[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8125-8136]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE ENERGY: PROTECTING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE OF 
                   PIPELINES AND ENHANCING SAFETY ACT

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 2276) to amend title 49, United States Code, to provide 
enhanced safety in pipeline transportation, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2276

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting 
     our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 
     2016'' or the ``PIPES Act of 2016''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 3. Regulatory updates.
Sec. 4. Natural gas integrity management review.
Sec. 5. Hazardous liquid integrity management review.
Sec. 6. Technical safety standards committees.
Sec. 7. Inspection report information.
Sec. 8. Improving damage prevention technology.
Sec. 9. Workforce management.
Sec. 10. Information-sharing system.
Sec. 11. Nationwide integrated pipeline safety regulatory database.
Sec. 12. Underground gas storage facilities.
Sec. 13. Joint inspection and oversight.
Sec. 14. Safety data sheets.
Sec. 15. Hazardous materials identification numbers.
Sec. 16. Emergency order authority.
Sec. 17. State grant funds.
Sec. 18. Response plans.
Sec. 19. Unusually sensitive areas.
Sec. 20. Pipeline safety technical assistance grants.
Sec. 21. Study of materials and corrosion prevention in pipeline 
              transportation.
Sec. 22. Research and development.
Sec. 23. Active and abandoned pipelines.
Sec. 24. State pipeline safety agreements.
Sec. 25. Requirements for certain hazardous liquid pipeline facilities.
Sec. 26. Study on propane gas pipeline facilities.
Sec. 27. Standards for certain liquefied natural gas pipeline 
              facilities.
Sec. 28. Pipeline odorization study.
Sec. 29. Report on natural gas leak reporting.
Sec. 30. Review of State policies relating to natural gas leaks.
Sec. 31. Aliso Canyon natural gas leak task force.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Gas and Hazardous Liquid.--Section 60125(a) of title 
     49, United States Code is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``there is authorized to 
     be appropriated to the Department of Transportation for each 
     of fiscal years 2012 through 2015, from fees collected under 
     section 60301, $90,679,000, of which $4,746,000 is for 
     carrying out such section 12 and $36,194,000 is for making 
     grants.'' and inserting the following: ``there is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Department of Transportation from 
     fees collected under section 60301--
       ``(A) $124,500,000 for fiscal year 2016, of which 
     $9,000,000 shall be expended for carrying out such section 12 
     and $39,385,000 shall be expended for making grants;
       ``(B) $128,000,000 for fiscal year 2017 of which $9,000,000 
     shall be expended for carrying out such section 12 and 
     $41,885,000 shall be expended for making grants;
       ``(C) $131,000,000 for fiscal year 2018, of which 
     $9,000,000 shall be expended for carrying out such section 12 
     and $44,885,000 shall be expended for making grants; and
       ``(D) $134,000,000 for fiscal year 2019, of which 
     $9,000,000 shall be expended for carrying out such section 12 
     and $47,885,000 shall be expended for making grants.'';
       (2) in paragraph (2) by striking ``there is authorized to 
     be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2015 
     from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to carry out the 
     provisions of this chapter related to hazardous liquid and 
     section 12 of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 (49 
     U.S.C. 60101 note; Public Law 107-355), $18,573,000, of which 
     $2,174,000 is for carrying out such section 12 and $4,558,000 
     is for making grants.'' and inserting the following: ``there 
     is authorized to be appropriated from the Oil Spill Liability 
     Trust Fund to carry out the provisions of this chapter 
     related to hazardous liquid and section 12 of the Pipeline 
     Safety Improvement Act of 2002 (49 U.S.C. 60101 note; Public 
     Law 107-355)--
       ``(A) $22,123,000 for fiscal year 2016, of which $3,000,000 
     shall be expended for carrying out such section 12 and 
     $8,067,000 shall be expended for making grants;
       ``(B) $22,123,000 for fiscal year 2017, of which $3,000,000 
     shall be expended for carrying out such section 12 and 
     $8,067,000 shall be expended for making grants;
       ``(C) $23,000,000 for fiscal year 2018, of which $3,000,000 
     shall be expended for carrying out such section 12 and 
     $8,067,000 shall be expended for making grants; and
       ``(D) $23,000,000 for fiscal year 2019, of which $3,000,000 
     shall be expended for carrying out such section 12 and 
     $8,067,000 shall be expended for making grants.''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) Underground natural gas storage facility safety 
     account.--To carry out section 60141, there is authorized to 
     be appropriated to the Department of Transportation from fees 
     collected under section 60302 $8,000,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 2017 through 2019.''.
       (b) Operational Expenses.--There are authorized to be 
     appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation for the 
     necessary operational expenses of the Pipeline and Hazardous 
     Materials Safety Administration the following amounts:
       (1) $21,000,000 for fiscal year 2016.
       (2) $22,000,000 for fiscal year 2017.
       (3) $22,000,000 for fiscal year 2018.
       (4) $23,000,000 for fiscal year 2019.
       (c) One-Call Notification Programs.--
       (1) In general.--Section 6107 of title 49, United States 
     Code, is amended to read as follows:

     ``Sec. 6107. Funding

       ``Of the amounts made available under section 60125(a)(1), 
     the Secretary shall expend $1,058,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 2016 through 2019 to carry out section 6106.''.
       (2) Clerical amendment.--The analysis for chapter 61 of 
     title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking the item 
     relating to section 6107 and inserting the following:

``6107. Funding.''.
       (d) Pipeline Safety Information Grants to Communities.--The 
     first sentence of section 60130(c) of title 49, United States 
     Code, is amended to read as follows: ``Of the amounts made 
     available under section 2(b) of the PIPES Act of 2016, the 
     Secretary shall expend $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 
     2016 through 2019 to carry out this section.''

[[Page 8126]]

       (e) Pipeline Integrity Program.--Section 12(f) of the 
     Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 (49 U.S.C. 60101 
     note) is amended by striking ``2012 through 2015'' and 
     inserting ``2016 through 2019''.

     SEC. 3. REGULATORY UPDATES.

       (a) Publication.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Transportation shall 
     publish an update on a publicly available Web site of the 
     Department of Transportation regarding the status of a final 
     rule for each outstanding regulation, and upon such 
     publication notify the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Energy 
     and Commerce of the House of Representatives that such 
     publication has been made.
       (2) Deadlines.--The Secretary shall publish an update under 
     this subsection not later than 120 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter until a 
     final rule has been published in the Federal Register for 
     each outstanding regulation.
       (b) Contents.--The Secretary shall include in each update 
     published under subsection (a)--
       (1) a description of the work plan for each outstanding 
     regulation;
       (2) an updated rulemaking timeline for each outstanding 
     regulation;
       (3) current staff allocations with respect to each 
     outstanding regulation;
       (4) any resource constraints affecting the rulemaking 
     process for each outstanding regulation;
       (5) any other details associated with the development of 
     each outstanding regulation that affect the progress of the 
     rulemaking process; and
       (6) a description of all rulemakings regarding gas or 
     hazardous liquid pipeline facilities published in the Federal 
     Register that are not identified under subsection (c).
       (c) Outstanding Regulation Defined.--In this section, the 
     term ``outstanding regulation'' means--
       (1) a final rule required under the Pipeline Safety, 
     Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 (Public 
     Law 112-90) that has not been published in the Federal 
     Register; and
       (2) a final rule regarding gas or hazardous liquid pipeline 
     facilities required under this Act or an Act enacted prior to 
     the date of enactment of this Act (other than the Pipeline 
     Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 
     (Public Law 112-90)) that has not been published in the 
     Federal Register.

     SEC. 4. NATURAL GAS INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT REVIEW.

       (a) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
     publication in the Federal Register of a final rule regarding 
     the safety of gas transmission pipelines related to the 
     notice of proposed rulemaking issued on April 8, 2016, titled 
     ``Pipeline Safety: Safety of Gas Transmission and Gathering 
     Pipelines'' (81 Fed. Reg. 20721), the Comptroller General of 
     the United States shall submit to the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Energy 
     and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate a report regarding the integrity management programs 
     for gas pipeline facilities required under section 60109(c) 
     of title 49, United States Code.
       (b) Contents.--The report required under subsection (a) 
     shall include--
       (1) an analysis of stakeholder perspectives, taking into 
     consideration technical, operational, and economic 
     feasibility, regarding ways to enhance pipeline facility 
     safety, prevent inadvertent releases from pipeline 
     facilities, and mitigate any adverse consequences of such 
     inadvertent releases, including changes to the definition of 
     high consequence area, or expanding integrity management 
     beyond high consequence areas;
       (2) a review of the types of benefits, including safety 
     benefits, and estimated costs of the legacy class location 
     regulations;
       (3) an analysis of the impact pipeline facility features, 
     including the age, condition, materials, and construction of 
     a pipeline facility, have on safety and risk analysis of a 
     particular pipeline facility;
       (4) a description of any challenges affecting Federal or 
     State regulators in the oversight of gas transmission 
     pipeline facilities and how the challenges are being 
     addressed; and
       (5) a description of any challenges affecting the natural 
     gas industry in complying with the programs, and how the 
     challenges are being addressed, including any challenges 
     faced by publicly owned natural gas distribution systems.
       (c) Definition of High Consequence Area.--In this section, 
     the term ``high consequence area'' has the meaning given the 
     term in section 192.903 of title 49, Code of Federal 
     Regulations.

     SEC. 5. HAZARDOUS LIQUID INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT REVIEW.

       (a) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
     publication in the Federal Register of a final rule regarding 
     the safety of hazardous liquid pipeline facilities related to 
     the notice of proposed rulemaking issued on October 13, 2015, 
     titled ``Pipeline Safety: Safety of Hazardous Liquid 
     Pipelines'' (80 Fed. Reg. 61610), the Comptroller General of 
     the United States shall submit to the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Energy 
     and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate a report regarding the integrity management programs 
     for hazardous liquid pipeline facilities, as regulated under 
     sections 195.450 and 195.452 of title 49, Code of Federal 
     Regulations.
       (b) Contents.--The report required under subsection (a) 
     shall include--
       (1) taking into consideration technical, operational, and 
     economic feasibility, an analysis of stakeholder perspectives 
     on--
       (A) ways to enhance hazardous liquid pipeline facility 
     safety;
       (B) risk factors that may warrant more frequent inspections 
     of hazardous liquid pipeline facilities; and
       (C) changes to the definition of high consequence area;
       (2) an analysis of how surveying, assessment, mitigation, 
     and monitoring activities, including real-time hazardous 
     liquid pipeline facility monitoring during significant flood 
     events and information sharing with Federal agencies, are 
     being used to address risks associated with rivers, flood 
     plains, lakes, and coastal areas;
       (3) an analysis of the impact pipeline facility features, 
     including the age, condition, materials, and construction of 
     a pipeline facility, have on safety and risk analysis of a 
     particular pipeline facility and what changes to the 
     definition of high consequence area could be made to improve 
     pipeline facility safety; and
       (4) a description of any challenges affecting Federal or 
     State regulators in the oversight of hazardous liquid 
     pipeline facilities and how those challenges are being 
     addressed.
       (c) Definition of High Consequence Area.--In this section, 
     the term ``high consequence area'' has the meaning given the 
     term in section 195.450 of title 49, Code of Federal 
     Regulations.

     SEC. 6. TECHNICAL SAFETY STANDARDS COMMITTEES.

       (a) Appointment of Members.--Section 60115(b)(4)(A) of 
     title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``State 
     commissioners. The Secretary shall consult with the national 
     organization of State commissions before selecting those 2 
     individuals.'' and inserting ``State officials. The Secretary 
     shall consult with national organizations representing State 
     commissioners or utility regulators before making a selection 
     under this subparagraph.''.
       (b) Vacancies.--Section 60115(b) of title 49, United States 
     Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) Within 90 days of the date of enactment of the PIPES 
     Act of 2016, the Secretary shall fill all vacancies on the 
     Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, the Technical 
     Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, and any 
     other committee established pursuant to this section. After 
     that period, the Secretary shall fill a vacancy on any such 
     committee not later than 60 days after the vacancy occurs.''.

     SEC. 7. INSPECTION REPORT INFORMATION.

       (a) Inspection and Maintenance.--Section 60108 of title 49, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(e) In General.--After the completion of a Pipeline and 
     Hazardous Materials Safety Administration pipeline safety 
     inspection, the Administrator of such Administration, or the 
     State authority certified under section 60105 of title 49, 
     United States Code, to conduct such inspection, shall--
       ``(1) within 30 days, conduct a post-inspection briefing 
     with the owner or operator of the gas or hazardous liquid 
     pipeline facility inspected outlining any concerns; and
       ``(2) within 90 days, to the extent practicable, provide 
     the owner or operator with written preliminary findings of 
     the inspection.''.
       (b) Notification.--Not later than October 1, 2017, and each 
     fiscal year thereafter for 2 years, the Administrator shall 
     notify the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and 
     the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate of--
       (1) the number of times a deadline under section 60108(e) 
     of title 49, United States Code, was exceeded in the prior 
     fiscal year; and
       (2) in each instance, the length of time by which the 
     deadline was exceeded.

     SEC. 8. IMPROVING DAMAGE PREVENTION TECHNOLOGY.

       (a) Study.--The Secretary of Transportation, in 
     consultation with stakeholders, shall conduct a study on 
     improving existing damage prevention programs through 
     technological improvements in location, mapping, excavation, 
     and communications practices to prevent excavation damage to 
     a pipe or its coating, including considerations of technical, 
     operational, and economic feasibility and existing damage 
     prevention programs.
       (b) Contents.--The study under subsection (a) shall 
     include--
       (1) an identification of any methods to improve existing 
     damage prevention programs

[[Page 8127]]

     through location and mapping practices or technologies in an 
     effort to reduce releases caused by excavation;
       (2) an analysis of how increased use of global positioning 
     system digital mapping technologies, predictive analytic 
     tools, public awareness initiatives including one-call 
     initiatives, the use of mobile devices, and other advanced 
     technologies could supplement existing one-call notification 
     and damage prevention programs to reduce the frequency and 
     severity of incidents caused by excavation damage;
       (3) an identification of any methods to improve excavation 
     practices or technologies in an effort to reduce pipeline 
     damage;
       (4) an analysis of the feasibility of a national data 
     repository for pipeline excavation accident data that creates 
     standardized data models for storing and sharing pipeline 
     accident information; and
       (5) an identification of opportunities for stakeholder 
     engagement in preventing excavation damage.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
     and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives a report containing the results of the study 
     conducted under subsection (a), including recommendations, 
     that include the consideration of technical, operational, and 
     economic feasibility, on how to incorporate into existing 
     damage prevention programs technological improvements and 
     practices that help prevent excavation damage.

     SEC. 9. WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT.

       (a) Review.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the 
     Department of Transportation shall submit to the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Energy 
     and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate, a review of Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 
     Administration staff resource management, including--
       (1) geographic allocation plans, hiring and time-to-hire 
     challenges, and expected retirement rates and recruitment and 
     retention strategies;
       (2) an identification and description of any previous 
     periods of macroeconomic and pipeline industry conditions 
     under which the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 
     Administration has encountered difficulty in filling 
     vacancies, and the degree to which special hiring 
     authorities, including direct hiring authority authorized by 
     the Office of Personnel Management, could have ameliorated 
     such difficulty; and
       (3) recommendations to address hiring challenges, training 
     needs, and any other identified staff resource challenges.
       (b) Direct Hiring.--Upon identification of a period 
     described in subsection (a)(2), the Administrator of the 
     Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration may 
     apply to the Office of Personnel Management for the authority 
     to appoint qualified candidates to any position relating to 
     pipeline safety, as determined by the Administrator, without 
     regard to sections 3309 through 3319 of title 5, United 
     States Code.
       (c) Savings Clause.--Nothing in this section shall preclude 
     the Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 
     Safety Administration from applying to the Office of 
     Personnel Management for the authority described in 
     subsection (b) prior to the completion of the report required 
     under subsection (a).

     SEC. 10. INFORMATION-SHARING SYSTEM.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation 
     shall convene a working group to consider the development of 
     a voluntary information-sharing system to encourage 
     collaborative efforts to improve inspection information 
     feedback and information sharing with the purpose of 
     improving gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipeline 
     facility integrity risk analysis.
       (b) Membership.--The working group convened pursuant to 
     subsection (a) shall include representatives from--
       (1) the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 
     Administration;
       (2) industry stakeholders, including operators of pipeline 
     facilities, inspection technology, coating, and cathodic 
     protection vendors, and pipeline inspection organizations;
       (3) safety advocacy groups;
       (4) research institutions;
       (5) State public utility commissions or State officials 
     responsible for pipeline safety oversight;
       (6) State pipeline safety inspectors;
       (7) labor representatives; and
       (8) other entities, as determined appropriate by the 
     Secretary.
       (c) Considerations.--The working group convened pursuant to 
     subsection (a) shall consider and provide recommendations to 
     the Secretary on--
       (1) the need for, and the identification of, a system to 
     ensure that dig verification data are shared with in-line 
     inspection operators to the extent consistent with the need 
     to maintain proprietary and security-sensitive data in a 
     confidential manner to improve pipeline safety and inspection 
     technology;
       (2) ways to encourage the exchange of pipeline inspection 
     information and the development of advanced pipeline 
     inspection technologies and enhanced risk analysis;
       (3) opportunities to share data, including dig verification 
     data between operators of pipeline facilities and in-line 
     inspector vendors to expand knowledge of the advantages and 
     disadvantages of the different types of in-line inspection 
     technology and methodologies;
       (4) options to create a secure system that protects 
     proprietary data while encouraging the exchange of pipeline 
     inspection information and the development of advanced 
     pipeline inspection technologies and enhanced risk analysis;
       (5) means and best practices for the protection of safety- 
     and security-sensitive information and proprietary 
     information; and
       (6) regulatory, funding, and legal barriers to sharing the 
     information described in paragraphs (1) through (4).
       (d) Publication.--The Secretary shall publish the 
     recommendations provided under subsection (c) on a publicly 
     available Web site of the Department of Transportation.

     SEC. 11. NATIONWIDE INTEGRATED PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATORY 
                   DATABASE.

       (a) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall 
     submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
     and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate a report on the feasibility of 
     establishing a national integrated pipeline safety regulatory 
     inspection database to improve communication and 
     collaboration between the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 
     Safety Administration and State pipeline regulators.
       (b) Contents.--The report submitted under subsection (a) 
     shall include--
       (1) a description of any efforts underway to test a secure 
     information-sharing system for the purpose described in 
     subsection (a);
       (2) a description of any progress in establishing common 
     standards for maintaining, collecting, and presenting 
     pipeline safety regulatory inspection data, and a methodology 
     for sharing the data;
       (3) a description of any inadequacies or gaps in State and 
     Federal inspection, enforcement, geospatial, or other 
     pipeline safety regulatory inspection data;
       (4) a description of the potential safety benefits of a 
     national integrated pipeline safety regulatory inspection 
     database; and
       (5) recommendations, including those of stakeholders for 
     how to implement a secure information-sharing system that 
     protects proprietary and security sensitive information and 
     data for the purpose described in subsection (a).
       (c) Consultation.--In implementing this section, the 
     Secretary shall consult with stakeholders, including each 
     State authority operating under a certification to regulate 
     intrastate pipelines under section 60105 of title 49, United 
     States Code.
       (d) Establishment of Database.--The Secretary may 
     establish, if appropriate, a national integrated pipeline 
     safety regulatory database--
       (1) after submission of the report required under 
     subsection (a); or
       (2) upon notification to the Committee on Transportation 
     and Infrastructure and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
     of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate of the 
     need to establish such database prior to the submission of 
     the report under subsection (a).

     SEC. 12. UNDERGROUND GAS STORAGE FACILITIES.

       (a) Defined Term.--Section 60101(a) of title 49, United 
     States Code, is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (21)(B) by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting a semicolon;
       (2) in paragraph (22)(B)(iii) by striking the period at the 
     end and inserting a semicolon;
       (3) in paragraph (24) by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (4) in paragraph (25) by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (5) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(26) `underground natural gas storage facility' means a 
     gas pipeline facility that stores natural gas in an 
     underground facility, including--
       ``(A) a depleted hydrocarbon reservoir;
       ``(B) an aquifer reservoir; or
       ``(C) a solution-mined salt cavern reservoir.''.
       (b) Standards for Underground Gas Storage Facilities.--
     Chapter 601 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:

     ``Sec. 60141. Standards for underground natural gas storage 
       facilities

       ``(a) Minimum Safety Standards.--Not later than 2 years 
     after the date of enactment of the PIPES Act of 2016, the 
     Secretary, in consultation with the heads of other relevant 
     Federal agencies, shall issue minimum safety standards for 
     underground natural gas storage facilities.
       ``(b) Considerations.--In developing the safety standards 
     required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall, to the 
     extent practicable--

[[Page 8128]]

       ``(1) consider consensus standards for the operation, 
     environmental protection, and integrity management of 
     underground natural gas storage facilities;
       ``(2) consider the economic impacts of the regulations on 
     individual gas customers;
       ``(3) ensure that the regulations do not have a significant 
     economic impact on end users; and
       ``(4) consider the recommendations of the Aliso Canyon 
     natural gas leak task force established under section 31 of 
     the PIPES Act of 2016.
       ``(c) Federal-State Cooperation.--The Secretary may 
     authorize a State authority (including a municipality) to 
     participate in the oversight of underground natural gas 
     storage facilities in the same manner as provided in sections 
     60105 and 60106.
       ``(d) Rules of Construction.--
       ``(1) In general.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
     to affect any Federal regulation relating to gas pipeline 
     facilities that is in effect on the day before the date of 
     enactment of the PIPES Act of 2016.
       ``(2) Limitations.--Nothing in this section may be 
     construed to authorize the Secretary--
       ``(A) to prescribe the location of an underground natural 
     gas storage facility; or
       ``(B) to require the Secretary's permission to construct a 
     facility referred to in subparagraph (A).
       ``(e) Preemption.--A State authority may adopt additional 
     or more stringent safety standards for intrastate underground 
     natural gas storage facilities if such standards are 
     compatible with the minimum standards prescribed under this 
     section.
       ``(f) Statutory Construction.--Nothing in this section 
     shall be construed to affect the Secretary's authority under 
     this title to regulate the underground storage of gas that is 
     not natural gas.''.
       (c) User Fees.--Chapter 603 of title 49, United States 
     Code, is amended by inserting after section 60301 the 
     following:

     ``Sec. 60302. User fees for underground natural gas storage 
       facilities

       ``(a) In General.--A fee shall be imposed on an entity 
     operating an underground natural gas storage facility subject 
     to section 60141. Any such fee imposed shall be collected 
     before the end of the fiscal year to which it applies.
       ``(b) Means of Collection.--The Secretary of Transportation 
     shall prescribe procedures to collect fees under this 
     section. The Secretary may use a department, agency, or 
     instrumentality of the United States Government or of a State 
     or local government to collect the fee and may reimburse the 
     department, agency, or instrumentality a reasonable amount 
     for its services.
       ``(c) Use of Fees.--
       ``(1) Account.--There is established an Underground Natural 
     Gas Storage Facility Safety Account in the Pipeline Safety 
     Fund established in the Treasury of the United States under 
     section 60301.
       ``(2) Use of fees.--A fee collected under this section--
       ``(A) shall be deposited in the Underground Natural Gas 
     Storage Facility Safety Account; and
       ``(B) if the fee is related to an underground natural gas 
     storage facility subject to section 60141, the amount of the 
     fee may be used only for an activity related to underground 
     natural gas storage facility safety.
       ``(3) Limitation.--No fee may be collected under this 
     section, except to the extent that the expenditure of such 
     fee to pay the costs of an activity related to underground 
     natural gas storage facility safety for which such fee is 
     imposed is provided in advance in an appropriations Act.''.
       (d) Clerical Amendments.--
       (1) Chapter 601.--The table of sections for chapter 601 of 
     title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:

``60141. Standards for underground natural gas storage facilities.''.
       (2) Chapter 603.--The table of sections for chapter 603 of 
     title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
     the item relating to section 60301 the following:

``60302. User fees for underground natural gas storage facilities.''.

     SEC. 13. JOINT INSPECTION AND OVERSIGHT.

       Section 60106 of title 49, United States Code, is amended 
     by adding at the end the following:
       ``(f) Joint Inspectors.--At the request of a State 
     authority, the Secretary shall allow for a certified State 
     authority under section 60105 to participate in the 
     inspection of an interstate pipeline facility.''.

     SEC. 14. SAFETY DATA SHEETS.

       (a) In General.--Each owner or operator of a hazardous 
     liquid pipeline facility, following an accident involving 
     such pipeline facility that results in a hazardous liquid 
     spill, shall provide safety data sheets on any spilled 
     hazardous liquid to the designated Federal On-Scene 
     Coordinator and appropriate State and local emergency 
     responders within 6 hours of a telephonic or electronic 
     notice of the accident to the National Response Center.
       (b) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Federal on-scene coordinator.--The term ``Federal On-
     Scene Coordinator'' has the meaning given such term in 
     section 311(a) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
     U.S.C. 1321(a)).
       (2) National response center.--The term ``National Response 
     Center'' means the center described under section 300.125(a) 
     of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations.
       (3) Safety data sheet.--The term ``safety data sheet'' 
     means a safety data sheet required under section 1910.1200 of 
     title 29, Code of Federal Regulations.

     SEC. 15. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS.

       Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue an advanced 
     notice of proposed rulemaking to take public comment on the 
     petition for rulemaking dated October 28, 2015, titled 
     ``Corrections to Title 49 C.F.R. Sec. 172.336 Identification 
     numbers; special provisions'' (P-1667).

     SEC. 16. EMERGENCY ORDER AUTHORITY.

       Section 60117 of title 49, United States Code, is amended 
     by adding at the end the following:
       ``(o) Emergency Order Authority.--
       ``(1) In general.--If the Secretary determines that an 
     unsafe condition or practice, or a combination of unsafe 
     conditions and practices, constitutes or is causing an 
     imminent hazard, the Secretary may issue an emergency order 
     described in paragraph (3) imposing emergency restrictions, 
     prohibitions, and safety measures on owners and operators of 
     gas or hazardous liquid pipeline facilities without prior 
     notice or an opportunity for a hearing, but only to the 
     extent necessary to abate the imminent hazard.
       ``(2) Considerations.--
       ``(A) In general.--Before issuing an emergency order under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider, as appropriate, 
     the following factors:
       ``(i) The impact of the emergency order on public health 
     and safety.
       ``(ii) The impact, if any, of the emergency order on the 
     national or regional economy or national security.
       ``(iii) The impact of the emergency order on the ability of 
     owners and operators of pipeline facilities to maintain 
     reliability and continuity of service to customers.
       ``(B) Consultation.--In considering the factors under 
     subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall consult, as the 
     Secretary determines appropriate, with appropriate Federal 
     agencies, State agencies, and other entities knowledgeable in 
     pipeline safety or operations.
       ``(3) Written order.--An emergency order issued by the 
     Secretary pursuant to paragraph (1) with respect to an 
     imminent hazard shall contain a written description of--
       ``(A) the violation, condition, or practice that 
     constitutes or is causing the imminent hazard;
       ``(B) the entities subject to the order;
       ``(C) the restrictions, prohibitions, or safety measures 
     imposed;
       ``(D) the standards and procedures for obtaining relief 
     from the order;
       ``(E) how the order is tailored to abate the imminent 
     hazard and the reasons the authorities under section 60112 
     and 60117(l) are insufficient to do so; and
       ``(F) how the considerations were taken into account 
     pursuant to paragraph (2).
       ``(4) Opportunity for review.--Upon receipt of a petition 
     for review from an entity subject to, and aggrieved by, an 
     emergency order issued under this subsection, the Secretary 
     shall provide an opportunity for a review of the order under 
     section 554 of title 5 to determine whether the order should 
     remain in effect, be modified, or be terminated.
       ``(5) Expiration of effectiveness order.--If a petition for 
     review of an emergency order is filed under paragraph (4) and 
     an agency decision with respect to the petition is not issued 
     on or before the last day of the 30-day period beginning on 
     the date on which the petition is filed, the order shall 
     cease to be effective on such day, unless the Secretary 
     determines in writing on or before the last day of such 
     period that the imminent hazard still exists.
       ``(6) Judicial review of orders.--
       ``(A) In general.--After completion of the review process 
     described in paragraph (4), or the issuance of a written 
     determination by the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (5), an 
     entity subject to, and aggrieved by, an emergency order 
     issued under this subsection may seek judicial review of the 
     order in a district court of the United States and shall be 
     given expedited consideration.
       ``(B) Limitation.--The filing of a petition for review 
     under subparagraph (A) shall not stay or modify the force and 
     effect of the agency's final decision under paragraph (4), or 
     the written determination under paragraph (5), unless stayed 
     or modified by the Secretary.
       ``(7) Regulations.--
       ``(A) Temporary regulations.--Not later than 60 days after 
     the date of enactment of the PIPES Act of 2016, the Secretary 
     shall issue such temporary regulations as are necessary to 
     carry out this subsection. The temporary regulations shall 
     expire on the date of issuance of the final regulations 
     required under subparagraph (B).
       ``(B) Final regulations.--Not later than 270 days after 
     such date of enactment, the Secretary shall issue such 
     regulations as are necessary to carry out this subsection. 
     Such regulations shall ensure that the review process 
     described in paragraph (4) contains

[[Page 8129]]

     the same procedures as subsections (d) and (g) of section 
     109.19 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, and is 
     otherwise consistent with the review process developed under 
     such section, to the greatest extent practicable and not 
     inconsistent with this section.
       ``(8) Imminent hazard defined.--In this subsection, the 
     term `imminent hazard' means the existence of a condition 
     relating to a gas or hazardous liquid pipeline facility that 
     presents a substantial likelihood that death, serious 
     illness, severe personal injury, or a substantial 
     endangerment to health, property, or the environment may 
     occur before the reasonably foreseeable completion date of a 
     formal proceeding begun to lessen the risk of such death, 
     illness, injury, or endangerment.
       ``(9) Limitation and savings clause.--An emergency order 
     issued under this subsection may not be construed to--
       ``(A) alter, amend, or limit the Secretary's obligations 
     under, or the applicability of, section 553 of title 5; or
       ``(B) provide the authority to amend the Code of Federal 
     Regulations.''.

     SEC. 17. STATE GRANT FUNDS.

       Section 60107 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
       ``(b) Payments.--After notifying and consulting with a 
     State authority, the Secretary may withhold any part of a 
     payment when the Secretary decides that the authority is not 
     carrying out satisfactorily a safety program or not acting 
     satisfactorily as an agent. The Secretary may pay an 
     authority under this section only when the authority ensures 
     the Secretary that it will provide the remaining costs of a 
     safety program, except when the Secretary waives this 
     requirement.''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Repurposing of Funds.--If a State program's 
     certification is rejected under section 60105(f) or such 
     program is otherwise suspended or interrupted, the Secretary 
     may use any undistributed, deobligated, or recovered funds 
     authorized under this section to carry out pipeline safety 
     activities for that State within the period of availability 
     for such funds.''.

     SEC. 18. RESPONSE PLANS.

       Each owner or operator of a hazardous liquid pipeline 
     facility required to prepare a response plan pursuant to part 
     194 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, shall--
       (1) consider the impact of a discharge into or on navigable 
     waters or adjoining shorelines, including those that may be 
     covered in whole or in part by ice; and
       (2) include procedures and resources for responding to such 
     discharge in the plan.

     SEC. 19. UNUSUALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.

       (a) Areas To Be Included as Unusually Sensitive.--Section 
     60109(b)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
     striking ``have been identified as'' and inserting ``are part 
     of the Great Lakes or have been identified as coastal 
     beaches, marine coastal waters,''.
       (b) Unusually Sensitive Areas (USA) Ecological Resources.--
     The Secretary of Transportation shall revise section 195.6(b) 
     of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to explicitly state 
     that the Great Lakes, coastal beaches, and marine coastal 
     waters are USA ecological resources for purposes of 
     determining whether a pipeline is in a high consequence area 
     (as defined in section 195.450 of such title).

     SEC. 20. PIPELINE SAFETY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS.

       (a) Public Participation Limitation.--Section 60130(a)(4) 
     of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``on 
     technical pipeline safety issues'' after ``public 
     participation''.
       (b) Audit.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the 
     Department of Transportation shall submit to the Secretary of 
     Transportation, the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of 
     the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report evaluating 
     the grant program under section 60130 of title 49, United 
     States Code. The report shall include--
       (1) a list of the recipients of all grant funds during 
     fiscal years 2010 through 2015;
       (2) a description of how each grant was used;
       (3) an analysis of the compliance with the terms of grant 
     agreements, including subsections (a) and (b) of such 
     section;
       (4) an evaluation of the competitive process used to award 
     the grant funds; and
       (5) an evaluation of--
       (A) the ability of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 
     Safety Administration to oversee grant funds and usage; and
       (B) the procedures used for such oversight.

     SEC. 21. STUDY OF MATERIALS AND CORROSION PREVENTION IN 
                   PIPELINE TRANSPORTATION.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of 
     the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation of the Senate a study on 
     materials, training, and corrosion prevention technologies 
     for gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities.
       (b) Requirements.--The study required under subsection (a) 
     shall include--
       (1) an analysis of--
       (A) the range of piping materials, including plastic 
     materials, used to transport hazardous liquids and natural 
     gas in the United States and in other developed countries 
     around the world;
       (B) the types of technologies used for corrosion 
     prevention, including coatings and cathodic protection;
       (C) common causes of corrosion, including interior and 
     exterior moisture buildup and impacts of moisture buildup 
     under insulation; and
       (D) the training provided to personnel responsible for 
     identifying and preventing corrosion in pipelines, and for 
     repairing such pipelines;
       (2) the extent to which best practices or guidance relating 
     to pipeline facility design, installation, operation, and 
     maintenance, including training, are available to recognize 
     or prevent corrosion;
       (3) an analysis of the estimated costs and anticipated 
     benefits, including safety benefits, associated with the use 
     of such materials and technologies; and
       (4) stakeholder and expert perspectives on the 
     effectiveness of corrosion control techniques to reduce the 
     incidence of corrosion-related pipeline failures.

     SEC. 22. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the 
     Department of Transportation shall submit to the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on Energy 
     and Commerce, and the Committee on Science, Space, and 
     Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
     on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 
     report regarding the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 
     Administration's research and development program carried out 
     under section 12 of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 
     2002 (49 U.S.C. 60101 note). The report shall include an 
     evaluation of--
       (1) compliance with the consultation requirement under 
     subsection (d)(2) of such section;
       (2) the extent to which the Pipeline and Hazardous 
     Materials Safety Administration enters into joint research 
     ventures with Federal and non-Federal entities, and benefits 
     thereof;
       (3) the policies and procedures the Pipeline and Hazardous 
     Materials Safety Administration has put in place to ensure 
     there are no conflicts of interest with administering grants 
     pursuant to the program, and whether those policies and 
     procedures are being followed; and
       (4) an evaluation of the outcomes of research conducted 
     with Federal and non-Federal entities and the degree to which 
     such outcomes have been adopted or utilized.
       (b) Collaborative Safety Research Report.--
       (1) Biennial reports.--Section 60124(a)(6) of title 49, 
     United States Code, is amended--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(C) a summary of each research and development project 
     carried out with Federal and non-Federal entities pursuant to 
     section 12 of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 and 
     a review of how the project affects safety.''.
       (2) Pipeline safety improvement act.--Section 12 of the 
     Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 (49 U.S.C. 60101 
     note) is amended--
       (A) by striking subsection (d)(3)(C) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(C) Funding from non-federal sources.--The Secretary 
     shall ensure that--
       ``(i) at least 30 percent of the costs of technology 
     research and development activities may be carried out using 
     non-Federal sources;
       ``(ii) at least 20 percent of the costs of basic research 
     and development with universities may be carried out using 
     non-Federal sources; and
       ``(iii) up to 100 percent of the costs of research and 
     development for purely governmental purposes may be carried 
     out using Federal funds.''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(h) Independent Experts.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the date of enactment of the PIPES Act of 2016, the Secretary 
     shall--
       ``(1) implement processes and procedures to ensure that 
     activities listed under subsection (c), to the greatest 
     extent practicable, produce results that are peer-reviewed by 
     independent experts and not by persons or entities that have 
     a financial interest in the pipeline, petroleum, or natural 
     gas industries, or that would be directly impacted by the 
     results of the projects; and
       ``(2) submit to the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the 
     Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the

[[Page 8130]]

     House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report describing 
     the processes and procedures implemented under paragraph (1).
       ``(i) Conflict of Interest.--The Secretary shall take all 
     practical steps to ensure that each recipient of an agreement 
     under this section discloses in writing to the Secretary any 
     conflict of interest on a research and development project 
     carried out under this section, and includes any such 
     disclosure as part of the final deliverable pursuant to such 
     agreement. The Secretary may not make an award under this 
     section directly to a pipeline owner or operator that is 
     regulated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 
     Administration or a State-certified regulatory authority if 
     there is a conflict of interest relating to such owner or 
     operator.''.

     SEC. 23. ACTIVE AND ABANDONED PIPELINES.

       Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue an advisory 
     bulletin to owners and operators of gas or hazardous liquid 
     pipeline facilities and Federal and State pipeline safety 
     personnel regarding procedures of the Pipeline and Hazardous 
     Materials Safety Administration required to change the status 
     of a pipeline facility from active to abandoned, including 
     specific guidance on the terms recognized by the Secretary 
     for each pipeline status referred to in such advisory 
     bulletin.

     SEC. 24. STATE PIPELINE SAFETY AGREEMENTS.

       (a) Study.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall complete a study on State pipeline safety 
     agreements made pursuant to section 60106 of title 49, United 
     States Code. Such study shall consider the following:
       (1) The integration of Federal and State or local 
     authorities in carrying out activities pursuant to an 
     agreement under such section.
       (2) The estimated staff and other resources used by Federal 
     and State authorities in carrying out inspection activities 
     pursuant to agreements under such section.
       (3) The estimated staff and other resources used by the 
     Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in 
     carrying out interstate inspections in areas where there is 
     no interstate agreement with a State pursuant to such 
     section.
       (b) Notice Requirement for Denial.--Section 60106(b) of 
     title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:
       ``(4) Notice upon denial.--If a State authority requests an 
     interstate agreement under this section and the Secretary 
     denies such request, the Secretary shall provide written 
     notification to the State authority of the denial that 
     includes an explanation of the reasons for such denial.''.

     SEC. 25. REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN HAZARDOUS LIQUID PIPELINE 
                   FACILITIES.

       Section 60109 of title 49, United States Code, is amended 
     by adding at the end the following:
       ``(g) Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Facilities.--
       ``(1) Integrity assessments.--Notwithstanding any pipeline 
     integrity management program or integrity assessment schedule 
     otherwise required by the Secretary, each operator of a 
     pipeline facility to which this subsection applies shall 
     ensure that pipeline integrity assessments--
       ``(A) using internal inspection technology appropriate for 
     the integrity threat are completed not less often than once 
     every 12 months; and
       ``(B) using 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 
     are completed on a schedule based on the risk that the 
     pipeline facility poses to the high consequence area in which 
     the pipeline facility is located.
       ``(2) Application.--This subsection shall apply to any 
     underwater hazardous liquid pipeline facility located in a 
     high consequence area--
       ``(A) that is not an offshore pipeline facility; and
       ``(B) any portion of which is located at depths greater 
     than 150 feet under the surface of the water.
       ``(3) High consequence area defined.--For purposes of this 
     subsection, the term `high consequence area' has the meaning 
     given that term in section 195.450 of title 49, Code of 
     Federal Regulations.
       ``(4) Inspection and enforcement.--The Secretary shall 
     conduct inspections under section 60117(c) to determine 
     whether each operator of a pipeline facility to which this 
     subsection applies is complying with this section.''.

     SEC. 26. STUDY ON PROPANE GAS PIPELINE FACILITIES.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation shall 
     enter into an agreement with the Transportation Research 
     Board of the National Academies to conduct a study examining 
     the safety, regulatory requirements, techniques, and best 
     practices applicable to pipeline facilities that transport or 
     store only petroleum gas or mixtures of petroleum gas and air 
     to 100 or fewer customers, in accordance with the 
     requirements of this section.
       (b) Requirements.--In conducting the study pursuant to 
     subsection (a), the Transportation Research Board shall 
     analyze--
       (1) Federal, State, and local regulatory requirements 
     applicable to pipeline facilities described in subsection 
     (a);
       (2) techniques and best practices relating to the design, 
     installation, operation, and maintenance of such pipeline 
     facilities; and
       (3) the costs and benefits, including safety benefits, 
     associated with such applicable regulatory requirements and 
     the use of such techniques and best practices.
       (c) Participation.--In conducting the study pursuant to 
     subsection (a), the Transportation Research Board shall 
     consult with Federal, State, and local governments, private 
     sector entities, and consumer and pipeline safety advocates, 
     as appropriate.
       (d) Deadline.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the 
     Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate the results of the study 
     conducted pursuant to subsection (a) and any recommendations 
     for improving the safety of such pipeline facilities.
       (e) Definition.--In this section, the term ``petroleum 
     gas'' has the meaning given that term in section 192.3 of 
     title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the 
     date of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 27. STANDARDS FOR CERTAIN LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS PIPELINE 
                   FACILITIES.

       (a) National Security.--Section 60103(a) of title 49, 
     United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (5), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
     semicolon;
       (2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; and''; and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
       ``(7) national security.''.
       (b) Update to Minimum Safety Standards.--The Secretary of 
     Transportation shall review and update the minimum safety 
     standards prescribed pursuant to section 60103 of title 49, 
     United States Code, for permanent, small scale liquefied 
     natural gas pipeline facilities.
       (c) Savings Clause.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to limit the Secretary's authority under chapter 
     601 of title 49, United States Code, to regulate liquefied 
     natural gas pipeline facilities.

     SEC. 28. PIPELINE ODORIZATION STUDY.

       Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
     submit a report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Energy 
     and Commerce of the House of Representatives that assesses--
       (1) the feasibility, costs, and benefits of odorizing all 
     combustible gas in pipeline transportation; and
       (2) the affects of the odorization of all combustible gas 
     in pipeline transportation on--
       (A) manufacturers, agriculture, and other end users; and
       (B) public health and safety.

     SEC. 29. REPORT ON NATURAL GAS LEAK REPORTING.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Pipeline 
     and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration shall submit to 
     Congress a report on the metrics provided to the Pipeline and 
     Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and other Federal 
     and State agencies related to lost and unaccounted for 
     natural gas from distribution pipelines and systems.
       (b) Elements.--The report required under subsection (a) 
     shall include the following elements:
       (1) An examination of different reporting requirements or 
     standards for lost and unaccounted for natural gas to 
     different agencies, the reasons for any such discrepancies, 
     and recommendations for harmonizing and improving the 
     accuracy of reporting.
       (2) An analysis of whether separate or alternative 
     reporting could better measure the amounts and identify the 
     location of lost and unaccounted for natural gas from natural 
     gas distribution systems.
       (3) A description of potential safety issues associated 
     with natural gas that is lost and unaccounted for from 
     natural gas distribution systems.
       (4) An assessment of whether alternate reporting and 
     measures will resolve any safety issues identified under 
     paragraph (3), including an analysis of the potential impact, 
     including potential savings, on rate payers and end users of 
     natural gas products of such reporting and measures.
       (c) Consideration of Recommendations.--If the Administrator 
     determines that alternate reporting structures or 
     recommendations included in the report required under 
     subsection (a) would significantly improve the reporting and 
     measurement of lost and unaccounted for gas and safety of 
     natural gas distribution systems, the Administrator shall, 
     not later than 1 year after making such determination, issue 
     regulations, as the Administrator determines appropriate, to 
     implement the recommendations.

[[Page 8131]]



     SEC. 30. REVIEW OF STATE POLICIES RELATING TO NATURAL GAS 
                   LEAKS.

       (a) Review.--The Administrator of the Pipeline and 
     Hazardous Materials Safety Administration shall conduct a 
     State-by-State review of State-level policies that--
       (1) encourage the repair and replacement of leaking natural 
     gas distribution pipelines or systems that pose a safety 
     threat, such as timelines to repair leaks and limits on cost 
     recovery from ratepayers; and
       (2) may create barriers for entities to conduct work to 
     repair and replace leaking natural gas pipelines or 
     distribution systems.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the 
     Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate a report containing the findings 
     of the review conducted under subsection (a) and 
     recommendations on Federal or State policies or best 
     practices to improve safety by accelerating the repair and 
     replacement of natural gas pipelines or systems that are 
     leaking or releasing natural gas. The report shall consider 
     the potential impact, including potential savings, of the 
     implementation of such recommendations on ratepayers or end 
     users of the natural gas pipeline system.
       (c) Implementation of Recommendations.--If the 
     Administrator determines that the recommendations made under 
     subsection (b) would significantly improve pipeline safety, 
     the Administrator shall, not later than 1 year after making 
     such determination, and in coordination with the heads of 
     other relevant agencies as appropriate, issue regulations, as 
     the Administrator determines appropriate, to implement the 
     recommendations.

     SEC. 31. ALISO CANYON NATURAL GAS LEAK TASK FORCE.

       (a) Establishment of Task Force.--Not later than 15 days 
     after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     Energy shall lead and establish an Aliso Canyon natural gas 
     leak task force.
       (b) Membership of Task Force.--In addition to the 
     Secretary, the task force established under subsection (a) 
     shall be composed of--
       (1) 1 representative from the Department of Transportation;
       (2) 1 representative from the Department of Health and 
     Human Services;
       (3) 1 representative from the Environmental Protection 
     Agency;
       (4) 1 representative from the Department of the Interior;
       (5) 1 representative from the Department of Commerce;
       (6) 1 representative from the Federal Energy Regulatory 
     Commission; and
       (7) representatives of State and local governments, as 
     determined appropriate by the Secretary and the 
     Administrator.
       (c) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the task force established under 
     subsection (a) shall submit a final report that contains the 
     information described in paragraph (2) to--
       (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
     Senate;
       (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (C) the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the 
     Senate;
       (D) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
     the House of Representatives;
       (E) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
     of the Senate;
       (F) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (G) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
     of the Senate;
       (H) the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the 
     House of Representatives;
       (I) the President; and
       (J) relevant Federal and State agencies.
       (2) Information included.--The report submitted under 
     paragraph (1) shall include--
       (A) an analysis and conclusion of the cause and 
     contributing factors of the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak;
       (B) an analysis of measures taken to stop the natural gas 
     leak, with an immediate focus on other, more effective 
     measures that could be taken;
       (C) an assessment of the impact of the natural gas leak 
     on--
       (i) health, safety, and the environment;
       (ii) wholesale and retail electricity prices; and
       (iii) the reliability of the bulk-power system;
       (D) an analysis of how Federal, State, and local agencies 
     responded to the natural gas leak;
       (E) in order to lessen the negative impacts of leaks from 
     underground natural gas storage facilities, recommendations 
     on how to improve--
       (i) the response to a future leak; and
       (ii) coordination between all appropriate Federal, State, 
     and local agencies in the response to the Aliso Canyon 
     natural gas leak and future natural gas leaks;
       (F) an analysis of the potential for a similar natural gas 
     leak to occur at other underground natural gas storage 
     facilities in the United States;
       (G) recommendations on how to prevent any future natural 
     gas leaks;
       (H) recommendations regarding Aliso Canyon and other 
     underground natural gas storage facilities located in close 
     proximity to residential populations;
       (I) any recommendations on information that is not 
     currently collected but that would be in the public interest 
     to collect and distribute to agencies and institutions for 
     the continued study and monitoring of natural gas storage 
     infrastructure in the United States; and
       (J) any other recommendations, as appropriate.
       (3) Publication.--The final report under paragraph (1) 
     shall be made available to the public in an electronically 
     accessible format.
       (4) Findings.--If, before the final report is submitted 
     under paragraph (1), the task force established under 
     subsection (a) finds methods to solve the natural gas leak at 
     Aliso Canyon, finds methods to better protect the affected 
     communities, or finds methods to help prevent other leaks, 
     the task force shall immediately submit such findings to the 
     entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (J) of 
     paragraph (1).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Denham) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. 
Capuano) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to include extraneous material on S. 2276, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I thank the Chair for the time to express my support for the 
Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 
2016. This is the PIPES Act of 2016.
  The United States has the largest network of energy pipelines in the 
world--over 2.6 million miles of pipe. Pipelines are a critical part of 
our energy infrastructure, with over 64 percent of our energy being 
transported by our pipes within this country. The sustained oversight 
of the Department of Transportation's pipeline safety programs is 
critical for pipelines to continue to safely transport our energy 
products.
  This bill was developed in a bipartisan manner over the past several 
years. My subcommittee held a number of hearings and roundtables to 
hear from stakeholders on the need for reauthorization. On April 20, 
the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved 
our bill. Similarly, the Energy and Commerce Committee, with which we 
share jurisdiction, passed its version on April 27. Since then, both 
House committees have worked on a bipartisan basis to meld this version 
with the Senate's version, which passed last December. This 
collaborative, constructive process has resulted in the bill we are 
considering today, which we believe is a solid safety improvement.
  First, we require PHMSA to set minimum Federal standards for 
underground natural gas storage facilities--a critical issue for my 
home State of California after the Aliso Canyon leak.
  We make sure PHMSA is focused on finishing outstanding issues from 
the last reauthorization by requiring PHMSA to update Congress every 90 
days on its progress.
  The bill also authorizes emergency order authority for the pipeline 
sector but with important preorder requirements to make sure, if the 
DOT uses such authority, it does it right.
  This legislation promotes the better use of data and technology to 
improve safety, including studying the latest innovations in pipeline 
materials and corrosion prevention.
  Ultimately, our goal is to make sure that we have the safest pipeline 
network in the world.
  We have worked in a bipartisan, bicameral manner to develop this 
bill. I believe that this bill will improve the safety of our pipeline 
infrastructure.
  I thank Messrs. Capuano, Shuster, and DeFazio for their work on this 
bill. I also thank Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Upton, who 
has

[[Page 8132]]

worked tirelessly on this with Ranking Member Pallone. Lastly, I thank 
the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation for its 
hard work. Together, we have made a great bill that will create a safer 
infrastructure for our pipelines.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  As you have just heard, this is a great piece of legislation. This is 
exactly the way that Congress is supposed to work. We had our 
differences, but we worked them out because everybody gave a little bit 
to get to the middle--to get something good for America. This is the 
kind of bill that, on an average day, will not get any of us elected or 
unelected, but it is something that is good for the safety of America 
on pipelines and hazardous materials.
  I would like to point out just a few items that, I think, are 
particularly important:
  For the first time, we have added an emergency order authority so 
that our regulators, when there is a problem, can quickly address it as 
opposed to having to wait around and let it burn out on its own;
  We added some provisions in there to boost funding to the States and 
the localities so that they can train their own people on how to deal 
with these things, because they are, after all, the first responders;
  We added some information relative to oil spill response plans. For 
me, I thought it was very important that we added a section that makes 
sure that there are no conflicts of interest on the studies done by 
PHMSA, on which we rely.
  There are many other provisions in this bill that are deserving of 
our support--as always, like with any bill. Any one of us can point out 
things that we don't like or that we wanted more on, but that is what 
compromise is all about. I am proud to be here again with another bill 
that comes out of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
and for the traditional way that we have worked for many, many years in 
a bipartisan way.
  I thank Messrs. Denham, Shuster, and DeFazio, all of the members of 
the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the members of the 
Energy and Commerce Committee.
  This particular bill is more difficult than usual because there were 
two committees involved. It makes four different sides and eight 
different sides on the House, plus the Senate; yet we did it in a 
reasonable fashion and in a relatively quick way. It proves the system 
can work when you have people at the table who want it to work.
  I thank everybody who has been involved with this, and I look forward 
to the passage of the bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Walden).
  Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to support this 
legislation today and to commend the committees for their work on 
pipeline safety and pipeline safety improvement. I also have to take 
this opportunity, because the committee has done very good work on the 
FAST Act, to talk about rail safety.
  This rail accident occurred over the weekend just 7 miles from my 
home in the national scenic area of the Columbia River Gorge. I was 
there not long after it happened. I met with the incident commanders. I 
met with the fire chief. I met with city officials and county 
officials. Let me just say that, while you are protecting pipelines--
and that is really important--we need to continue to make progress on 
rail safety and to make sure that the new cars that were ordered by 
this Congress get put into service, especially in these critical 
waterway areas, as soon as possible. We need to make sure that track 
improvements are required--that new fasteners are used to deal with 
issues where, in this case, perhaps, it is a track separation issue. We 
need to make sure that our first responders get all of the training and 
that the Department of Transportation finishes its work on its rule for 
spill response and for safety.
  This is a critically important issue for the people I represent on 
both the Oregon and Washington sides of the Columbia River because 
these trains are going through, and we are having these kinds of 
situations. We need to make sure we have the most up-to-date safety, 
the most up-to-date training, and the safest cars and tracks possible. 
We are going to stay on this until that happens.
  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce 
Committee.
  Mr. PALLONE. I thank my friend from Massachusetts.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to echo what Mr. Capuano said about the 
bipartisan nature of this bill and in our working together between the 
two committees to achieve success.
  The vast network of energy pipelines in this country is essentially 
out of sight, out of mind for most Americans, but when something goes 
wrong, these facilities can make themselves known in devastating and 
sometimes deadly ways.
  This is something that both Representative Capps and Representative 
Sherman, unfortunately, have experienced since the start of this 
Congress. My own district experienced the devastation of a pipeline 
failure in 1994 when a pipeline exploded in Edison, New Jersey, and 
destroyed about 300 homes. Ever since then, I have sought to make our 
Nation's pipelines safer by making the law and its regulator stronger.
  The legislation before us, while not the bill that maybe we would 
have written, as Mr. Capuano said, is a good proposal that moves the 
ball forward on safety. It is the result of a number of weeks of 
bipartisan, bicameral negotiations. While some compromises were made, 
this is a product that in many ways is greater than the sum of its 
parts. I am particularly pleased that it includes versions of important 
provisions that were authored by a number of Energy and Power 
Subcommittee members, including Mrs. Capps, Messrs. Green, Engel, 
McNerney, and Welch, and Ranking Member Bobby Rush.
  In particular, the House amendment gives the Secretary of 
Transportation, for the first time ever, emergency order authority to 
address the threats to public health, safety, and the environment that 
are posed by dangerous pipelines on a comprehensive, industrywide 
basis. It also changes the existing pipeline safety information grant 
program, which helps ensure adequate funding of pipeline safety 
technical assistance grants to communities and nonprofit organizations. 
I am pleased that the legislation improves the protection of coastal 
beaches and marine coastal waters--areas that are vital to my district 
and to the districts of many others--by explicitly designating them as 
areas that are unusually sensitive to the environmental damage that is 
caused by pipeline failures. It also contains a provision that 
establishes a program for regulating underground natural gas storage 
facilities.
  I urge the passage of the bill.
  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Upton), the full committee chair of the Energy and 
Commerce Committee.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, pipeline safety is especially personal for 
me. Back in 2010, we experienced a bad spill just outside of my 
district in southwest Michigan that impacted the Kalamazoo River. Ask 
anyone who was directly affected. Seeing the aftermath firsthand smacks 
the senses and leaves a lasting impression. While a spill can happen in 
an instant, the damage can take decades and, in fact, more than $1 
billion to fix. Underscoring the need for strong safety laws is what 
this bill does.
  Congress asked the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and 
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration--that is PHMSA for short--to 
develop and enforce pipeline safety regulations. PHMSA doesn't do the 
job by itself. It relies heavily on partnerships with States and local 
governments to inspect the pipelines and, yes, to enforce the law; but 
the reality is that more can be done to prevent accidents from 
occurring and to mitigate spills when the unthinkable happens.

[[Page 8133]]



                              {time}  1730

  The amendment to the Senate bill before us today, this bill, 
incorporates texts from two House bills, which were both approved 
unanimously in committee: H.R. 5050, the Pipeline Safety Act, which 
passed the Committee on Energy and Commerce; and H.R. 4937, the PIPES 
Act of 2016, which passed the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee.
  This important legislation will reauthorize PHMSA's pipeline safety 
through 2019, press PHMSA to complete overdue safety regs, and impose 
additional new safety requirements for pipeline operators.
  I have often said that pipelines should be subject to greater 
scrutiny and more frequent inspections, and those that cross the 
Straits of Mackinac are a perfect example. The Straits of Mackinac is a 
narrow waterway that separates Michigan's two peninsulas. It connects 
Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The exceptionally strong and complex 
currents hundreds of feet deep make this area tremendously sensitive. 
If a spill were to occur, the consequences would be unthinkable.
  Our solution improves protections for the Great Lakes and other areas 
around the country where the threat of a spill poses the greatest risk 
to public safety and the environment. It also requires pipeline 
operators to consider a worst-case discharge into icy waters and 
conduct more frequent and transparent and, in some cases, annual 
inspections of deep underwater crossings. This bill does that.
  We also update and improve PHMSA's pipeline safety program in a 
number of other ways by closing the gaps in Federal standards for 
underground natural gas storage and liquefied natural gas facilities. 
It promotes better use of data and technology and improves 
communication with pipeline operators to incorporate the lessons 
learned from past incidents.
  We promised action, and today that is what this bill does. I am proud 
of the bipartisan agreement that will make a real difference. I am 
proud of the relationship that our committee has with Chairman Shuster 
and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and all the 
good work that everyone has done--Mr. Pallone, Mr. Rush, and our 
colleagues in the Senate. This is a bipartisan bill. Let's get 'er 
done.
  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), the ranking member of the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Protecting our 
Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act, the PIPES bill.
  I thank the chairmen of the subcommittee, the full committee, and 
also the members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Representative 
Mike Capuano, and members of the Energy and Commerce Committee on our 
side. This is a good bipartisan product, something that is pretty rare 
around here these days.
  It reauthorizes the Department of Transportation's pipeline safety 
program for 4 years and includes a number of important measures that 
will better protect our communities, ensuring that pipelines are a safe 
means to transport natural gas, hazardous liquids, and crude oil.
  Most importantly, this bill gives the Secretary of Transportation new 
emergency order authority to impose certain emergency restrictions and 
safety measures on pipeline operators to address an imminent hazard 
resulting from an incident or an unsafe practice, which is authority 
that doesn't currently exist.
  Here is a good example. Fairly recently, we had a defective pipeline 
from China. We shouldn't be buying pipeline from China. But anyway, we 
had some defective, junky Chinese product pipeline, and there was an 
incident. But the administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Safety 
Materials Agency does not have the authority to order a nationwide 
inspection or removal of an imminent hazard, i.e., defective Chinese 
pipeline. All they could do was voluntary guidance.
  Now, we will have emergency order authority. Some were concerned that 
they would use this as a way to end-run the regulatory process on other 
matters that are not an imminent hazard to health and safety, and there 
are provisions in the bill that would prevent that.
  We are also pushing them to complete the mandates of the last bill, 
2011, a bipartisan bill, where they have 16 mandates that Congress 
required that we felt were needed and prudent. And they are not through 
the regulatory process as yet. So we are moving them forward on that, 
and hopefully, the trolls down at the Office of Management and Budget 
who hold these things up--hello, do you live near a pipeline--that they 
will get the message and they will get these vital provisions that have 
been too long delayed.
  It gives Federal, State, and emergency local responders MSDS sheets, 
safety sheets, so we know what the oil is. We have had past spills 
where we couldn't figure out what they were dealing with for days, and 
that is not acceptable.
  It gives the agency the authority to have standards for underground 
natural gas storage facilities, but it allows States like Oregon, which 
has seven of these, to go above those standards so that the States can 
better protect their citizens.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Oregon an 
additional 1 minute.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, it would put a small fee on operators of 
underground storage tanks that would help to support the safety 
programs.
  I would say with respect to funding, the bill is funded at current 
baseline levels. We should have provided them additional funds to carry 
out their numerous pipeline safety missions, but unfortunately, we 
couldn't reach bipartisan agreement on providing additional resources.
  This bill does, however, increase grants to States to help them carry 
out their intrastate pipeline safety programs. It reauthorizes funding 
for pipeline safety information grants to communities, which are 
important to my constituents.
  There are pipelines in places that no one is aware. There is one that 
runs down the middle of the Willamette Valley, all the way down, that 
supplies the Eugene Airport and a storage facility down in Eugene. A 
number of years ago, there was a news story, like: what pipeline? There 
are new developments going in. The signs are buried under blackberry 
bushes, and people aren't aware of these things. So we have to make 
certain those pipelines are safe.
  The new provisions for coastal areas are absolutely critical to make 
sure those are maintained at the highest standard and built to the 
highest standard in other critical resource areas.
  All in all, I congratulate my colleagues and recommend this bill.
  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the chairman of the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the PIPES Act. I 
want to commend Chairman Denham, Ranking Member Capuano, and Ranking 
Member DeFazio for all the work they have put into this bill. I also 
want to thank Chairman Fred Upton from the Energy and Commerce 
Committee for the great relationship we have been able to develop. In 
these bills, we share jurisdiction, so we have been able to work and 
incorporate provisions from both the committees.
  I also want to thank my colleagues on the Senate Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation Committee who have worked with us over the past 
month to produce the legislation we are considering today.
  Pipelines are vital for getting energy products to markets and users. 
It is one of the safest modes of transportation, if not the safest. I 
believe this bill will build on the safety advances that we have been 
making.
  Congress last authorized the pipeline safety bill in 2011, and that 
bipartisan act charged DOT with updating regulations and procedures 
across a host of

[[Page 8134]]

issues. But DOT needs to finish out those provisions, and this bill 
includes strong transparency and reporting requirements to keep 
pressure to finish the 2011 work.
  Another major provision in this act provides PHMSA with emergency 
order authority for pipelines. Most other Department of Transportation 
modal administrations have EO authority, which allows regulators to act 
quickly when they identify an industrywide safety issue that poses an 
imminent hazard to the public.
  As we crafted this language, we took great care to balance a variety 
of concerns. This bill maintains the Transportation Committee language 
that requires PHMSA to consult with industry stakeholders and other 
regulators prior to issuing an EO so that PHMSA understands the 
potential impact on the economy, end users, and safety.
  We also included extensive due process procedures on the back end so 
that if the agency makes a wrong call, affected parties will have 
redress, both administratively and judicially.
  PHMSA is also required to issue regulations to carry out this 
authority, including requiring administrative law judge procedures that 
mirror similar requirements in the hazmat EO authority.
  This is a good bill. It builds on the work that we did in 2011. It is 
developed in a bipartisan, bicameral manner.
  Again, I thank Mr. Capuano, Mr. Denham, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Upton, Mr. 
Pallone, and the Senate for their work and their leadership on this 
bill.
  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Rush), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Energy 
and Power--which, of course, I love that name--from the Energy and 
Commerce Committee.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge some of my 
colleagues who worked together diligently with my office to draft this 
bipartisan PIPES Act that will help to modernize and secure our 
Nation's vast network of energy pipeline infrastructure.
  Specifically, Mr. Speaker, I recognize my colleagues from the Energy 
and Commerce Committee, including Chairman Upton and Ranking Member 
Pallone, as well as Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed 
Whitfield.
  Additionally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge my colleagues 
from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, including 
Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio, as well as Railroads, 
Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Chairman Denham and 
Ranking Member Capuano, the fine gentleman from Massachusetts.
  Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan piece of legislation improves safety by 
closing gaps in Federal standards and improving protection of coastal 
areas, including the Great Lakes.
  Additionally, this bill will enhance the quality and timeliness of 
Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration rulemakings, 
promote better use of data and technology to improve pipeline safety, 
and leverage Federal and State pipeline safety resources to assist 
State and local communities.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a fine piece of bipartisan legislation, and I am 
honored and privileged to stand before the House and ask all of my 
colleagues to support this outstanding bipartisan piece of legislation.
  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Mrs. Miller).
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. I thank the chairman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I certainly rise in strong support of this legislation, 
which really includes some critical protections for one of our Nation's 
most precious assets. And that, of course, is the Great Lakes, which 
has 20 percent of our Nation's freshwater drinking supply, as well as 
it provides hundreds of jobs and billions of dollars of economic 
activity.
  Today, there are millions of gallons per day of hazardous liquids 
which are transported through a number of lines in the Great Lakes. Mr. 
Speaker, we absolutely need energy in all transparency. We need the 
energy, but we need to make sure that we are transiting in a very safe 
and environmentally secure way because there is zero room for error in 
the Great Lakes.
  There is a 62-year-old pipeline that is called line 5 that runs under 
the Straits of Mackinac, which is right in between Lake Huron and Lake 
Michigan. Any rupture there would be very, very difficult, if not 
impossible, to contain. This bill has a number of provisions in regards 
to line 5, for instance, that would conduct internal integrity 
assessments at least once a year.
  This bill also designates the Great Lakes as a USA ecological 
resource, which is very important.
  As well, it also makes sure that we have emergency spill response 
plans if, in the case of ice coverage, which really considers the 
unique environment of the Great Lakes.
  In regards to Enbridge, there is also a line 6B which runs under the 
Saint Clair River, which is in my district. A number of years ago--and 
Chairman Upton was talking about this particular line that had a spill 
just outside of his district--but this part of 6B runs under something 
called the Saint Clair River, again, a very environmentally sensitive 
artery for the Great Lakes.
  We talked to Enbridge. And long story short, they came to the right 
conclusion there. They actually completely replaced almost 3,600 feet 
of this pipeline under the Saint Clair River. So they did the right 
thing there. They had been reluctant to address that.
  Again, we need the energy, Mr. Speaker, but we need to make sure that 
we are transiting energy in a very safe way and in an environmentally 
sensitive way. I think this bill today goes a long way to address many 
of the concerns that we have had in the Great Lakes.
  I thank Chairman Denham again for yielding the time and for taking 
these issues into consideration.
  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Gene Green), my friend who serves on the Energy and Commerce 
Committee.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from the 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for letting us Energy and 
Commerce folks have some time.
  According to the Congressional Research Service, the United States 
has more than 2.9 million miles of pipelines in our vast network. 
According to the Texas Pipeline Association, Texas has more than 
320,000 miles of intrastate pipelines.

                              {time}  1745

  As a lifelong Houstonian, there has never been a time in my life when 
I haven't lived along a pipeline easement. Needless to say, in Texas, 
we know pipelines, but we also know about the importance of safety.
  Every day, industry moves millions of gallons or cubic feet of 
domestically produced and refined product without any problems. Since 
2005, the United States has seen a general decline in the number of 
pipeline releases or accidents that result in environmental damage or 
personal injury.
  We understand that the compounds moved via pipeline pose a risk, and 
we must effectively manage and mitigate that risk to protect our 
citizens and the environment. Today I think we are taking another step 
in the right direction.
  The bill before the House today is a good bill that attempts to lay 
down concrete rules of the road for the next 5 years. For the sake of 
our constituencies, we need to pass this bipartisan bill in a 
bipartisan way. I would like to voice my support for this bill and ask 
my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the same.
  Four years ago we gave PHMSA a job to do. While some of their work 
has been completed, there is still work to do. That is why this bill 
directs PHMSA to prioritize rulemaking and complete the work before 
them. We should not continue to add requirements on their plate. We 
should allow PHMSA the time and, most importantly, give them the 
resources required to finish this important job. I would like to 
express support for the

[[Page 8135]]

PHMSA workforce management language.
  We need inspectors in the field working closely with their industry 
partners to avoid another emergency situation. In my opinion, robust 
inspection is the best option available for everyone involved. If we 
reach the enforcement stage, that means something has gone wrong and we 
are too late. Industry, PHMSA, and the workers support this provision.
  The second provision I would like to support is the emergency 
authority for PHMSA. While this provision may not be perfect, it 
represents a strong balance between enforcement and review. It is 
important to keep in mind that this is emergency authority. 
Unfortunately, when there is an incident involving a pipeline, we need 
to act with speed, efficiency, and resolve.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentleman.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want our executive agencies 
on the scene ensuring we are protecting the people and the environment. 
We must ensure that people have confidence in the pipeline system, and 
effective crisis management will help build that belief.
  I appreciate the hard work that went into crafting this provision. 
Compromise is not easy, so I want to thank both sides for drafting 
these provisions. I know there is more work ahead, but I look forward 
to supporting the current bill.
  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Knight).
  Mr. KNIGHT. Mr. Speaker, on October 23, a gas leak was discovered at 
one of the 115 wells at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility 
located in my district near Porter Ranch, California. I want to thank 
Congressman Brad Sherman, who lives in Porter Ranch and was a great 
partner in this terrible tragedy, making sure that people were taken 
care of and we could move past this and move quickly to getting this 
taken care of.
  This leak persisted for 118 days and was recognized as one of the 
largest disasters of 2015. During this time, residents of the 
surrounding neighborhoods suffered. Some temporarily relocated their 
families. Two schools were permanently relocated, at least for that 
semester, and many businesses were put on hold.
  As the Representative for Porter Ranch, my immediate priority was to 
protect my constituents who live there and then ensure that this 
situation was resolved as quickly as possible. At the same time, I 
wanted to make sure that a crisis like this can never happen in our 
communities again. Today we take a giant step forward in doing just 
that.
  In February, I introduced the Natural Gas Leak Prevention Act, which 
would require the Secretary of Transportation to issue adequate safety 
standards for natural gas storage facilities like Aliso Canyon in 
Porter Ranch and another very large facility, Honor Rancho in Valencia, 
which is also in my district.
  The SAFE PIPES Act contains the language from the Natural Gas Leak 
Prevention Act as well as provisions to create an Aliso Canyon task 
force that would investigate the causes of the leak and recommend 
further actions to prevent such disasters in the future.
  This is the type of swift and effective action that we need in order 
to prevent our communities and our families from tragedies like the 
Porter Ranch gas leak.
  I want to thank many people who were involved in this situation. A 
special thanks to Paula Cracium and the entire neighborhood council for 
providing support to the community in its time of need. I would also 
like to thank my colleague, Representative Jeff Denham, for his efforts 
to move this measure forward, including flying down to my district in 
March to tour the facility with the people involved.
  I would like to thank, as well, Senator Deb Fischer and Chairman Bill 
Shuster for their immense support and the many staff members who worked 
tirelessly on this legislation.
  This terrible tragedy had real impacts on the lives of thousands of 
people I represent. We cannot undo the damage that was done in Porter 
Ranch, but we can and must make sure every effort to mitigate the 
impacts on their day-to-day lives and assist in the recovery process.
  It is time to move forward on comprehensive legislation to prevent 
another incident from happening in our communities ever again. I would 
like to say that this would never, ever happen again; but without 
action, without us moving forward, without people working together and 
Congress working together, this can happen. So this type of legislation 
is needed, and the people who are affected appreciate this; and the 
people who have worked on this, I appreciate very much.
  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Sherman).
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, as my colleague from California pointed 
out, we in Porter Ranch experienced the largest natural gas leak in 
history. Seven thousand families were evacuated for months, and yet, as 
I speak, there are no Federal regulations for underground natural gas 
storage facilities, and the State regulations are surprisingly minimal, 
even in famously green California. Why? Because the natural gas 
industry and regulators believed that natural gas was only a problem if 
you were within a few hundred feet.
  What we have experienced with this multibillion-cubic-foot leak is 
7,000 families evacuated from an area in a 5-mile radius because the 
volatile organic compounds and the mercaptan in that natural gas caused 
enormous health problems. That is why I went to the President of the 
United States and the Vice President at the caucus that we attended and 
got a public commitment that we would get regulations probably this 
year.
  This legislation is important because it makes it clear that, while 
PHMSA has the regulatory authority to act, if they don't act, they are 
required to act within 2 years under this legislation.
  I am pleased to say that the legislation includes a provision that I 
think is very important and which I have championed from the beginning, 
and that is to clarify that a State can adopt tougher standards than 
whatever the Federal Government adopts.
  The legislation also officially establishes the Department of 
Energy's Aliso Canyon natural gas task force. That task force is 
already up and running. We are working with it. It is the brainchild of 
Senators Boxer and Feinstein, and I think formally establishing it in 
this regulation makes sense.
  We need to adopt tough natural gas storage safety regulations for 
this entire country because Aliso Canyon, the storage facility next to 
Porter Ranch, was only the fifth largest natural gas storage field. 
There could be others. It could be in your district. That is why we 
need tough standards, and if we don't get them from PHMSA this year, we 
will have legislation requiring them within 2 years after the enactment 
of this legislation.
  I urge a ``yes'' vote.
  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I would just like to close out by simply repeating what I said 
earlier. I am very happy, very proud to have worked on this bill. I am 
very happy and very satisfied with the way we worked cooperatively. I 
want to thank the staff on our side who worked on it, Jennifer Esposito 
Homendy and Steve Carlson on my staff. I want to thank all the staff on 
the Republican side.
  I know that America has this view that we hate each other and we 
never talk to each other and we do nothing but call each other names. I 
have done that in private, of course, but the truth is this is exactly 
the way it is supposed to work. Absent not getting a few things I 
wanted, this was actually a pleasure to work on. I am very proud of the 
work product. I am very proud of the work environment that we have. I 
think this is a bill that the American people can be proud of. I think 
it is a bill that the Congress can be proud of.
  Again, I want to thank everyone who worked with us on this. I look 
forward to the President's signature.

[[Page 8136]]

  Again, I want to thank the staff. Let's be honest, we take all the 
credit. We do the big speeches and all that kind of stuff, but without 
the staff, we couldn't get this done. I want to thank everybody 
involved with it for their professionalism, for their enthusiasm, for 
their long nights and difficult time. I look forward to doing this 
again in 4 years.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts. Mr. Capuano has been a 
great partner in this. This has been going on for many years now, many 
months of roundtables, many months of hearings, and it has been a true 
pleasure working together in a bipartisan way to address our 
differences, but most importantly, to actually address the safety of 
the American public.
  This is a big bill: 2.6 million miles of pipeline, 64 percent of our 
Nation's energy. We didn't take it lightly. We wanted to hear from the 
public. We wanted to hear from stakeholders across the country, and we 
wanted to hear from Members across the country representing their 
districts. It was truly a bipartisan effort.
  We appreciate the support and work of the ranking member and full 
committee chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce as well as 
the ranking member and the committee chairman of the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure.
  Specifically, I want to thank Mr. Knight for his leadership on this 
issue. You never expect to have an emergency in the middle of 
deliberating on a bill. In this case, we did. He showed real leadership 
in coming to the table and inviting us out to his district to see it 
firsthand so that we could actually address safety concerns in this 
bill as well. It is a great bill to improve the safety of the country.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the final 
passage of this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the House Amendment to 
S. 2276.
  Millions of miles of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines 
crisscross our country and touch countless communities. While these 
pipelines are an essential part of our nation's energy infrastructure, 
we all know--many from first-hand experience--that our reliance on 
these pipelines is inherently risky. Too often we hear of a pipeline 
failure, just like the Plains pipeline spill in my congressional 
district last year, which harms the health of local communities, the 
regional economy, and the environment. And we know that it really isn't 
a question of if there will be another spill in another community, but 
when.
  With that is mind it is clear that we must do all we can to prevent 
the next spill from occurring and mitigate the damage when it does. We 
need to make the oil and gas industries that rely on these vulnerable 
methods of transportation more transparent and safer. We need to ensure 
that the federal regulator, the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety 
Administration (PHMSA), has the tools it needs to ensure the safe 
operation of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines under federal 
jurisdiction. And we owe it to the communities who are still picking up 
the pieces from these incidents to do all we can to learn from these 
tragedies to protect others in the future.
  The bill before us today is an important step to do just that. This 
bill would provide PHMSA with the emergency order authority to 
appropriately respond to systemic pipeline issues. And it would ensure 
that important, long overdue rules are finalized and implemented, 
including the rules for automatic shutoff valves and leak detection. 
This technology is critical to minimizing the damage when a spill does 
occur.
  This bill also includes specific provisions that apply the lessons 
learned from the Plains spill. Specifically, this legislation would 
mandate a study on the causes of corrosion including risks associated 
with insulated pipelines--the underlying cause of the Plains failure--
and the best methods to prevent corrosion from occurring in this 
infrastructure. This legislation would also improve protection of 
coastal areas, including coastal beaches, marine coastal waters, and 
the Great Lakes, by explicitly designating them as ``unusually 
sensitive areas.'' This will bring more stringent safety requirements 
to these particularly vulnerable areas like my community. Finally, this 
legislation would require a report examining ways to improve hazardous 
liquid pipeline safety through integrity management actions, including 
an analysis of risk factors that may warrant more frequent inspections.
  While nothing can take us back to prevent the Plains spill, this bill 
as a whole is an important, bipartisan effort to protect my and other 
communities going forward. And that is why I support it. We must 
embrace this opportunity for the sake of the health and safety of our 
constituents and the environment.
  I would like to thank Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Upton 
and Ranking Member Pallone as well as subcommittee Ranking Member Rush 
for working with me to craft a bill that addresses the failures that 
led to the Plains spill. I would also like to commend staff from both 
the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee for working in a bipartisan and bicameral way 
to get to this final product.
  Our constituents are relying on us. I urge my colleagues to support 
this important legislation, and I hope we are able to send S. 2276 to 
the President for his signature in the very near future.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Denham) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 2276, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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