Pipeline explosion causes major disruption

Another gas pipeline crisis in Alabama resulted in shortages for customers throughout a large part of the Southeast, including the Carolinas, raising prices at some pumps and creating uncertainty about when supplies would resume. But while that is nothing to cheer about, it does provide some perspective on national security.

This was the second time the same pipeline caused a significant disruption. In September, a pipeline in Alabama sprang a serious leak, spilling more than 336,000 gallons of fuel, resulting in dry pumps and higher prices in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas. In South Carolina, the number of stations with available gas soon became scarcer, prices inched up and lines of worried drivers formed at the pumps that had gas to sell.

It was a typical response: A commodity is scarce, so drivers tried to get all they could while it was available. As cooler heads noted at the time, there was no reason to panic, and people were advised to buy only the gas they needed until the leak could be fixed instead of trying to stockpile it.

A week ago, however, the problem erupted again. As workers were making repairs on the damaged pipeline, a piece of heavy equipment caused a spark that set off an explosion at the site that killed one worker and injured at least six others, some seriously.

And once again, the pipeline, which supplies gasoline to millions of people, has been shut down, creating the specter of gas shortages and price hikes.

This might be a good opportunity for Americans to contemplate the nation’s vulnerabilities, especially concerning energy. A pipeline break is nothing unusual, but look at the devastating impact these two incidents have had.

We frequently worry about another terrorist attack on a major structure or an event where thousands of people might be gathered. But resourceful terrorists could cause considerable trouble and anxiety by blowing up sections of oil pipelines around the country.

They could disable transformers or cell towers, or blow up water reservoirs. Law enforcement and Homeland Security officers no doubt are fully aware of those possibilities and have a plan to prevent such attacks or deal with their aftermath.

But it is instructive that while we fear the large things the most, it is the smaller things that can foul up our lives in a big way. A regional disruption in the gas supply can create significant inconvenience for millions of people.

Some might wonder why, in an emergency like this, we don’t draw on the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves stored in giant underground facilities in Louisiana and Texas, which now hold nearly 700 billion barrels of crude oil. Unfortunately, however, this is unrefined oil that would have to be turned into fuel before it could be distributed to customers.

The purpose of the reserves is to provide oil in the wake of a national emergency. For immediate supplies of refined fuel, the United States would have to turn to members of the International Energy Agency that stockpile refined products, and use refining capacities outside of the continental United States for relief.

Part of the problem with a hiccup in the fuel supply is the panic it can cause. Frenzied customers not only fill up their vehicles with available gas but also gas cans and other receptacles. In addition to being greedy, this is a good way to blow up your house.

There are no easy answers to a disruption in the fuel supply. The only thing to do is try to cope until the supply is restored.

And while it is a long-term answer to the problem, the sooner we become less reliant on fossil fuels for our energy needs, the less vulnerable we will be.

This story was originally published November 6, 2016 at 4:19 PM with the headline "Pipeline explosion causes major disruption."