Title: METHANE Act
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Methane Emissions from Transmission Harm American Neighborhoods and the Environment Act or the METHANE Act
This bill requires operators of distribution pipelines to use advanced leak detection technology to detect and repair leaking pipelines, including high sensitivity methane detectors mounted on a vehicle or aircraft that is equipped with global positioning system technology.
The bill also requires operators to report to the Department of Transportation any event that involves a release of gas from a pipeline facility that results in an unintentional estimated gas loss of 50,000 cubic feet or more.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2469 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2469

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the use of advanced 
    leak detection technology for pipelines, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 12, 2019

  Mr. Udall (for himself, Mr. Carper, Mr. Booker, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. 
Harris, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Markey, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. 
Merkley, Mr. Blumenthal, and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the use of advanced 
    leak detection technology for pipelines, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Methane Emissions from Transmission 
Harm American Neighborhoods and the Environment Act'' or the ``METHANE 
Act''.

SEC. 2. LEAK DETECTION REQUIREMENTS AND METHANE EMISSIONS FROM 
              PIPELINES.

    (a) Leak Detection Requirements.--Section 60109 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Leak Detection Requirements.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection, and as part of the minimum 
        standards for integrity management programs for distribution 
        pipelines under subsection (e), to the maximum extent 
        practicable, operators of distribution pipelines shall use 
        advanced leak detection technology described in paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Advanced leak detection technology.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Advanced leak detection 
                technology referred to in paragraph (1) includes--
                            ``(i) a high sensitivity methane detector 
                        mounted on a vehicle or aircraft, including a 
                        drone, equipped with Global Positioning System 
                        technology, if that high sensitivity methane 
                        detector and Global Positioning System 
                        technology meet the minimum performance 
                        standards described in subparagraph (B); and
                            ``(ii) any other technology or combination 
                        of technologies that meet the minimum 
                        performance standards described in subparagraph 
                        (B).
                    ``(B) Minimum performance standards.--The high 
                sensitivity methane detector and Global Positioning 
                System technology referred to in subparagraph (A)(i) 
                shall, at a minimum--
                            ``(i) collect latitude and longitude 
                        coordinates and methane concentration data 
                        simultaneously;
                            ``(ii) measure methane concentrations in 
                        parts per billion; and
                            ``(iii) collect data points at a rate of at 
                        least twice per second.
            ``(3) Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall promulgate 
        regulations to carry out this subsection.''.
    (b) Methane Emissions From Pipelines.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 601 of title 49, United States 
        Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 60142. Methane emissions from pipelines
    ``(a) In General.--To the maximum extent practicable, the owner or 
operator of a pipeline facility shall--
            ``(1) use the best available technology to capture natural 
        gas when making repairs to the pipeline facility;
            ``(2) use the best available technology, including, as 
        applicable, advanced leak detection technology described in 
        section 60109(h)(2), to search for and identify leaks in the 
        pipeline facility;
            ``(3) develop or participate in a replacement or repair 
        program for pipeline facilities that--
                    ``(A) are of a design, age, or material known to be 
                leaky; or
                    ``(B) are known to be leaky based on operating 
                history; and
            ``(4) report to the Secretary any event that involves a 
        release of gas from a pipeline facility that results in an 
        unintentional estimated gas loss of 50,000 cubic feet or more.
    ``(b) Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations 
to carry out this section.''.
            (2) Reporting threshold.--Not later than 90 days after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation 
        shall amend section 191.3 of title 49, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, to ensure that the quantity of unintentional 
        estimated gas loss necessary to be considered an ``incident'' 
        under that section is 50,000 cubic feet or more.
            (3) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 
        601 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
        after the item relating to section 60141 the following:

``60142. Methane emissions from pipelines.''.
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