The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is seeking suggestions for experts to participate in a new study tasked with reviewing the relevance, accuracy, and technical soundness of the potential impact radius (PIR) formula that can be used by natural gas pipeline operators to calculate the area around a pipe segment where a failure could have a significant impact on people or property if present. The study committee will review the demonstrated accuracy of the PIR formula, review the relevance and technical soundness of the PIR formula, consider alternatives to the PIR formula as appropriate, and identify data needs. Informed by the findings from these tasks, the committee will make recommendations to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration, as appropriate, for improving the methods and data that are available for calculating potential impact areas for compliance with pipeline safety regulations.
Using these suggestions, National Academies staff will be looking to build a committee of approximately 10 volunteer experts in addition to collecting information for potential speakers, participants, and peer reviewers for any publications resulting from the activity. Based on the Statement of Task, staff are looking for expertise particularly in the following areas:
- Pipeline safety regulation
- Pipeline engineering and operations
- Emergency planning and response
- Natural gas hazards
- Pipeline release modeling and risk analysis
- Pipeline failure investigation
Committee members will be drawn from academia, local and state government, and industry experts and retirees who do not have conflicts of interest.