The following commentary from Dr. Mohammad Najafi recently appeared on NYTimes.com and is reprinted with permission.

Pipelines are one of the safest modes of transportation. However, as with any other constructed infrastructure, they need to be properly installed and maintained.

Underground pipelines tend to be out of sight and out of mind. Sometimes the owners and operators do not follow the best construction and asset management practices.

While new technologies are available for inspection and real-time monitoring of pipelines, they require advanced planning and additional investment and operational costs. Lack of proper inspection and monitoring, especially for oil and gas pipelines, may result in catastrophic failures, damage the environment and injure or kill people.

Since no technology is risk-free, the best way to avoid pipeline system failures is to avoid the extraction of oil from the sensitive Alberta wilderness. We should instead use more renewable energy sources and encourage the conservation of fossil fuel.