Public policy & media

LEPA is here to help journalists set up interviews, find general or specific information about oil, refined products or natural gas liquids pipelines, and discuss current issues impacting the pipeline industry.

Media Contacts

John Stoody
Vice President, Government & Public Relations
Direct: 202.292.4509
Mobile: 202.957.3554
Email: jstoody@liquidenergypipelines.org
Andy Black
President & CEO
Office: 202.292.4500
Email: ablack@liquidenergypipelines.org

LEPA Press Releases

The Association of Oil Pipe Lines (AOPL) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) today released their annual 2021 Pipeline Safety Excellence Performance Report, which found that the safety of liquids pipelines increased across several key indicators. Thanks to an industry culture of “safety first, safety always” and a commitment to zero incident operations, liquids pipeline incidents impacting people or the environment have declined by 31 percent over the past five years, even while pipeline mileage and barrels per day have increased nearly 10 percent. 

On February 1, a coalition of energy product transporters and manufacturers joined to support litigation to keep open a major pipeline serving Michigan, surrounding states and Canada. Coalition partners represent residential propane suppliers, propane and crude oil pipeline operators, and gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and industrial raw materials manufacturers. The coalition filed an amicus brief in federal district court in support of litigation to block the State of Michigan’s attempt to shut down the Line 5 pipeline.

Today, the Association of Oil Pipe Lines (AOPL) issued this statement in advance of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) consideration of changing oil pipeline index rates at its January 20 open meeting. The oil pipeline index governs the prices many pipeline operators may charge for delivering products on their pipelines. FERC reset the oil pipeline index rate, which it does every 5 years, just a little over a year ago in December 2020, but now is considering changing the index rate again with new commission members in place.
Liquids pipeline incidents impacting people or the environment decreased 38 percent over the last five years, while total pipeline incidents were down 21 percent, according to government pipeline safety data. The findings are part of the 2020 Pipeline Safety Excellence Performance Report released today by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and Association of Oil Pipe Lines (AOPL) using publicly available safety data from the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).