As energy industry and government officials alike wrestle with the best way to limit the release of methane into the atmosphere, a new study reveals that US cities with programs calling for the replacement of aging natural gas pipeline have 90% fewer leaks per mile than cities without such programs. The study, led by researchers from Stanford University and published in the journal “Environmental Science & Technology Letters,” demonstrates “how well pipeline replacement programs have worked,” Rob Jackson, the study’s author, said in an interview Monday. Researchers studied programs to replace pipelines made of cast iron and other outdated materials in three US regions, the cities of Durham, North Carolina and Cincinnati, Ohio, and Manhattan Island in New York City. “We identified 132, 351 and 1,050 leaks in Durham, Cincinnati and Manhattan, respectively, across 595, 750 and 247 road miles driven,” the study reported. Article continues below… Gas Daily […]