The Pacific Gas and Electric Company is advising residents of inland Mendocino County that it is "conducting an internal inspection of our natural gas pipelines in the Willits and Redwood Valley areas" for the next few months.
"These In-Line Inspections are done throughout our natural gas system to support the ongoing safe and reliable delivery of natural gas," the utility reported in a press release. "The work will take place near Baechtel Road and East Hill Road in Willits, and south of the intersection of West Road and East Road in Redwood Valley. We do not expect any disruption to natural gas service for customers while the work is conducted."
PG&E further described the inspection process as using "an innovative tool known as a Pipeline Inspection Gauge (PIG) that travels through the pipeline looking for potential issues that can occur over time, such as dents and corrosion. This is a preferred inspection method because it does not require any digging and minimizes impacts to traffic. Before the inspection begins, temporary devices will be installed to maintain the flow of gas, which propel the tool through the pipeline. These devices also help reduce gas emissions and the risk of unplanned interruptions to customers' gas service."
The inspections began in May and will continue through September, and PG&E advises that "customers may observe crews, trucks and other equipment while work is staged and conducted. We expect work will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays."
The utility also reports that it "will be storing compressed natural gas at several locations along the pipeline and one of them will be at the Willits location. The CNG will be stored in above-ground tanks. CNG tanks are specially designed and engineered to contain the gas safely at between 3,000 to 3,600 pounds per square inch. These natural gas cylinders have also passed through stringent federal safety standards and thorough impact testing to ensure its integrity in the unlikely event of collision or other accidents. CNG is non-toxic, (meaning) there are no poisonous ingredients in it that can be absorbed into the blood once inhaled. It also doesn't contaminate the earth and water."
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