The House of Representatives approved measures on Wednesday that were led by U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) to improve and protect the nation’s pipeline infrastructure.
The House approved provisions of Denham’s Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act, H.R. 4937, as an amendment to the Senate’s SAFE PIPES Act, S. 2276.
“The millions of miles of pipelines in our nation make up the most expansive network in the world and are integral to the safe transportation of energy across the United States,” Denham, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, said. “We have a responsibility to the American people and this amendment provides certainty of oversight and enhancements to critical safety requirements. I’m proud to have worked with my colleagues towards this bipartisan, bicameral solution that will ensure the maintenance and safety of our expansive network.”
Provisions from the PIPES Act would reauthorize the Department of Transportation’s pipeline safety program for four years, close gaps in federal safety standards and enhance rulemaking processes of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
“More than two-thirds of U.S. energy consumption moves through our nation’s pipeline network and our bipartisan efforts will improve safety of this critical infrastructure here in Michigan and across the country,” U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said. “Certain pipelines should be subject to greater scrutiny and more frequent inspections, and Line 5, which runs cross the Straights of Mackinac, is a perfect example. If a spill were to occur there, the consequences would be unthinkable. We promised action and I am proud that we have a bipartisan agreement that will make a real difference. This legislation is a bipartisan win for Southwest Michigan, our Great Lakes, and the American people.”
U.S. Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI) agreed, adding that the measure would protect one of the country’s most precious resources – the Great Lakes.
“Today’s bill includes important provisions that will require operators of onshore pipelines more than 150 feet underwater, such as Line 5, to conduct internal integrity assessments at least once a year, as well as external assessments; also to designate the Great Lakes as a ‘USA ecological resource’ so that there is greater scrutiny on integrity management procedures; and finally require that emergency spill response plans include procedures for waterways and shorelines that contain ice coverage, which provides additional protections to the unique environment of the Great Lakes,” Miller said in a floor speech.
U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, noted that Congress last authorized the pipeline safety bill in 2011.
That act tasked the Department of Transportation with updating regulations and procedures — and the new pipeline safety bill would include strong transparency and reporting requirements for the 2011 provisions, Shuster noted.
“Another major provision in this act provides PHMSA with emergency order authority for pipelines,” Shuster said. “Most other Department of Transportation modal administrations have EO (executive order) authority, which allows regulators to act quickly when they identify an industrywide safety issue that poses an imminent hazard to the public. As we crafted this language, we took great care to balance a variety of concerns. This bill maintains the Transportation Committee language that requires PHMSA to consult with industry stakeholders and other regulators prior to issuing an EO so that PHMSA understands the potential impact on the economy, end users and safety.”