I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3558
To amend title 49, United States Code, to improve pipeline safety.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 31, 2000
Mr. METCALF (for himself, Mr. INSLEE, Ms. DUNN, and Mr. SMITH of Wash-
ington) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee
on Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend title 49, United States Code, to improve pipeline
safety.
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 ‘‘Safe Pipelines Act of
2000’’.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL SAFETY CERTIFICATION OF PIPELINE EM-
PLOYEES.
Section 60102(a)(1)(C) of title 49, United States
Code, is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(C) shall include a requirement that all
individuals responsible for the operation and
maintenance of pipeline facilities shall be tested
for qualification to perform such functions and
certified by the Secretary to perform such func-
tions.’’.
SEC. 3. CORROSION TESTING.
Section 60102(f) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(3) CORROSION TESTING.—Not later than 180
days after the date of enactment of this paragraph,
the Secretary shall require that the operator of a
pipeline facility with an instrumented internal in-
spection device periodically test the facility for corro-
sion and anomalies and make the results of the test
available to the public. The period between each test
shall be no longer than 5 years.’’.
SEC. 4. NOTIFICATION OF SPILLS.
Section 60102(h)(1) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended—
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and
(B) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively; and
(2) by inserting before subparagraph (C) (as so
redesignated) the following:
‘‘(A) spill of more than 40 gallons;
‘‘(B) rupture of a pipeline;’’.
SEC. 5. HYDROSTATIC TESTING.
Section 60108 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) by adding at the end of subsection (b) the
following:
‘‘(4) HYDROSTATIC
TESTING.—See subsection
(d).’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(d) HYDROSTATIC TESTING.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to this subsection,
the Secretary shall require that the operator of a
covered pipeline facility hydrostatically test the facil-
ity and make the results of the test available to the
public.
‘‘(2) INITIAL TESTING.—A pipeline facility shall
be hydrostatically tested not later than 30 days after
the date on which the facility becomes a covered
pipeline facility under this subsection.
‘‘(3) INTERVALS
OF
TESTING.—Hydrostatic
testing required pursuant to this subsection shall be
conducted not less than once every 5 years
‘‘(4) ALTERNATIVE
METHODS.—Upon request
of the operator of a covered pipeline facility (other
than a facility that is on the Secretary’s list of high-
risk pipelines), the Secretary may approve an alter-
native method of testing the facility (including in-
spection by an instrumented internal inspection de-
vice) for structural weaknesses instead of hydrostatic
testing of the facility if the Secretary first provides
written notification in the Federal Register and to
interested State and local governments and other
persons of the proposed approval and provides a pe-
riod of 90 days for public comment on the proposed
approval.
‘‘(5) LIST OF HIGH-RISK PIPELINES.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 90
days after the date of enactment of this sub-
section, the Secretary shall establish a list of
high-risk pipelines. A pipeline facility shall be
placed on the list if the facility—
‘‘(i) has experienced 2 or more report-
able leaks (not including leaks that oc-
curred during a hydrostatic test of the
pipeline facility) due to corrosion or defect
in the preceding 3-year period;
‘‘(ii) has experienced 3 or more re-
portable leaks (not including leaks that oc-
curred during a hydrostatic test of the
pipeline facility) due to corrosion, defect,
or in whole or in part by external forces in
the preceding 3-year period;
‘‘(iii) is less than 50 miles long and
has experienced a reportable leak (not in-
cluding a leak that occurred during a hy-
drostatic test of the pipeline facility) due
to corrosion or defect in the preceding 3-
year period; and
‘‘(iv) has experienced a reportable leak
in the preceding 5-year period due to cor-
rosion or defect (except during a hydro-
static test of the pipeline facility) on a sec-
tion of pipeline that has been in operation
for more than 30 years.
‘‘(B) MAINTENANCE.—The Secretary shall
maintain and periodically update the list under
this paragraph. A pipeline facility placed on the
list shall remain on the list until the last day
of the 5-year period beginning on the date of
the last reportable leak of the pipeline facility
due to corrosion or defect.
‘‘(C) SPECIAL RULE FOR DETERMINATION
OF PIPELINE LENGTH.—For purposes of this
paragraph, the length of a pipeline with more