Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District
Issues
Pipeline Safety
U.S. Representatives Inslee and Pallone Introduce Pipeline Safety Legislation
June 29, 2000
Washington, DC – Following this month's scathing federal report on the inadequacy of current pipeline safety enforcement, Rep. Jay Inslee, D-WA, and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., D-NJ, announced that they have introduced a new pipeline safety reauthorization bill that will provide maximum protections for communities and the environment.
Said Inslee, "We have experienced a sharp learning curve on pipeline operations in the past year, and this bill is a necessary reflection of our accumulated knowledge. Our bill is the strongest proposal yet on pipeline safety in the House, and I believe it will afford more protections to those who live and work near pipelines in our country. I am optimistic that with co-sponsors from around the country, we will see a renewed effort for pipeline reform."
Added Pallone, "The GAO report was but the latest evidence of what has been apparent for years: tougher enforcement and oversight are the only way we can get a handle on the growing number of major pipeline accidents, and ensure more rapid and thorough cleanups.People have a right to know where pipelines are located. Pipelines need to be inspected more often. Sensible steps need to be taken to prevent accidents. OPS and pipeline operators must be held accountable. There's no excuse for further inaction."
The Inslee-Pallone pipeline safety bill includes the following key provisions:
Inspections
Pipeline inspections would be required at least once every five years, for hazardous liquid pipelines, or periodically for natural gas pipelines.
Enforcement
Stronger enforcement and regular inspection provisions would be bolstered by citizen action/civil suit and strict liability provisions.
Enhanced Community Right to Know
Pipeline operators would be required to better compile data and make the data widely available to the public. Pipeline companies would be required to notify people living within one thousand yards of the pipeline about the presence of the pipeline within one year of enactment of the bill. Also, the location of pipelines will be posted on the Internet, as well as the location of valves and pipeline anomalies.
Regional Advisory Councils
The purpose of these advisory boards is to invite closer public scrutiny of pipeline operations. Participants will include residents along pipelines, local governments, and representatives of environmental groups.
Whistle-Blower Protection
Pipeline employees would be protected from company reprisals if they report pipeline safety or environmental infractions.
GAO Report
The Office of Pipeline Safety would be required to review and respond to each of the criticisms in the recent GAO report within five days. There would also be requirements that the Transportation Secretary improve compliance with Inspector General and National Transportation Safety Board recommendations.
Penalties
Applies the same environmental penalties to pipeline companies for spills that occur on land as the penalties that now exist for spills in water.
Certification of Pipeline Operators
All pipeline operators and employees would be required to pass safety certification tests, much like the airline and nuclear industries.
The Senate is moving on a pipeline safety bill that Pallone and Inslee said makes good progress, but still is not protective enough of human safety and the environment.
Mindful of the lingering aftershocks of pipeline explosions in Bellingham, WA, last year, and in Edison, NJ, in 1994, the two Congressmen stressed the importance of applying the hard lessons learned from these accidents in their home districts to prevent future disasters. The provisions of the Inslee-Pallone initiative have bipartisan support from regions across the nation.
On June 14, the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) released a report on pipeline safety and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS). The report highlighted failures in the OPS's efforts to change the way it oversees the pipeline safety industry.