I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1126
To strengthen and improve the pipeline safety provisions of chapter 601
of title 49, United States Code, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 3, 1995
Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr.
SAXTON, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. ZIMMER, Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey, Mr.
LOBIONDO, Mr. TORRICELLI, Mrs. ROUKEMA, and Mr. MARTINI) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure and, in addition, to the Committee on Com-
merce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned
A BILL
To strengthen and improve the pipeline safety provisions
of chapter 601 of title 49, United States Code, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Durham Woods Natu-
ral Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. INCREASED INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS IN HIGH-
DENSITY POPULATION AREAS.
(a) INSTRUMENTED
INTERNAL
INSPECTION
DE-
VICES.—Section 60102(f)(2) of title 49, United States
Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘In the case of gas pipe-
lines, such inspection shall be required not less than once
every 7 years.’’ after ‘‘60109 of this title.’’.
(b) ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS.—Section 60108 of
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following new subsection:
‘‘(e) ADDITIONAL INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS FOR
GAS TRANSMISSION PIPELINE FACILITIES.—Within 2
years after the date of the enactment of this subsection,
the Secretary shall prescribe regulations requiring that
each owner or operator of a gas transmission pipeline fa-
cility—
‘‘(1) establish a program for observing from the
air, or inspecting from the ground, or both, at least
once every month, the surface conditions on and ad-
jacent to the right-of-way of all of such owner or op-
erator’s gas transmission pipeline facilities identified
under section 60109 of this title for indications of
leaks, construction, and other circumstances affect-
ing safety or operation; and
‘‘(2) place line markers at suitable intervals
along the rights-of-way of all of such owner or oper-
ator’s gas transmission pipeline facilities identified
under section 60109 of this title, unless such place-
ment is impractical.’’.
SEC. 3. DAMAGE REPORTING.
Section 60123(d)(2) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of subparagraph
(A);
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as sub-
paragraph (C); and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph:
‘‘(B) a pipeline facility and does not report
the damage promptly to the operator of the
pipeline facility and other appropriate authori-
ties; or’’.
SEC. 4. INCREASED PENALTIES.
(a) CRIMINAL PENALTIES.—Section 60123 of title
49, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘5 years’’ and
inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘10 years’’;
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘15 years’’
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘30 years’’;
(3) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘one year’’
and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘5 years’’; and
SEC. 6. PIPELINE SAFETY STUDY.
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Transportation shall
conduct a comprehensive study on the safety of all gas
transmission pipeline facilities in the State of New Jersey.
Such study shall address, at a minimum—
(1) increasing population encroachment on
pipeline rights-of-way;
(2) environmental concerns;
(3) financial pressures on the pipeline industry
to control their costs; and
(4) the feasibility of utilizing remotely operated
or automatic shut-off valves, and their appropriate
spacing.
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
of Transportation shall transmit to the Congress a report
containing the results of the study conducted under sub-
section (a).
SEC. 7. RISK ASSESSMENT.
(a) ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary of Transportation
shall conduct an assessment of the risks to public safety
and the environment posed by the transportation of gas
by pipeline. Such assessment shall—
(1) rank the risks identified by the Secretary in
terms of their probability of occurrence and the se-
verity of their likely consequences, and in terms of
any other factors the Secretary considers relevant;
(2) identify and prioritize technically feasible
and economically justified actions that should be
taken to lessen the risks identified; and
(3) address, at a minimum—
(A) inspection by instrumented internal in-
spection devices;
(B) installation of state-of-the-art leak de-
tection systems, including automatic and re-
motely controlled valves;
(C) inspection and burial of underwater
pipelines; and
(D) inspection and replacement of cast
iron pipelines.
(b) REPORT
TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 18
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Transportation shall transmit to the Con-
gress a report including the assessment required under
subsection (a) and a plan for actions proposed by the Sec-
retary to address each risk identified in the assessment.
SEC. 8. MAPPING.
Section 60102 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(l) MAPPING OF PIPELINE FACILITIES.—(1) The
owner or operator of a gas transmission or hazardous liq-
uid pipeline facility, or a regulated gathering line, shall
inform the Secretary of the specific location of such pipe-
line facility or gathering line.
‘‘(2) The Secretary, using the information received
under paragraph (1) and any other information available
to the Secretary, shall develop a comprehensive mapping
program to identify the specific location of all gas trans-
mission and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities, and regu-
lated gathering lines. The program shall include informa-
tion on the proximity of such pipeline facilities and gather-
ing lines to high-density population areas, environmentally
sensitive areas, water intakes, and other appropriate areas
or facilities. The Secretary shall establish an electronic
data base for the comprehensive mapping program, and
shall ensure that such data base is available to State and
local governments and the public in an appropriate man-
ner.
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall ensure the security of the
program developed under paragraph (2) against terrorism,
sabotage, and other threats.’’.
SEC. 9. TECHNICAL SAFETY STANDARDS COMMITTEE.
Section 60115(f) is amended—
(1) by striking the first 2 sentences thereof;
and
(2) by inserting ‘‘of a committee under this sec-
tion’’ after ‘‘A member’’.
SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.
Terms used in this Act shall have the same defini-
tions given such terms in section 60101 of title 49, United
States Code.
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