Denny Rehberg: “I thank the gentleman from Utah for very concisely summarizing just exactly what this bill does. I rise in support of…”

“I thank the gentleman from Utah for very concisely summarizing just exactly what this bill does. I rise in support of H.R. 4606, which I have introduced. This commonsense legislation would permit the necessary safety maintenance of a natural gas pipeline that was constructed in 1962. Ordinary maintenance of the pipeline, which is the sole source of natural gas for nearly 25,000 residents in the Flathead Valley of Montana, is being prevented by red tape. About 3\1/2\ miles of this 118-mile pipeline follow U.S. Highway 2 through the southwestern border of Glacier National Park. The National Park Service is allowed to issue an easement over lands in the park for specific purposes, including electric transmission lines and communications services. But the specific uses listed do not include natural gas lines; so under current law, they can't allow maintenance. The law also authorizes the Federal Government to issue rights-of-way for natural gas lines--just not in national parks. And so this tiny stretch of existing pipeline, which is so critical to so many Montanans, finds itself between a legal rock and a bureaucratic hard place. Allowing maintenance of the existing pipeline is too important for further delay. Not only is the pipeline nestled in and around Glacier National Park; but it is also near the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, which is designated as a wild and scenic river and the Great Bear Wilderness Area.…”