US Is Investigating Kinder Pipeline Release for Safety Violation

A massive release of methane on a natural gas pipeline operated by Kinder Morgan Inc. is under investigation by the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for possible rules violations.

About 25 million cubic feet of natural gas was released from Kinder Morgan’s TransColorado Pipeline on June 25 after an equipment malfunction at a compressor station in Olathe, Colorado, the company said this month. The short-term climate impact of that single release was roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of about 8,000 US cars.

“PHMSA has not determined whether the operator violated any Pipeline Safety Regulations at this time,” ...