Key Crude Oil and Products Pipelines Are Vulnerable to Disruptions

No Federal legislation deals comprehensively with the issue of physical security of petroleum pipelines. GAO reviewed the Capline, Trans-Alaska, and Colonial petroleum pipeline systems in order to: assess the vulnerability of major U.S. oil and refined petroleum product pipelines to sabotage, natural disasters, or other causes; determine the impact major disruptions may have on the United States as a whole or on certain geographical areas; assess the adequacy of industry and Federal Government measures to protect pipelines from disruptions; and assess the adequacy of industry and Federal Government contingency planning for minimizing the impact of disruptions.