Pipeline Safety Enhancement Act of 1995

Summary: Pipeline Safety Enhancement Act of 1995 - Amends Federal pipeline safety law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to prescribe minimum standards:  (1) for toughness for new pipes installed in gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities (with particular attention to new pipes in high-density population areas); (2) that require the marking of pipelines in class three and four locations to identify hazardous liquid pipeline facilities and high-pressure pipelines; and (3) that require operators of gas or hazardous liquid pipeline facilities to conduct periodic inspections or tests for identifying damage caused by corrosion and other time-dependent damage that may be detrimental to the safe operation of the pipeline and necessitate remedial action, in order to determine the adequacy of such pipeline to operate at established maximum allowable operating pressure. 
Requires the Secretary to conduct biennial assessments of the aforementioned safety programs. 
Requires the Secretary to expedite the study by the Research and Special Programs Administration of the Department of Transportation concerning the methods to reduce public safety risks in the siting of pipeline facilities.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Pipeline Safety Enhancement Act of 
1995''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS IN PIPELINE SAFETY

    (a) Toughness Standards.--Section 60102 of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsections:
    ``(l) Toughness Standards.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of enactment of the Pipeline Safety Enhancement Act of 1995, 
        The Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with 
        appropriate officials of the Research and Special Programs 
        Administration of the Department of Transportation (referred to 
        in this section as the `Research and Special Programs 
        Administration'), shall prescribe minimum standards for 
        toughness (as defined and determined by the Secretary of 
        Transportation, in consultation with the appropriate officials 
        of the Research and Special Programs Administration) for new 
        pipes installed in gas pipeline facilities and hazardous liquid 
        pipeline facilities.
            ``(2) High-density population areas.--In establishing the 
        minimum standards for toughness under paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary of Transportation shall give particular attention to 
        the installation of new pipes in high-density population areas 
        (as such term is used in section 60109).
            ``(3) Pipe defined.--For purposes of this subsection, the 
        term `pipe' means any pipe or tubing used in the transportation 
        of gas, including pipe-type holders.
    ``(m) Markings.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of the Pipeline Safety Enhancement Act of 1995, the 
        Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with appropriate 
        officials of the Research and Special Programs Administration, 
        shall prescribe minimum standards that require for the marking 
        of pipelines in class 3 and class 4 locations (as such terms 
        are used in subpart L of part 192 of title 49, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, as in effect on the day before the date of 
        enactment of the Pipeline Safety Enhancement Act of 1995) to 
        identify hazardous liquid pipeline facilities and high-pressure 
        pipelines.
            ``(2) High-pressure pipeline defined.--For purposes of this 
        subsection, the term `high-pressure pipeline' means any gas 
        pipeline in which the gas pressure is higher than that provided 
        to the customer.
    ``(n) Testing.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date 
        of enactment of the Pipeline Safety Enhancement Act of 1995, 
        the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with 
        appropriate officials of the Research and Special Programs 
        Administration, shall include in the minimum safety 
standards prescribed under subsection (a) a requirement that each 
operator of a gas pipeline facility or hazardous liquid pipeline 
facilities conduct, on a periodic basis, inspections or tests capable 
of identifying damage caused by corrosion and other time-dependent 
damage that may be detrimental to the continued safe operation of the 
pipeline and that may necessitate remedial action, in order to 
determine the adequacy of the pipeline facility to operate at 
established maximum allowable operating pressure.
            ``(2) Maximum allowable operating pressure defined.--For 
        purposes of this subsection, the term `maximum allowable 
        operating pressure' means the maximum pressure at which a 
        pipeline or a segment of a pipeline may be operated under 
        regulations issued under this chapter.''.
    (b) Assessment of Public Education Program Concerning Leak 
Detection.--Section 60116 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``Under 
        regulations''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Assessment.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of enactment the Pipeline Safety Enhancement Act of 1995, and 
        every two years thereafter, the Secretary of Transportation, in 
        consultation with appropriate officials of the Research and 
        Special Programs Administration of the Department of 
        Transportation, shall conduct an assessment of the programs 
        conducted under this section to determine--
                    ``(A) with respect to the programs conducted under 
                this section--
                            ``(i) the appropriateness of the 
                        information provided; and
                            ``(ii) the effectiveness of the educational 
                        techniques used; and
                    ``(B) in comparison to other similar educational 
                programs, the relative effectiveness of educational 
                techniques used in the programs conducted under this 
                section.
            ``(2) Regulations.--Upon completion of an assessment 
        conducted under paragraph (1), the Secretary, in consultation 
        with the appropriate officials of the Research and Special 
        Programs Administration, shall promulgate such regulations as 
        the Secretary determines to be appropriate to improve the 
        programs conducted under this section.''.
    (c) Study.--The Secretary of Transportation shall take such action 
as may be necessary to expedite the completion of the study conducted 
by the Research and Special Programs Administration of the Department 
of Transportation relating to methods to reduce public safety risks in 
the siting pipeline facilities. In addition, the scope of the study 
referred to in the previous sentence shall be modified to include the 
consideration of building standards. The Secretary of Transportation 
shall ensure that the results of the study are widely available to the 
governments of States and political subdivisions thereof.