[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 5 (Monday, January 31, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H69-H70]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO PROMOTE PIPELINE SAFETY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Metcalf) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, on June 10, 1999, a liquid gasoline 
pipeline owned by the Olympic Pipeline Company ruptured and spilled 
over 200,000 gallons of gasoline at Whatcom Falls Park, a 241-acre park 
in my district in the city of Bellingham. Gasoline was carried into 
Whatcom Creek, where it reportedly filled the creek at depths of up to 
10 feet.
  The spilled fuel was inadvertently ignited by two 10-year-old boys, 
Wade King and Stephen Tsiorvas, who were playing with bottle rockets at 
the creek. The resulting fireball raced down the length of the creek 
for a mile and a half, killing King, Tsiorvas, and an 18-year-old fly 
fisherman named Liam Wood. Swaths as wide as 200 feet along the creek 
were burned within minutes.
  The explosion of June 10 caused millions of dollars in property 
damage and did immeasurable harm to the families and friends of Wade 
King, Stephen Tsiorvas, and Liam Wood.
  I have long held reservations about our system of pipeline safety 
regulations. In 1996, I voted against the pipeline deregulation bill 
because I felt it

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removed too many essential safeguards. Since the tragedy, I have 
redoubled my efforts to improve the regulatory climate.
  I have been in close contact with industry, public interest groups, 
local officials, Federal regulators, and constituents.

                              {time}  1900

  The bill that I have introduced today addresses several concerns. 
Under my legislation, number one, pipelines will be required to be 
inspected both internally and with hydrostatic tests. Pipelines with a 
history of leaks will be specifically targeted for more strenuous 
testing. All pipeline operators will be tested for qualifications and 
certified by the Department of Transportation.
  The results of pipeline tests and inspections will be made available 
to the public and a nationwide map of all pipeline locations will be 
placed on the Internet where ordinary citizens can easily access it. 
All pipeline ruptures and spills of more than 40 gallons will be 
reported to the Federal Office of Pipeline Safety. And States will be 
able to set up their own pipeline safety programs for interstate 
pipelines.
  In addition, the bill requires studies on various technologies that 
may improve safety such as external leak detection systems and double-
walled pipelines.
  The bill has already bipartisan support. My distinguished colleagues, 
the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Dunn), the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Inslee), and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith) 
have agreed to cosponsor; and I thank them very much for that.
  Mr. Speaker, we hope to move this legislation through Congress and I 
hope the rest of my colleagues can join with me in support of this 
bipartisan proposal.

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