Safe Pipes Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I wish to take a moment to speak today on a bipartisan pipeline safety bill that will soon be considered by the full Senate.

Last December, the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously passed legislation to strengthen pipeline safety across our Nation. I have been working with my colleagues, Senator Booker, the Presiding Officer Senator Daines, and Senator Peters, on this bill for nearly 9 months, and we are proud of this bipartisan legislation.

Over the past several months, we have held several hearings, including one in the Presiding Officer's home State, in Billings, MO, last September. Not far from Billings, in January of 2015, the Poplar Pipeline spilled nearly 30,000 gallons of crude oil into the State's precious Yellowstone River. This incident reinforced the need for a robust update to our laws regarding both the pipeline system and the government agency charged with keeping it safe.

Pipeline infrastructure transports vital energy resources to homes, businesses, schools, and commercial centers across the United States. According to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or PHMSA, more than 2.5 million miles of pipelines traverse this country. Our bill, the SAFE PIPES Act, would increase congressional oversight over pipeline safety programs at PHMSA. It would also provide greater flexibility and resources to State pipeline safety officials. Further, the bill would require PHMSA to reprioritize congressional directives and conduct an assessment of the pipeline integrity management program.

Pipeline safety affects citizens in each and every one of our States. In my home State of Nebraska, we experienced this just a couple months ago. In January, a ruptured natural gas pipeline exploded in the Old Market area of downtown Omaha. The disaster destroyed a historic building, and it did injure several people. The SAFE PIPES Act would encourage the use of advanced technology for pipeline mapping and help avoid accidents like this moving forward.

In California, the massive Aliso Canyon underground natural gas storage facility leak posed a serious public health threat and displaced hundreds of families from their homes. The SAFE PIPES Act would direct PHMSA to create crucial minimum standards for underground natural gas storage facilities. It would also establish an Aliso Canyon working group to ensure that similar incidents are avoided in the future. I appreciate the strong support provided by the California Senators, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, who helped draft the working group provisions there. They also serve as cosponsors of our SAFE PIPES Act.

The Senate must pass this robust, bipartisan legislation. We all have a responsibility to prioritize not only the efficient permitting and construction of energy infrastructure but also the safety and the security of our Nation's extensive pipeline network.

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