Patty Murray: “I commend my colleagues this evening for passing the much-needed pipeline safety bill. For too long, communities across…”

“I commend my colleagues this evening for passing the much-needed pipeline safety bill. For too long, communities across the country--in tragedy after tragedy--have felt the impact of our Nation's inadequate pipeline safety standards. Today, the Senate has responded with a strong bill that will help make our pipelines safer. As pleased as I am today, I am reminded of another much darker day-- June 10, 1999. On that day, a gasoline pipeline exploded in Bellingham, WA, killing three young people, shattering a community's faith, and setting us on the road of safety reform. I know that we can't undo what happened in Bellingham. We can't restore the loss of those families. But with this bill, we are putting the lessons we learned in Bellingham into law--and taking a first step toward ensuring America's pipelines are safe. Unfortunately, it has taken another fatal pipeline explosion to reach this day. But it is clear that the tragedy in New Mexico raised public awareness and increased the pressure on Congress to pass this bill. This bill will go a long way toward improving pipeline safety.”