Chinese experts have highlighted new threats to China’s environment and energy security following news of a diesel pipeline leak that contaminated a tributary of the Yellow River, state media reported. China has 50,000 kilometers of oil and gas pipelines and plans to build an additional 40,000km between 2011 and 2015. The various threats to pipelines – from damage related to illegal oil and gas siphoning to rapid urbanization and even terrorism – led to the submission in October to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee of a draft law to protect oil and gas pipelines. PetroChina, the developer of the damaged diesel pipeline, stated on Monday that it switched off the Weinan branch line following the spill, but that the pipeline is otherwise running normally with no impact on supplies.