The Cost of Neglecting ROW Clearing
The Hidden Cost of Overgrowth: How Proactive ROW Clearing Prevents Pipeline Incidents
Right-of-Way (ROW) clearing is more than routine maintenance; it’s a safety measure that directly affects legal exposure, environmental protection, and operational continuity. When ROWs become overgrown, operators lose visibility of their buried assets during required patrols, the public loses awareness of the pipeline’s presence through decreased marker visibility, and emergency responders lose access when it matters most. The result: a sharp increase in liability and preventable incidents.
The Challenge: The Risks of Deferred ROW Maintenance
Overgrown ROWs create blind spots, literally and legally. When vegetation hides pipeline markers, signage and the easement, contractors and landowners can unintentionally encroach, excavate, or build over buried infrastructure. Aerial patrols lose visibility, and asset integrity teams are left without clear access.
The consequences have been repeatedly documented:
Incident 1: A backhoe struck a 12-inch natural gas pipeline, killing one person and injuring 12 others. The corridor was obscured, and visibility was limited.
Incident 2: Agricultural equipment struck a 30-inch transmission line, resulting in an explosion, fatality, and multiple injuries.
Incident 3: A contractor hit a gas line that caused two explosions, injuring eight and damaging several buildings. Despite partial locates, visibility and awareness were lacking.
Each incident carried severe legal and financial fallout—millions in cleanup, compensation, and regulatory penalties—along with irreversible reputational damage.
Analysis: How Visibility Impacts Liability
When a ROW is not cleared:
- Pipeline markers, signage, and the easement become hidden, removing public visual cues that prevent accidental excavation.
- Aerial surveillance loses the ability to detect encroachments, leaks, or environmental indicators of stress.
- Emergency access is slowed or blocked by dense vegetation, delaying containment and amplifying damages.
- Regulatory violations become more likely under PHMSA and API requirements for ROW visibility, inspection, and maintenance.
Visibility is more than operational—it’s legal protection. Not properly maintaining your asset could result in legal, liability, and public perception problems.
Solution: Proactive ROW Clearing as Risk Mitigation
Companies that implement structured ROW clearing programs dramatically reduce exposure. Through programs like Lanracorp’s SmartROW™, operators restore visibility, improve aerial patrol accuracy, and enhance emergency readiness—while simultaneously improving environmental value through native grass and pollinator restoration.
Key elements of the SmartROW™ approach include:
Mechanical clearing using slope-rated, specialized, low-ground-pressure equipment.
GIS-integrated documentation through GIS for verifiable proof of maintenance.
Reseeding with native species for erosion control and Monarch CCAA alignment.
Long Term ROW Clearing Program meeting all compliance objectives.
Outcome: Prevention Over Reaction
By maintaining a visible and accessible ROW, operators:
– Prevent third-party excavation incidents before they occur.
– Improve compliance with federal visibility and inspection standards.
– Ensure rapid response capability during emergencies.
– Lower liability exposure and legal defense costs.
Every documented pipeline incident tied to overgrowth underscores the same truth—neglecting ROW maintenance isn’t saving money; it’s deferring liability.
Why Choose Lanracorp?
A visible ROW isn’t optional—it’s protection. When the public can see it, they avoid it. When pilots can patrol it, they can detect problems early. And when emergency responders can reach it, they can save lives and assets.
SmartROW™ by Lanracorp: Because visibility is the first line of defense.
Lanracorp | SmartROW | Pipeline Maintenance
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