Press Releases

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders today introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) pipeline safety program and maintain the safety of our nation’s pipeline network.

H.R. 4937, the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2016, is a four-year reauthorization that improves pipeline safety by closing gaps in federal standards, enhances the quality and timeliness of agency rulemakings, promotes better usage of data and technology to improve pipeline safety, and provides regulatory certainty for citizens, the safety community, and the industry.

The PIPES Act, was introduced on April 14, 2016, by Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Denham (R-CA); Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Ranking Member Michael Capuano (D-MA); Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA); and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR).

“Pipelines represent a crucial part of our national infrastructure, and millions of American families depend on safe pipelines for transportation of the crucial energy resources that fuel their homes and cars,” Denham said.  “The PIPES Act will help create the safest pipeline system in history by closing gaps in federal standards and improving our ability to make effective safety rules.”

“The legislation contains some important safety provisions, including giving the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration authority to act quickly to address industry-wide safety hazards as soon as they are discovered,” Capuano said.  “The legislation also requires PMHSA to undertake a rulemaking for underground natural gas storage facilities.  This bipartisan effort will enhance overall pipeline safety and oversight, and I thank my colleagues for their cooperative efforts.”

“Pipelines are critical to the economy of Central and Southwestern Pennsylvania, and the entire country,” Shuster said.  “Moving energy products safely and efficiently improves our quality of life, keeps energy costs more affordable, and leads to significant job creation.  The PIPES Act continues to improve our pipeline transportation system, provides more regulatory certainty, and carries on the work we began in the last pipeline safety bill in 2011.  We look forward to working with the Energy and Commerce Committee as we move toward House passage of this critical reauthorization.”

“The bipartisan PIPES Act includes critical reforms and new tools to protect communities across the country from serious accidents involving the transportation of natural gas and hazardous liquids by pipeline,” DeFazio said.  “The legislation provides critical new authority to allow the Secretary of Transportation to impose needed emergency restrictions and safety measures in the event of a serious accident or unsafe operating practices.  It also provides vital grant funding to help states run robust pipeline inspection programs.  I thank Chairmen Shuster and Denham for working with me and with Ranking Member Capuano to produce this bipartisan bill, and will work with them to move this legislation through the House.”

DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) oversees the federal program for the safety of the nation’s 2.6 million miles of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, which account for the transportation of 64 percent of the energy commodities consumed in the United States.  The previous pipeline safety authorization, which expired last year, included 42 specific directives for PHMSA to carry out to improve pipeline safety, half of which PHMSA has completed.  The PIPES Act of 2016 ensures PHMSA finishes out the 2011 Act requirements.   In addition, the bill:

Improves safety by closing gaps in federal standards