[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1126 Introduced in House (IH)]

  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) 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 jurisdiction 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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Durham Woods Natural Gas Pipeline 
Safety Act of 1995''.

SEC. 2. INCREASED INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS IN HIGH-DENSITY POPULATION 
              AREAS.

    (a) Instrumented Internal Inspection Devices.--Section 60102(f)(2) 
of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``In the case 
of gas pipelines, 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 facility--
            ``(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 adjacent to the right-of-way of 
        all of such owner or operator's gas transmission pipeline 
        facilities identified under section 60109 of this title for 
        indications of leaks, construction, and other circumstances 
        affecting safety or operation; and
            ``(2) place line markers at suitable intervals along the 
        rights-of-way of all of such owner or operator's gas 
        transmission pipeline facilities identified under section 60109 
        of this title, unless such placement 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 subparagraph (C); 
        and
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new 
        subparagraph:
                    ``(B) a pipeline facility and does not report the 
                damage promptly to the operator of the pipeline 
                facility and other appropriate authorities; 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
            (4) in subsection (d), by striking ``5 years'' and 
        inserting in lieu thereof ``10 years''.
    (b) Civil Penalties.--Section 60122(a) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``or 60118(a)'' and inserting in 
                lieu thereof ``, 60102(l), or 60118(a)'';
                    (B) by striking ``$25,000'' and inserting in lieu 
                thereof ``$50,000''; and
                    (C) by striking ``$500,000'' and inserting in lieu 
                thereof ``$1,000,000''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``$50,000'' and inserting 
        in lieu thereof ``$100,000''.

SEC. 5. PUBLIC AWARENESS.

    Section 60116 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a) Requirement.--'' before ``Under 
        regulations the Secretary''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) State Programs.--The Secretary shall, to the extent provided 
in advance in appropriations Acts, make grants to States for the 
promotion of public awareness of the dangers of excavating near 
pipeline facilities by advertising in the media and other means.''.

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 subsection (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 severity 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 inspection 
                devices;
                    (B) installation of state-of-the-art leak detection 
                systems, including automatic and remotely 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 Congress a report including the assessment required 
under subsection (a) and a plan for actions proposed by the Secretary 
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 subsection:
    ``(l) Mapping of Pipeline Facilities.--(1) The owner or operator of 
a gas transmission or hazardous liquid pipeline facility, or a 
regulated gathering line, shall inform the Secretary of the specific 
location of such pipeline 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 transmission and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities, and 
regulated gathering lines. The program shall include information on the 
proximity of such pipeline facilities and gathering 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 manner.
    ``(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 section'' 
        after ``A member''.

SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.

    Terms used in this Act shall have the same definitions given such 
terms in section 60101 of title 49, United States Code.
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