By then, the sports club had been built on the site. The report, released Wednesday by the General Accounting Office, said the Office of Pipeline Safety's efforts to change the way it oversees the pipeline industry have not been successful. The report also points to safety problems with hazardous liquid pipelines. However, the OPS does not collect comprehensive information on the cases of pipeline accidents. And the OPS does not require hazardous-liquid pipeline operators to report spills of less than 50 barrels.
Citizens have a right to know where pipelines are located and spill incidence information.
One woman in a neighboring apartment building died of cardiac arrest after the explosion. More than 100 people were injured, with the majority suing for minor injuries. The explosion destroyed eight apartment buildings and routed 128 families. Pallone also noted that the Office of Pipeline Safety's method of inspection is cause for concern. The OPS moved toward inspecting entire pipelines rather than segments of pipelines, hoping to provide more comprehensive assessments of safety risks, it said in the report.