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Federal and state regulators should require natural-gas pipeline operators to install automatic shutoff valves or take other measures to ensure they can quickly stop the flow of gas during an emergency, the Government Accountability Office said Monday.About 2.5 million miles of pipelines containing natural gas or other hazardous materials criss-cross the U.S. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which devises safety rules for pipeline operators, doesn't currently have requirements that ensure pipeline operators respond as quickly as possible to a pipeline rupture, the GAO said in a pipeline safety report.While the costs of installing automated shutoff valves can range from tens of thousands of dollars to $1 million per valve, automated valves can limit the damage to property and the environment, and in some cases could save lives, the GAO said in the report.Pipeline operators and their regulators have come under heightened scrutiny following the fatal 2010 explos...

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