II 112th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1924 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 30, 2011 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 2011.

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 paragraph (22), as redesignated, by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and (4)by adding at the end the following: (26)underground gas storage wellbore means the piping and hole drilled connecting the surface of the earth with the underground gas storage reservoir; and (27)underground hazardous liquid storage wellbore means the piping and hole drilled connecting the surface of the earth with the underground hazardous liquid 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 the following: (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 gas storage wellbores and underground hazardous liquid storage wellbores if— (i)the State requirement has been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (referred to in this subparagraph as the Commission); or (ii)the Commission fails to make a decision with respect to the State requirement during the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the State submits the State requirement to the Commission. .