Monday, July 24, 2000 Pipeline To Close For Repairs

(Jackson, MI) -- The same pipeline that burst and caused the gasoline shortage in June will probably be shut down again so that a number of faulty welds can be repaired. The 600 mile long pipeline supplies Southeastern Michigan with about a third of it's gasoline. Four pipe fittings inspected over the last 45 days have been found to have problems that require them to be replaced, and if the procedure requires a shutdown of the pipeline, operators say they will not hesitate. There's no word on whether a shutdown could cause another shortage in the Detroit area.

http://home.digitalcity.com/grandrapids/news/article.dci?provider=metronetworks&category=News&article=531102

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), July 24, 2000

Answers

There's no word on whether a shutdown could cause another shortage in the Detroit area? This pipeline supplies one-third of the gasoline for this area. I find that very odd....how can it be otherwise?

-- R2D2 (r2d2@earthend.net), July 24, 2000.

Process controls were supposed to be among the most vulnerable to embedded chip defects back in the days when people were still talking about y2k. Faulty pressures would certainly loosen welds.

Do you suppose we have a cause and effect relationship here?

-- JackW (jpayne@webtv.net), July 24, 2000.

Naw! Everybody knows y2k is dead and buried.

-- Wellesley (wellesley@freeport.net), July 24, 2000.

Heavens; I have many relatives who live in the Detroit area; they have been through enough.

-- Nancy7 (nancy7@Hotmail.com), July 24, 2000.

This sounds like another buildup to a major problem to me.

-- Uncle Fred (dogboy45@bigfoot.com), July 24, 2000.