The statement about cracks to me is a pretty extreme exaggeration. Yes, cracks are bad and will cause leaks, but they aren't by themselves going to make the pipe unzip and spontaneously release all it's contents. Something has to cause the cracks and it has to be a method that is prone to propagation. Stress corrosion causes cracks but natural gas is (I think) unlikely to cause that. Stress can also cause cracking, but that is usually related to mechanical issues such as vibration or poor pipe alignment during construction. None of these strike me as immediate or even likely failure mechanisms in a natural gas pipeline.
The pipeline will be built to code, most likely one of the ASME piping code (search for ASME B31.3 if you want to educate yourself). ASME code requires testing of newly constructed piping to verify performance prior to placing it into full time service. Both non-destructive techniques, such as pipe mill reports, welding certifications, x-rays, and (most importantly) live testing are used to mechanically verify the pipe. Live testing usually involves filling the pipe with water and pressurizing it to 1.5x the maximum expected operating pressure to ensure it's ok. This test will Intentionally stress any potential weak points and cause them to fail.
The part about the epoxy coating is again somewhat exaggerated. Yes, the epoxy coating protects against corrosion, but damage to the coating does not mean instantaneous total pipeline rupture. The pipeline will corrode where the coating is damaged, but that takes time, possibly even decades to reach a failure point. Pipelines like this are required to undergo periodic inspection, likely with smart tools as previously mentioned which can not only detect the thinning wall, but record it's exact location. The pipeline operator will then repair it if they are approaching minimum required thickness. Corrosion failures start as pinholes, which again will not make the pipe unzip and fail catastrophically.
Lastly, transportation pipelines like this frequently track product in and out because leaks are not only an issue from a safety and environmental standpoint, but losing product you paid good money to pull out of the ground, compress, and put in a pipeline gets real expensive long before it ever becomes hazardous to the general public.
Unless they were building the pipeline right under my house, I probably wouldn't personally lose any sleep about either the pressure or the size of the pipeline. I probably wouldn't lose much sleep about that pipeline even being on my own property, but that's me and based on nearly 15 years working in the chemical industry.