[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 8, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S1294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            PIPELINE SAFETY

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I have come to the floor this afternoon 
to publicly thank my colleague from the State of Washington, Mr. 
Gorton, for endorsing my bill, S. 2004, the Pipeline Safety Act of 
2000. I am delighted Senator Gorton joined with me on this very 
important public safety issue. Senator Gorton has the respect of many 
in the Senate leadership, and I expect he will be a great help in 
helping us pass this pipeline safety bill. I look forward to working 
with him to make sure that the tragedies he talked about today--such as 
the one that occurred in Bellingham, WA--don't happen again.
  I also wish to take a moment to recognize the efforts of many, many 
people in my home State of Washington--especially the mayor of 
Bellingham, Mark Asmundson, who has done more than anyone I know to 
raise public awareness about pipeline dangers and to call for stronger 
safety measures.
  I encourage my colleagues, many of whom I have met personally over 
the last several months on this issue, to take this opportunity now to 
join Senator Gorton and me in helping to ensure the safety of the 
pipelines that transport natural gas, oil, and other hazardous liquids 
throughout our communities.
  Since 1986, there have been more than 5,700 pipeline accidents 
nationwide. These accidents have killed 325 people and injured another 
1,500. Three of those people died in Bellingham, WA, last June. We want 
to make sure we take steps this year to ensure that does not happen 
again to any other community. It is time to act. It is time to prevent 
another disaster.
  My bill, S. 2004, would expand State authority. It would improve 
inspection practices, a move that is drastically needed. It would 
expand the public's right to know.
  For any of you who may suffer from a disaster in the future, you will 
quickly find that your communities and cities won't have the ability to 
ask pipeline companies whether pipelines have been inspected, and what 
problems there are, or actions they have taken to solve those problems, 
unless we pass the public's ``right-to-know provision.'' It will 
improve the quality of pipeline operators, and it will increase funding 
to improve safety.
  I look forward to working with the rest of the Washington State 
delegation to put the lessons that we learned all too tragically in 
Bellingham, WA, into law.
  I ask my colleagues, many with whom I have met, to again take a look 
at this legislation and join us in sponsoring it, and for this Senate 
and Congress to move on this very important piece of safety 
legislation.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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