[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 24, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S524-S525]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                PIPELINE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2001

  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I am pleased to have co-sponsored a bill 
to modernize our Nation's pipeline safety programs. The issue of our 
country's pipeline safety came to the forefront after tragic explosions 
in Bellingham, Washington, and later, in my own state of New Mexico.
  Just after midnight, August 19, 2000, an El Paso Natural Gas pipeline 
exploded on the Pecos River near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Twelve members 
of an extended family were camping near the explosion, which sent a 350 
foot high ball of flame into the air. Six of the campers died 
instantly, and the remaining six later died from their horrific 
injuries.
  Pipelines carry nearly all of the natural gas and about 65 percent of 
the crude oil and refined oil products. Three primary types of 
pipelines form a network of nearly 2.2 million miles, 7,000 miles of 
which lie throughout New Mexico.
  Last Congress, the Senate unanimously passed similar legislation. Our 
colleagues in the other Chamber voiced serious concerns regarding that 
bill. Many of their criticisms related to the Office of Pipeline 
Safety, the Office within the Department of Transportation charged with 
keeping our Nation's pipelines safe. Unfortunately, the Office of 
Pipeline Safety has had a poor history of regulation and enforcement. 
It is true that the Office has traditionally been slow to act.
  That said, we should not allow a former executive agency's failures 
to dictate our failure to act in accordance with our legislative 
mandate. In that regard, I intend to discuss the issue with our current 
Secretary of Transportation nominee, Mr. Mineta. I am confident that he 
will address our concerns regarding the Office of Pipeline Safety's 
record of enforcement with the new Director of the Office when he or 
she is nominated by our new President.

[[Page S525]]

  Mr. President, this bill; significantly increases States' role in 
oversight, inspection, and investigation of pipelines; improves and 
expands the public's right to know about pipeline hazards; dramatically 
increases civil penalties for safety and reporting violations from 
$25,000 to $500,000, and increases the maximum civil penalty for a 
related series of violations to $1 million; increases reporting 
requirements of releases of hazardous liquids from 50 barrels to five 
gallons; provides important whistle blower protections prohibiting 
discrimination by pipeline operators, contractors or subcontractors; 
furthermore, the legislation would provide much needed funding for 
research and development in pipeline safety technologies. In fact, 
technology currently exists that might have detected weaknesses in 
pipelines around Carlsbad. Unfortunately, due to insufficient funding 
for their products to reach the market; La Sen Corporation in my own 
State of New Mexico has developed technology that can detect faulty 
pipelines where current pipeline inspection technology is not useable. 
La Sen's Electronic Mapping system can be very effective even in 
pipelines where conventional pig devices cannot be used; pipeline 
inspection is costly and slow. Innovative new technologies could allow 
us to inspect all 2.2 million miles of pipeline each year in a cost 
effective manner. Today, pipeline inspection technology only covers 5-
10 miles per day at a cost of $50 per mile. Again, La Sen's technology 
can survey 500 miles per day at a cost of $32 per mile; ensuring the 
safety and integrity of our nation's pipelines is important to all of 
us.

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