Eagle Mountain Underground Dangers

Utility corridors… Most residents think that the only things running through the utility corridors are power, fiber optic cables, and phone lines. That is not the case in Eagle Mountain. Eagle Mountain has a potential hazard running through its power corridor that most residents are unaware exists. I live on Lake Mountain Road on 5.5 acres of property that we have named Quail Run Farms. We purchased the property knowing that there were several utility easements running along the west end of the property. These easements limit what we can do with our property under and over them. For example, we can’t plant any trees that will grow above 25 ft in height, or put any buildings under the power corridor that cannot be easily moved. If we want to put a shed in what we call the lower 40, we would have to put it on skids so we could move it out of the corridor if needed. But there is one easement that most people are unaware of that runs through the city. That easement is owned by a company called “Kern River Gas Transmission Company“. As a property owner that has their easement running through it, we get a nice letter from them each year with some type of swag gift. In the past, it has been calendars, notebooks, and phone accessories. But it always contains a survey for us to take, as well as telling us if you need to call 911 if there is an issue.

Where is this pipeline?

If you are interested in seeing how close this gas line is to your property you can visit https://pvnpms.phmsa.dot.gov/PublicViewer/ to see a map that is kept up by the US Department of Transportation. For security reasons, they don’t let you zoom right into the map, but anyone who drives by the area will see the markers indicating where the pipeline is.

What Exactly is this pipeline transporting?

The Kern River pipeline is transporting natural gas. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration Utah had 1,332,446 Million Cubic Feet delivered using pipelines in Utah. Yes, that is 1.3 million Million Cubic Feet of which the majority of it is transported through the pipelines that run through Eagle Mountain. The Kern River website states, “Our system includes approximately 1,700 miles of 36- and 42-inch diameter steel pipe and 11 automated compressor stations spread across four states. The compressor units at these stations have a total system compression of approximately 383,500 horsepower. The pipeline currently has a design capacity of 2.17 billion cubic feet per day.”

What do I need to do/know?

Kern River has some very good safety information on their website about what to do, how to protect yourself. I am including some of that information here.

Recognizing a Leak Pipeline leaks are rare, but you should know what to do in the unlikely event one occurs. Following are several ways to detect a natural gas pipeline leak:

• A roaring, blowing or hissing sound
• Dirt being blown into the air
• Bubbles on the surface or water being blown into the air at a pond, creek or river
• Dead or dying vegetation in an otherwise green area on or near a pipeline right of way
• Fire apparently coming from the ground or burning above the ground
• A dry spot in a moist field

What to do if a leak occurs:

• Leave the area immediately on foot; warn others to stay away or to leave.
• Do not create ignition sources. Do not light a match, start an engine, switch lights on or off or use a telephone. Turn off any lit gas pilot lights.
• Turn off any machinery and equipment; however, if a vapor cloud has surrounded a piece of equipment, do not go into the cloud to turn it off.
• Do not touch, breathe or make contact with leaking gas.
• From a safe place, call 911 or your local emergency response number and Kern River’s 24-hour emergency number at 800-272-4817. Give your name, telephone number, a description of the leak and its location.
• Do not attempt to extinguish a natural gas fire or stop the leak by operating any pipeline equipment.