[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5078 Introduced in House (IH)]
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114th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5078
To require the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a study on the
economic and environmental risks to the Great Lakes of spills or leaks
of oil, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 27, 2016
Mrs. Miller of Michigan (for herself, Mr. Benishek, Mrs. Dingell, and
Mr. Trott) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the
Committee on Energy and 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 require the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a study on the
economic and environmental risks to the Great Lakes of spills or leaks
of oil, 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 ``Great Lakes Pipeline Safety Act of
2016''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) the Great Lakes are an invaluable national resource,
containing one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water and 95
percent of the United States freshwater supply;
(2) over 40,000,000 people depend on the Great Lakes for
fresh drinking water;
(3) the Great Lakes provide 56,000,000,000 gallons of water
per day for municipal, agricultural and industrial use;
(4) there are more than 3,500 species of plants and animals
within the Great Lakes ecosystem;
(5) hundreds of thousands of jobs, tied to the
$7,000,000,000 recreational fishing and $16,000,000,000
recreational boating industries, directly depend on the Great
Lakes;
(6) currently, several million gallons per day of hazardous
liquids are transported by pipeline across various points along
the Great Lakes;
(7) modeling studies by the University of Michigan in 2014
and 2016 have concluded that an oil spill originating from a
pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac would present
particularly severe consequences, potentially impacting over
700 miles of Great Lakes shoreline;
(8) a joint NOAA-U.S. Coast Guard guidebook on oil spill
response planning in marine environments states that, during
the first 24 to 48 hours of open water exposure, most oil
spills become difficult to recover, burn, or chemically
disperse;
(9) swift currents beneath the straits and waterways which
connect the Great Lakes could rapidly disperse oil spill
contaminants following a pipeline breach;
(10) certain pipelines on the Great Lakes are located in
close proximity to municipal drinking water collection intakes
for millions of people; and
(11) the United States should seek to protect the Great
Lakes, as a unique national asset, from unreasonable risk of
environmental and economic harm.
SEC. 3. STUDY ON ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS TO THE GREAT LAKES.
(a) Study.--Notwithstanding a pipeline integrity management
program, integrity management assessment schedule, or considerations by
the Secretary of Transportation resulting in a corrective action order
pursuant to section 60112 of title 49, United States Code, not later
than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary
shall, in consultation with the United States Coast Guard, the
Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, and other agencies as appropriate, conduct a study to
determine the economic and environmental risks to the Great Lakes of
spills or leaks of oil or other hazardous liquids in the Straits of
Mackinac from a rupture, breakage, or other failure of onshore,
underwater pipeline facilities within the Straits.
(b) Contents.--The study required under subsection (a) shall--
(1) meet the content requirements of an environmental
impact statement as described in part 1502 of title 40, Code of
Federal Regulations;
(2) describe the potential impacts of such spills or leaks
to the public health or welfare, wildlife populations,
ecosystems, shorelines, public and private property, economic
activity, and water quality in the Great Lakes and connecting
waterways;
(3) include an assessment of spill responses in a variety
of likely and worst-case spill scenarios in those waters; and
(4) include the supplemental study conducted under
subsection (c).
(c) Supplemental Study.--The Secretary of Transportation shall
conduct, in collaboration with pipeline facility operators and any
necessary agencies, a supplemental study to evaluate the condition and
structural integrity of onshore, underwater pipeline facilities in the
Straits of Mackinac, taking into consideration the age, construction
materials, external and internal corrosion, weld integrity, pressure,
underwater currents, possible external damage caused by anchor strikes
or dragging by recreational or cargo vessels, and the presence of in-
line shutoff valves. Such supplemental study shall utilize both
internal inspection technology and pipeline route surveys, depth of
cover surveys, pressure tests, external corrosion direct assessment, or
other technology that the operator demonstrates can further the
understanding of the condition of the pipeline facility.
(d) Termination of Operation.--Not later than 18 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration shall terminate the
operations of an onshore, underwater pipeline facility located in the
Straits of Mackinac if the Administrator determines that, based on the
studies conducted under subsections (a) and (c), such facility poses a
sufficient risk of hazard to life, property, or the environment to
necessitate the termination.
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