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Northwest Pipeline tells Montezuma County it monitors line continuously, offers GIS under NDA
Summary
Williams (Northwest Pipeline) briefed the Montezuma County commissioners on the company's integrity-management practices, continuous monitoring and aerial surveillance, and offered county GIS shapefiles under a nondisclosure agreement so planners can better locate transmission facilities.
Steven Knobel, land representative for Williams (Northwest Pipeline), told the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners that the company's primary goal in the county is safety and collaboration with local planners. "Safety is our highest priority," Knobel said during a presentation at the Nov. 18 workshop.
Knobel described the company's local operating footprint and its integrity-management program, saying Northwest Pipeline operates transmission lines up to 26 inches in diameter and uses continuous monitoring from a pipeline control center, routine aerial surveillance twice a month and in-line inspection tools known as "pigs" to detect dents or leaks. He said the company employs protective coatings and cathodic protection to reduce corrosion.
Knobel also addressed public-data access and permitting. He said the federal PHMSA National Pipeline Mapping System provides a coarse public view of transmission lines but cannot provide the high-detail location data counties sometimes need. "We're willing to provide shapefiles after a nondisclosure agreement is in place," he said, citing Homeland Security protections for critical infrastructure maps.
When a commissioner asked how much of the pipeline in Montezuma County dates to 1956, Knobel replied that the majority of the line in the county was installed in 1956 and that some segments or joints had been replaced over the years. On current condition he said there were no known operating issues in the county: the company monitors the system continuously and performs repairs or replacements as needed.
Knobel noted a Washington state law that requires notice to a utility operator for projects within 100 feet of a transmission facility but said he had not located an equivalent Colorado statute; he asked county staff whether county development regulations provide similar notice to operators. Commissioners said permitting notices typically go to utility companies through the county's review processes, and staff indicated they would coordinate with the company on a GIS data-sharing arrangement.
Next steps: Knobel offered to work with county GIS staff to establish a nondisclosure agreement and provide detailed pipeline shapefiles so planners can flag development near easements and high-consequence areas.
