U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts’ (R-KS) bipartisan SAFE PIPES Act, S. 2276, was approved by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Wednesday to improve the safety and regulation of underground natural gas storage facilities.
The bill was reported out of the committee with a favorable voice vote.
“Underground natural gas storage facilities are not being regulated by the federal government and the courts will not allow states to monitor their own storage fields if the gas in those facilities is in interstate transportation,” Roberts said. “We lost two lives and had a significant loss of property when a gas leak migrated to underground caverns in Hutchinson, Kansas. As our nation begins to rely more and more on natural gas, we need to ensure there is a proper level of oversight to prevent dangerous explosions and any further loss of life.”
The 11 interstate underground storage sites in the state of Kansas contain more than 270 billion cubic feet of gas.
“I thank the Chairman Thune and Subcommittee Chairperson Deb Fischer and Senator Jerry Moran for working with me to ensure this important provision was included in the SAFE PIPES Act,” Roberts said.
The SAFE PIPES Act now awaits debate and a vote in the full Senate.