Making State Gas Pipelines Safe and Reliable: An Assessment of State Policy
Outline
NCSL Staff Contact
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March 2011
By Jacquelyn Pless
Breaking It Down: Understanding the Terminology
The United States maintains about 2 million miles of natural gas distribution mains and pipelines, 321,000 miles of gas transmission and gathering pipelines, 175,000 miles hazardous liquid pipeline, and 114 active liquid natural gas plants that are connected to natural gas transmission and distribution systems.2 A breakdown of pipeline mileage by state and type of pipeline can be found below.
The pipeline system includes:
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Gathering lines that collect and move products from sources such as wells on land or offshore to storage or processing.
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Transmission lines to transport large quantities of natural gas or hazardous liquids over long distances from gathering lines or storage facilities to distribution centers, storage facilities, power plants, industrial customers and municipalities. Petroleum transmission lines deliver crude oil to refineries and refined products to market. Most transmission pipelines are located underground.
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Distribution lines—Main distribution lines move gas to industrial customers. Smaller distribution lines connect businesses and homes. Distribution lines usually are installed in underground utility easements along streets.
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Gas pipeline commodities include natural gas, hydrogen gas, propane gas and synthetic gas. Almost all gas gathering lines are for natural gas. Distribution and transmission are mostly for natural gas, but include some propane and hydrogen.
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Pipeline Mileage in the United States
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Jurisdiction
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Hazardous Liquid1
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Gas Transmission
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Gas Gathering
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Gas Distribution2
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Total
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Total Gas Pipeline Mileage
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Alabama
|
2,193
|
7,004
|
507
|
29,727
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39,431
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37,238
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Alaska
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1,168
|
833
|
73
|
2,929
|
5,003
|
3,835
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Arizona
|
699
|
6,596
|
25
|
23,680
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31,000
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30,301
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Arkansas
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1,761
|
7,386
|
584
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19,558
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29,289
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27,528
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California
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6,926
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12,414
|
403
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102,475
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122,218
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115,292
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Colorado
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2,690
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8,093
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621
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33,754
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45,158
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42,468
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Connecticut
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85
|
584
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0
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7,591
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8,260
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8,175
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Delaware
|
48
|
284
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0
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2,773
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3,105
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3,057
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D.C.
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4
|
20
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0
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1,192
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1,216
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1,212
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Florida
|
471
|
4,843
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0
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25,017
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30,331
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29,860
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Georgia
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2,109
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4,360
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0
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42,591
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49,060
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46,951
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Hawaii
|
96
|
45
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0
|
610
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751
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655
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Idaho
|
659
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1,533
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0
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7,737
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9,929
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9,270
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Illinois
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6,961
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9,738
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1
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60,744
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77,444
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70,483
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Indiana
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3,470
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5,101
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12
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39,586
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48,169
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44,699
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Iowa
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4,161
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7,926
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0
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17,437
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29,524
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25,363
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Kansas
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9,476
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14,692
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194
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21,933
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46,295
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36,819
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Kentucky
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903
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7,089
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543
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16,881
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25,416
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24,513
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Louisiana*
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16,208
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31,158
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5,417
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25,579
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78,362
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62,154
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Maine
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340
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429
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0
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656
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1,425
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1,085
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Maryland
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369
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921
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0
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14,179
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15,469
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15,100
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Massachusetts
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91
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1,096
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0
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21,027
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22,214
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22,123
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Michigan
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2,879
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9,303
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337
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55,096
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67,615
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64,736
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Minnesota
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3,876
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5,468
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0
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29,369
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38,713
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34,837
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Mississippi
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4,235
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10,866
|
107
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15,459
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30,667
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26,432
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Missouri
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4,936
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4,605
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0
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26,422
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35,963
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31,027
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Montana
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3,048
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5,307
|
107
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7,156
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15,618
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12,570
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Nebraska
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2,822
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5,838
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6
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12,238
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20,904
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18,082
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Nevada
|
209
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1,708
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0
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9,548
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11,465
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11,256
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New Hampshire
|
104
|
239
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0
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1,830
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2,173
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2,069
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New Jersey
|
560
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1,475
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0
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33,086
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35,121
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34,561
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New Mexico
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6,184
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6,241
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458
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13,594
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26,477
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20,293
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New York
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1,070
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4,341
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534
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47,331
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53,276
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52,206
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North Carolina
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1,123
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3,858
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0
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27,906
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32,887
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31,764
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North Dakota
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1,931
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2,132
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2
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2,898
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6,963
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5,032
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Ohio
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3,732
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10,194
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1,137
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56,207
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71,270
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67,538
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Oklahoma
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10,610
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12,772
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976
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24,439
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48,797
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38,187
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Oregon
|
430
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2,385
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0
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15,006
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17,821
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17,391
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Pennsylvania
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2,532
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10,324
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510
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47,051
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60,417
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57,885
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Rhode Island
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17
|
95
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0
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3,124
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3,236
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3,219
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South Carolina
|
808
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2,631
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0
|
19,884
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23,323
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22,515
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South Dakota
|
521
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1,655
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0
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4,371
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6,547
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6,026
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Tennessee
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1,135
|
4,832
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0
|
36,712
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42,679
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41,544
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Texas
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56,375
|
66,918
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6,659
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92,333
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222,285
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165,910
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Utah
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1,509
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3,621
|
5
|
15,968
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21,103
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19,594
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Vermont
|
175
|
70
|
0
|
646
|
891
|
716
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Virginia
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1,128
|
2,950
|
10
|
20,127
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24,215
|
23,087
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Washington
|
796
|
1,946
|
0
|
21,464
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24,206
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23,410
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West Virginia
|
171
|
3,941
|
608
|
10,309
|
15,029
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14,858
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Wisconsin
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1,822
|
4,326
|
0
|
36,951
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43,099
|
41,277
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Wyoming
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5,720
|
6,610
|
154
|
4,721
|
17,205
|
11,585
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District of Columbia
|
4
|
20
|
0
|
1,192
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1,216
|
1,212
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Median
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1168
|
4,360
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1
|
19,884
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26,477
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24,513
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Source: Office of Pipeline Safety, PHMSA Pipeline Safety Program (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Transportation, n.d.); http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/comm/.
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Notes:
1) Derived from the National Pipeline Mapping System by PHMSA (October 2010). Hazardous Liquids are liquids considered dangerous to human health or safety or the environment when used incorrectly. Petroleum (and petroleum products) or anhydrous ammonia are identified as hazardous liquids for pipeline safety regulations (49CFR 195.2)3.
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2) Gas distribution service lines (which connect distribution lines to the end users) are not included in this mileage.
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