The Senate approved bipartisan legislation on Monday that was championed by U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Steve Daines (R-MT) to help ensure the safety of America’s pipeline network.
Fischer and Daines introduced the Securing America’s Future Energy: Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (SAFE PIPES) Act, S. 2276, in November.
The PIPES Act, which was approved by the Senate on Monday, includes provisions of the SAFE PIPES Act, as well as bills from the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
“I am proud to see this important pipeline safety bill head to the president’s desk,” Fischer, the chairwoman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security, said “This bipartisan legislation will create a safer pipeline transportation network across our country through stronger congressional oversight and increased collaboration between stakeholders. It will also provide greater resources for state and local pipeline safety officials. These new measures will offer states better tools to address incidents like the Omaha Old Market explosion this past January.”
The measure would reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) through fiscal year 2019 and ensure coordination on pipeline mapping, research, development and technology between PHMSA, industry and public stakeholders.
“A safe, secure and efficient pipeline infrastructure is critical for energy security, creating and maintaining jobs and providing safeguards to protect the environment,” Daines said. “It’s great news to see the passage of important bipartisan legislation that protects our economic and environmental resources.”
PHMSA would also be given more flexibility to hire pipeline inspectors and analysts, and would be compelled to respond to local operators regarding preliminary results of pipeline inspection more often.
The PIPES Act also includes language authored by U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) that would improve the safety and regulation of underground natural gas storage facilities.
“Since the terrifying explosions in Hutchinson, Kansas, officials have feared threats from leaks of natural gas from storage facilities that were being overlooked by federal officials,” Roberts said. “We can finally address a dangerous lapse in the oversight of interstate underground natural gas storage facilities and be better able to prevent explosions and loss of life. I thank the bill sponsor Sen. Fischer and Sen. Moran for their help in getting this legislation across the finish line.”
Roberts’ provision says that the secretary of transportation must issue minimum safety standards for underground natural gas storage facilities, and that state and local authorities may be authorized to enforce those standards.
U.S. Reps. Bill Shuster (R-PA), the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Jeff Denham (R-CA), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, and Fred Upton (R-MI), the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, were among the committee leaders who negotiated the final version of the PIPES Act.
“Although pipelines are by and large out of sight to most Americans, their safe, reliable operation is critical to our economy and to our daily lives,” the committee leaders said in a joint statement. “The improvements included in the PIPES Act will advance the safety of the energy transportation network, and strengthen the transparency and efficiency of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration that oversees the federal pipeline safety program. We came together, Republicans and Democrats, and got the job done to boost pipeline safety.”