Underground Gas Storage Facility Safety Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1768
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS]
Introduced: 2015-07-15
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Energy storage, supplies, demand

Federal preemption

Oil and gas

Pipelines

State and local government operations

Transportation safety and security
Latest action: action_date: 2015-07-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-07-15
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Underground Gas Storage Facility Safety Act of 2015</b></p> <p>This bill revises federal pipeline safety requirements to authorize states to enforce a state requirement for the safe construction and operation of underground natural gas storage wellbores if:</p> <ul> <li>the state authority has consulted with the Department of Transportation (DOT) about the requirement, </li> and <li>DOT does not object to the requirement within 30 days after consultation is initiated.</li> </ul>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1768 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 15, 2015 Mr. Roberts (for himself and Mr. Moran ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To authorize States to enforce pipeline safety requirements related to wellbores at interstate storage facilities.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Underground Gas Storage Facility Safety Act of 2015 . 2. Definitions Section 60101(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraphs (20), (21), (22), (23), (24), and (25) as paragraphs (23), (24), (25), (20), (21), and (22), respectively; (2) in paragraph (21), as redesignated, by striking and at the end; (3) in paragraphs (22) and (24), as redesignated, by striking the period at the end of each paragraph and inserting a semicolon; (4) in paragraph (25), as redesignated, by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (5) by adding at the end the following: (26) underground natural gas storage wellbore means the piping and hole drilled connecting the surface of the earth with the underground natural gas storage reservoir. . 3. State enforcement of pipeline safety requirements Section 60104(c) of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking A State authority that and inserting (1) A State authority that ; (2) by striking A State authority may not and inserting the following: (2) A State authority may not ; (3) by striking Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, a State authority may enforce a requirement and inserting the following: (3) Notwithstanding the limitation set forth in paragraph (2), a State authority may— (A) enforce a requirement ; (4) by striking chapter 61. and inserting chapter 61; and ; and (5) by adding at the end the following: (B) enforce a State requirement for the safe construction and operation of underground natural gas storage wellbores if— (i) the State authority has consulted with the Secretary respecting the State requirement; and (ii) the Secretary does not object to the State requirement during the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the consultation described in clause (i) is initiated. .