I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2937 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide for enhanced safety 
and environmental protection in pipeline transportation, to provide for 
enhanced reliability in the transportation of the Nation’s energy products 
by pipeline, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 15, 2011 
Mr. UPTON (for himself and Mr. DINGELL) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a 
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide for en-
hanced safety and environmental protection in pipeline 
transportation, to provide for enhanced reliability in the 
transportation of the Nation’s energy products by pipe-
line, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; AMENDMENT OF TITLE 49, 
UNITED STATES CODE; DEFINITIONS; TABLE 
OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Pipeline Infrastructure and Community Protection Act 
of 2011’’. 
(b) AMENDMENT
OF TITLE 49, UNITED STATES 
CODE.—Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever 
in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms 
of an amendment to, or a repeal of, a section or other 
provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to 
a section or other provision of title 49, United States 
Code. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—Any term used in this Act that 
is defined in chapter 601 of title 49, United States Code, 
shall have the meaning given that term in that chapter. 
(d) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; amendment of title 49, United States Code; definitions; 
table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Civil penalties. 
Sec. 3. Pipeline damage prevention. 
Sec. 4. Offshore gathering lines. 
Sec. 5. Automatic and remote-controlled shut-off valves. 
Sec. 6. Excess flow valves. 
Sec. 7. Integrity management. 
Sec. 8. Public education and awareness. 
Sec. 9. Cast iron gas pipelines. 
Sec. 10. Leak detection. 
Sec. 11. Incident notification. 
Sec. 12. Transportation-related onshore facility response plan compliance. 
Sec. 13. Pipeline infrastructure data collection. 
Sec. 14. International cooperation and consultation. 
Sec. 15. Transportation-related oil flow lines. 
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Sec. 16. Alaska project coordination. 
Sec. 17. Cost recovery for design reviews. 
Sec. 18. Special permits. 
Sec. 19. Biofuel pipelines. 
Sec. 20. Carbon dioxide pipelines. 
Sec. 21. Study of the transportation of diluted bitumen. 
Sec. 22. Study of non-petroleum hazardous liquids transported by pipeline. 
Sec. 23. Clarifications. 
Sec. 24. Additional resources. 
Sec. 25. Maintenance of effort. 
Sec. 26. Administrative enforcement process. 
Sec. 27. Maximum allowable operating pressure. 
Sec. 28. Cover over buried pipeline. 
Sec. 29. Onshore gathering lines. 
Sec. 30. Authorization of appropriations. 
SEC. 2. CIVIL PENALTIES. 
(a) 
PENALTY
CONSIDERATIONS; 
MAJOR
CON-
SEQUENCE VIOLATIONS.—Section 60122 is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘the ability to pay,’’ in sub-
section (b)(1)(B); 
(2) by redesignating subsections (c) through (f) 
as subsections (d) through (g), respectively; and 
(3) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(c) PENALTIES FOR MAJOR CONSEQUENCE VIOLA-
TIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—A person that the Sec-
retary of Transportation decides, after written notice 
and an opportunity for a hearing, has committed a 
major consequence violation of section 60114(b), 
60114(d), or 60118(a) of this title or a regulation 
prescribed or order issued under this chapter is lia-
ble to the United States Government for a civil pen-
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alty of not more than $250,000 for each violation. 
A separate violation occurs for each day the violation 
continues. The maximum civil penalty under this 
paragraph for a related series of major consequence 
violations is $2,500,000. 
‘‘(2) PENALTY
CONSIDERATIONS.—In deter-
mining the amount of a civil penalty for a major 
consequence violation under this subsection, the Sec-
retary shall consider the factors prescribed in sub-
section (b). 
‘‘(3) MAJOR
CONSEQUENCE
VIOLATION
DE-
FINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘major con-
sequence violation’ means a violation that contrib-
uted to a pipeline facility incident resulting in— 
‘‘(A) 1 or more deaths; 
‘‘(B) 1 or more injuries or illnesses requir-
ing in-patient hospitalization; or 
‘‘(C) 
environmental 
harm 
exceeding 
$250,000 in estimated damages to the environ-
ment including property loss, other than the 
value of natural gas or hazardous liquid lost 
and damage to pipeline facility equipment.’’. 
(b) PENALTY FOR OBSTRUCTION OF INSPECTIONS 
AND INVESTIGATIONS.—Section 60118(e) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: ‘‘The Secretary may im-
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pose a civil penalty under section 60122 on a person who 
obstructs or prevents the Secretary from carrying out in-
spections or investigations under this chapter.’’. 
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE
PENALTY
CAPS
INAPPLI-
CABLE.—Section 60120(a)(1) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: ‘‘The maximum amount of civil pen-
alties for administrative enforcement actions under section 
60122 shall not apply to enforcement actions under this 
section.’’. 
(d) JUDICIAL REVIEW
OF ADMINISTRATIVE EN-
FORCEMENT ORDERS.—Section 60119(a) is amended— 
(1) in the subsection heading by striking ‘‘AND 
WAIVER ORDERS’’ and inserting ‘‘, ORDERS, AND 
OTHER FINAL AGENCY ACTIONS’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘about an application for a 
waiver under section 60118(c) or (d) of’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘under’’. 
SEC. 3. PIPELINE DAMAGE PREVENTION. 
(a) MINIMUM STANDARDS
FOR STATE ONE-CALL 
NOTIFICATION PROGRAMS.—Section 6103(a) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) MINIMUM STANDARDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to qualify for a 
grant under section 6106, a State one-call notifica-
tion program shall, at a minimum, provide for— 
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‘‘(A) appropriate participation by all un-
derground facility operators, including all gov-
ernment operators; 
‘‘(B) appropriate participation by all exca-
vators, including all government and contract 
excavators; and 
‘‘(C) flexible and effective enforcement 
under State law with respect to participation in, 
and use of, one-call notification systems. 
‘‘(2) EXEMPTIONS PROHIBITED.—A State one- 
call notification program may not exempt mecha-
nized excavation, municipalities, State agencies, or 
their contractors from its one-call notification sys-
tem requirements.’’. 
(b) STATE DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS.—Sec-
tion 60134(a) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon in 
paragraph (1); 
(2) by striking ‘‘(b).’’ in paragraph (2)(B) and 
inserting ‘‘(b); and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) does not provide any exemptions to mecha-
nized excavation, municipalities, State agencies, or 
their contractors from its one-call notification sys-
tem requirements.’’. 
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