Gas company is checking pipelines under the city
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

"Smart pigs" are being launched through gas pipelines in Thousand Oaks by the Southern California Gas Company.

The hightech pieces of equipment are called pigs because they make a squealing sound as they move. They're smart because they race through the pipelines, sending back information about anomalies they find and telling gas company experts just exactly where problems exist, according to SCG spokesperson Peter Hidalgo.

Most of the gas lines the pigs will be navigating were placed in the ground before the city had houses or anything else above them, Hidalgo said. These lines run 25 miles- from near Avenida de Los Arboles to the San Fernando Valley, he said.

Work on the lines is scheduled to begin this week and continue until Oct. 31. Construction and maintenance will be going on from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in the parking lot near Cisco's Restaurant in Oakbrook Plaza.

Business in the area isn't expected to be interrupted, although some of Cisco's parking spaces won't be available.

"We don't anticipate any issues that will affect the public," Hidalgo said.

The tests are being conducted locally in compliance with the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act, passed by Congress in 2002. The legislation requires the Department of Transportation to conduct risk analysis and manage the integrity of the nation's gas pipelines in populated areas.

The work is expected to prevent, detect and mitigate any safety problems resulting from gas pipelines running through a city.

According to a report issued by the gas company, the pipelines of concern are typically from 6 to 36 inches in diameter and made of steel pipe. These pipes run under populated areas or in close proximity to locations such as schools, hospitals or recreation areas.