"Iowa's Pipeline Safety Record Spotty"

"As a Texas energy company seeks approval for its plan to build a 1,100-mile pipeline carrying North Dakota crude oil across 17 Iowa counties, documents show the state's pipeline safety record has been less than spotless.

While the state has avoided large-scale disasters, records show Iowa has had 100 pipeline spills since 2004, with a majority of the accidents involving anhydrous ammonia and propane. Other products involved in Iowa pipeline accidents over the past decade have included natural gas, gasoline, diesel fuel and butane, according to state and federal records reviewed by The Des Moines Register.

Most of the spills have been relatively small — under 100 gallons and sometimes as little as one gallon. However, others have been significantly larger."

William Petroski reports for the Des Moines Register September 6, 2014.