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Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District

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Pipeline Safety

Pipeline Safety Enhancement Act of 2001

6 February 2001

U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee co-sponsored legislation introduced in the House today, which would strengthen current pipeline safety laws. Some highlights of thePipeline Safety Enhancement Act of 2001 are as follows:

Pipeline Safety Enhancement Act of 2001 Summary:

  1. Requires the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement the Inspector General's safety improvement recommendations provided in RT-2000-069. The Secretary of Transportation is also required to demonstrate in what manner the recommendations have been implemented.
  2. Requires the Secretary of the Department of Transportation to ensure timely responsiveness to the recommendations that are made by the NTSB, including an annual report to Congress.
  3. Requires operators to enhance training of personnel and requiring the Secretary to review these programs and establish minimum standards for training and evaluation that cannot be based solely on job observation.
  4. Stipulates that Pipeline Integrity Management Programs be adopted and enacted by pipeline operators at least once every 5 years to be reviewed by the Secretary. The plan includes specific types of testing and minimum standards to be prescribed by the Secretary. It also provides state review and local input on the Pipeline Integrity Management Programs.
  5. Strengthens public right to know provisions including a one-call notification system, public education program, technical-assistance to improve public safety and grants for emergency response training for local, county and state governments. The bill also designates the creation of operator liaison and requires the dissemination of pipeline integrity management program details, mapping information to state emergency response commissions, planning committees and OPS.
  6. Creates a Regional Emergency Transportation Coordinator and grants to implement GPS mapping/in-vehicle navigation systems. To improve data, an information collection plan will be implemented and a National Information Depository will also be created and offered online.
  7. Requires each owner to include annual pipeline segment reports including the business name/operator number, pipeline governing system and map, emergency response information, results of testing, 5-year incident history etc., to be provided to responsible local and state bodies/officials and to the Secretary.
  8. Increases existing civil penalties including those for each safety violations (by 20x) and raises the maximum total from $500,000 to 1 million. The bill also ensures a civil penalty for discharges of $1000 per barrel.
  9. Improves the oversight role of state's by allowing the appropriate state authority to enter into an agreement with the Secretary to participate in the oversight of interstate pipeline transportation - state plans for this oversight are required.
  10. Stipulates that spill reporting thresholds be reduced to 5 gallons.
  11. Directs the Research and Development program of the DOT be directed toward improving pipeline safety inspection and facility reliability. Specific grants are provided to augment this requirement and a 5-year plan is required, including an annual report to Congress. This includes a cooperative research agreement with the DOE to promote pipeline safety. A specific position is created within the DOT and DOE for this endeavor.
  12. Creates a Pipeline Technical Advisory Committees to inform the Secretaries of DOT and DOE of progress of research, development and demonstration.
  13. Ensures the development of a strategic plan to reduce within 4 years, the annual number of accident releases.
  14. Provides substantially increased appropriations for the DOT for fiscal year 2002-2004. This includes specific grants for research and development and emergency response training and technical assistance grants.
  15. Guarantees whistle-blower protection for employees providing pipeline safety information.
  16. Requires the Secretary to respond in writing to the safety recommendations of State Advisory Committees and detail what actions will be enacted.
  17. Institutes a study of fines and penalties imposable by the DOT, a study of pipeline rights-of-way and the environment, and a study of population encroachment and land use practices and zoning.