releases: https://lipinski.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=91&itemid=6575
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://lipinski.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=91&itemid=6575 | Chairman Lipinski Accomplishes a Top Priority to Reauthorize and Strengthen U.S. Pipeline Safety Programs | 2020-12-21 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | Senate | IL | Daniel Lipinski | L000563 | lipinski.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON Today, the House of Representatives passed the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2020. As the Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, Congressman Lipinski has led bipartisan efforts over the past two years to reauthorize the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) federal pipeline safety programs. Under Lipinski's leadership, these programs have been reauthorized through fiscal year 2023, while ensuring U.S. pipelines are safe, reliable, and minimize their impact on the environment. There are approximately three million miles of pipelines in the United States, including an extraordinary number in the Third District, that transport vital energy products such as oil and natural gas to keep our economy running. The Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee that I chair oversees the federal pipeline safety agency PHMSA, and the safety of our pipeline system, said Congressman Lipinski. One of my top priorities this Congress was reauthorizing critical federal pipeline safety programs to protect the American people. This process became dangerously and unnecessarily tied up in partisan squabbling, but after the longest ever delay in reauthorizing these programs, I am grateful that my colleagues in both chambers heeded my call to come together and pass a robust, compromise bill we can all be proud of and that will improve the safety of our pipeline system while addressing the problem of methane emissions. The reauthorization contains key pipeline policy priorities of Congressman Lipinski including: Requiring PHMSA to update methane detection and methane leak repair regulations within one year to ensure that pipeline operators are using the best available technology to detect and repair methane leaks, a key contributor to climate change. Authorizing the hiring of additional regulatory staff to help PHMSA expeditiously finalize outstanding key safety regulations from the 2011 and 2016 pipeline safety reauthorizations. Providing greater protection to the Great Lakes and other unusually sensitive areas in federal pipeline regulations. Establishing a pilot program to allow pipeline operators to test new pipeline safety technology. The reauthorization also does a number of other things including: Requiring PHMSA to update their Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) regulations, which haven't been updated since the 1970's, to better regulate modern LNG facilities. Clarifying that PHMSA should take into account safety and environmental benefits when calculating the benefits of a potential rulemaking under PHMSA's cost-benefit analysis requirement. Requiring pipeline distribution companies to have better integrity management plans to prevent pipeline accidents in residential communities. Directing PHMSA to finalize ongoing rulemakings on class location change and gathering lines. This legislation was included as Division R in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 133). | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |