Washington, D.C. - Today U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) successfully passed pipeline safety legislation through the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  This is the first pipeline safety legislation to go before the committee since the landmark 2002 law that made significant improvements to how our nation’s pipeline infrastructure is regulated.  The full committee convened today to markup the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2006 (H.R. 5782).  Larsen proposed an amendment to reauthorize the Pipeline Safety Information Grants Program that was not included in the 2006 legislation.  The committee passed both Larsen’s amendment and the bill by a voice vote.

“Pipeline safety is of great importance to me and the citizens of the 2nd Congressional District,” said Larsen.  “Just over seven years ago a pipeline explosion tragically claimed the lives of two 10-year old boys and an 18-year old young man in Bellingham.”

“Since the Bellingham explosion, good strides have been made in the safety of our nation’s pipelines.  But Congress must remain vigilant,” Larsen continued.

Larsen’s successful amendment to H.R. 5782 will preserve the Pipeline Safety Information Grants which were created in the 2002 pipeline safety law.  These grants encourage the involvement of local communities in pipeline safety issues by granting up to $50,000 for technical assistance to local communities relating to the safety of pipeline facilities in local communities.  The Larsen amendment would reauthorize this program at $1 million a year through fiscal year 2010.

“The pipeline safety law we passed in 2002 increased accountability and strengthened the reliability of our nation’s pipeline infrastructure.  The bill we passed out of committee today is another positive step forward,” Larsen concluded.

Aside from reauthorizing the information grants, H.R. 5782 also reauthorizes a provision that Larsen created in 2002 to authorize $6 million for local emergency responders to use to train for pipeline safety accidents.

Larsen sits on the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which oversees the Office of Pipeline Safety.  Today’s passage of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2006 in Committee was the first step in the reauthorization process.  The bill will now be considered by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which also has jurisdiction, before it goes to the House of Representatives for a vote. 

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