Daniel Schaefer: “S. 1505, the Accountable Pipeline Safety and Partnership Act of 1996 reauthorizes the Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquid…”

“S. 1505, the Accountable Pipeline Safety and Partnership Act of 1996 reauthorizes the Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Acts both of which expired in September of last year. Natural gas and oil pipelines play a vital role in getting energy to market. In the United States there are approximately 280,000 miles of natural gas transmission lines and 1.5 million miles of gas distribution lines. Hazardous liquid pipelines consist of over 200,000 miles of pipeline. Even with this extensive pipeline network, oil and gas pipelines have maintained a remarkable safety record. However, because of the enormous potential for loss of life or harm to the environment from a pipeline rupture, it is important that we make sure our national pipeline system operates as safely as possible. The bill we are considering today, S. 1505, is a compromise version of a bill passed last year by the Commerce Committee, Like the House bill, H.R. 1323, S. 1505 changes the way pipelines will be regulated in the future.”