Gas leaks burden emergency services

PSE Health Energy released a new study analyzing the burden on emergency response services due to uncombusted gas leaks. Uncombusted gas leaks can be the result of a wide variety of system failures, from the degradation of pipelines and indoor appliances to repair errors, leading to persistent, emergency-level leaks.  Ranging from mildly disruptive leaks to serious explosions, these gas leaks have been investigated through the lens of risks to people, property, and the climate, but never through the burden placed on emergency response agencies.

The study uses data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Fire Incident Report System (NFIRS), a voluntary reporting system, to determine the number of “412” incidents – verified gas leaks – which do not involve fire. The study found, nationwide, that the frequency of these incidents has steadily increased in the years between 2003 and 2018 – Chicago is no exception. As the city with the second highest incident rate, we are one of two visible on a graph of the 20 most incident prone cities.

Photo by Staff | Used by permission

While the average duration of all incidents is quite long, the duration of gas leak related calls is luckily short. This study found that, on average, these calls cost taxpayers nearly $50 per minute and over $900 per incident. In total, the report estimates that uncombusted gas leaks cost Chicago taxpayers over $4.5 million annually, a cost which is liable to increase as the infrastructure ages and pipes become more prone to leakage.

Photo by Staff | Used by permission

This report provides one more reason the Illinois Commerce Commission should overhaul the Peoples Gas pipe replacement program, known as the Safety Modernization Program, or SMP. Despite having spent billions of dollars on the SMP, pipeline failure rates have actually increased under the SMP. Among other problems, as the study shows, failing to effectively address aging iron pipes in the Peoples Gas system is placing an increasing burden on emergency services.