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When federal prosecutors revealed this past weekend a foiled terrorist plot to blow up jet fuel tanks and a pipeline at JFK International Airport, there were equal sentiments of relief and fear: While it quickly became clear that the suspects had hatched a plan that was far from operational—if even feasible—the news still brings to question the security of miles of explosive fuel flowing under population hubs such as New York City. Officials from Buckeye Partners, the company that operates the fuel pipeline at JFK, are blowing off theories suggesting that terrorists could crumble the entire 40-mile system that runs from New Jersey to Queens—and with good reason. Here's how tougher engineering and security are keeping fuel pipelines safe. —Laurel Donaldson

1. No Oxygen in the Pipe = No Fuel for the Fire
Jet fuel pipelines are filled with oxygen-free liquid, and without oxygen, combustion simply can't occur. Even if a fuel tank detonation were to set off a fire, it would be "limited to where the rupture occurs," says Damon Hill of the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration. "That is where the oxygen needed to maintain the fire actually gets to the product." Storage tanks for jet fuel also tend to be equipped with internal bladders to ensure that oxygen can't reach the liquid fuel, and if the temperature rises above a specified level, the system releases fire-retardant foam.

2. Big Alarm System = Quick Reaction Time
A complex data web called System Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) monitors most major jet fuel pipelines, measuring flow rate, temperature and pressure. The network transfers real-time data via satellite from the pipelines to a control center where the valves, pumps and motors are remotely operated. If someone tampers with a pipeline by, say, heating or puncturing the pipe, alarms sound. The ensuing valve reaction is instantaneous, with the alarm system isolating any rupture and setting off a chain reaction that shuts down pipeline pumps and alerts pipeline operators within seconds. "As soon as it detects an excess of flow, the valve shuts down," says Chris Harvey of the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives.

3. Smart Design = Tough Resistance
Most jet fuel pipelines run underground, feeding airport storage tanks from below. In a populated area, pipes must be over 3 feet below the asphalt, so that even if a terrorist were to dig down to this depth without being noticed, he would still have at least 1-in.-thick steel to get through. "If you went at it with a sledgehammer, you'd be hacking all day," says Matt Comas, president of Drop a Box demolition services. It's technically possible to hack through a pipeline, but that kind of feat requires an extreme machine such as an 18-ton Excavator trackhoe. If someone did rupture the pipe, though, valves would cut off and operators would be at the ready before you can say "dynamite."

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