Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2001. I commend the work of the chairman and ranking member of the Commerce Committee, Senators McCain and Hollings, for their hard work on this legislation. I believe that this legislation takes a balanced approach to an important issue and provides for an increase in public safety without unduly burdening a vital ingredient of our energy infrastructure. This legislation takes several important steps in improving the safety of America's oil and natural gas pipelines. There are several elements of this legislation that I would like to highlight. First, this legislation requires the implementation of pipeline safety recommendations recently issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT) Inspector General to the DOT Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA). The Inspector General has recommended that the pipeline industry finalize outstanding Congressional mandates protecting sensitive environmental areas and high-density population areas. Moreover, it calls for the implementation of a training program for the Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) inspectors.”