Patty Murray: “On June 10th families in Bellingham, WA and throughout my home State will mark the 2-year anniversary of a pipeline…”

“On June 10th families in Bellingham, WA and throughout my home State will mark the 2-year anniversary of a pipeline explosion that killed three young people. That tragic explosion changed three families forever. It shattered a community's sense of security. It showed us the dangers posed by aging, uninspected oil and gas pipelines. That disaster in Bellingham led me to learn about pipeline safety, to testify before Congress, to introduce the first pipeline safety bill of the 106th Congress, and ultimately to pass legislation in the Senate in September 2000 and again in February of this year. The Senate has done its job. Twice the Senate has passed the strongest pipeline safety measures to ever pass either chamber of Congress. Now it's time for the House and President Bush to do their part. The bill we passed in the Senate is a major step forward. It isn't everything everyone could want, but it is a significant move in the right direction. Specifically, the bill: Improves the Qualification and Training of Pipeline Personnel, Improves Pipeline Inspection and Prevention Practices, Requires internal inspection at least once every five years, Expands the Public's Right to Know about Pipeline Hazards, Raises the Penalties for Safety Violators, Enables States to Expand their Safety Efforts, Invests in New Technology to Improve Safety, Protects Whistle blowers, and Increases Funding for Safety Efforts by $13 billion.”