The pipeline safety act is up for reauthorization this year. The current draft versions of this legislation include the following types of changes versus prior legislation:
- additional protections for critical areas, with an emphasis on increased internal inspections and testing and a focused attention on pipeline integrity.
- enhanced public education programs and increased information available to community responders and planners. It would also include state emergency response commissions and local emergency planning committees established under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act within the mix of state and local authorities who interact with pipeline operators.
- increased levels of maximum civil penalties for violations, and enhanced criminal enforcement.
- additional support of underground damage prevention, with clarification to assure that prosecutions of excavators who knowingly and willfully disregard one-call notification requirements are successful.
- enhanced state role in interstate pipeline safety, with increases in the allowable federal share of grants to states for inspections of interstate operators for states that perform these inspections for the DOT, such as monitoring construction and investigating incidents. This also allows full compensation to states performing special investigations for the Department.