urge safety, enforcement and accountability. There are many unanswered questions from these parties. Volunteers with pipeline, US-DOT, BLM, PRC, or any other relevant experience are appreciated. Please call President Majka at (505) 238-7750 if you think you can help. ES-CA will strive to increase transparency and understanding of pipeline regulations and required safety reporting, and continue to seek resolutions, such as additional safety valves, that would enhance our health and safety.