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Supervisor raises concerns about possible active gas in abandoned pipeline through Humboldt County
Summary
A county supervisor urged investigation after reviewing maps that may show a long-abandoned pipeline possibly carrying natural gas; the supervisor said they will contact the pipeline company and asked that state agencies and first responders be notified if the line is active.
A Humboldt County supervisor told fellow supervisors that maps in a meeting packet may show natural gas running through an apparently abandoned pipeline and that the county needs to investigate whether the line is active.
The supervisor said they asked a source for information and reviewed a map “on page 3 of this packet,” then told the board: “That is not the 2 pipelines that go through the southern part of the county. That is the old abandoned line.” The supervisor added, “I have more questions than I have answers.”
Why it matters: If an abandoned easement or pipe is still holding gas, excavation or other work could create a public-safety hazard for landowners, contractors and emergency responders. The supervisor said they would try to confirm whether the line is charged and asked whether the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the railroad had been notified.
During the discussion the supervisor said the map showed nine accidents along the line and that the pipe runs under a Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way. The supervisor also noted that portions of the county’s southern pipelines are operated by Northern Natural Gas, which they said is a different system than the one on the map.
The supervisor told the board they planned to “contact the company” and “start asking questions,” and asked whether townships and landowners already had been contacted; another member said they had not been contacted. The supervisor said they would “do some investigating” and would report back to the board.
The discussion included questions about how long the line has been idle; speakers gave differing recollections, one saying the line had not been used for “20 years” and another saying changes had occurred “within the last 5 years.” Board members and others warned that reclaiming an easement for a new pipeline could be possible under some easement language and urged caution.
No formal action was taken at the meeting. The supervisor said they would reach out to the pipeline company (they identified the company’s regulatory contact as having an office in Tulsa) and said that, if the line turned out to be charged, “all the responders have to know about it.”
