WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed bipartisan legislation which would reauthorize the nation’s federal pipeline safety regulations and inspections by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for four years. The legislation had strong bipartisan support, and passed by a voice vote.
Michael Zehr, Consumer Energy Alliance’s federal affairs advisor, released the following statement:
“Passage of legislation to reauthorize our country’s vigorous pipeline oversight statutes is an important win, not only to advance safety and environmental protection, but it also shows that even in these divided times we can still come together on behalf of consumers and communities that depend on the vital energy products they provide every day. While most Americans don’t think about how pipelines affect them, they are absolutely critical in providing the comfort, mobility and connections that make our lives possible – this is especially true today as our nation recovers from COVID-19.”
“With our energy highway containing more than 2.6 million miles of extremely safe and reliable pipeline infrastructure, we appreciate the steps taken by the Senate to make pipelines even safer for our neighbors, communities and environment.”
“Knowing that pipelines are the safest and most environmentally responsible mode of energy transportation with over 99.99% of all petroleum and natural gas products safely reaching their destination, we applaud the bipartisan leadership to pass the PIPES Act and we urge Congressional leaders in the House of Representatives to swiftly consider this important legislation.”