The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO PROMOTE PIPELINE SAFETY” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H69-H70 on Jan. 31, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO PROMOTE PIPELINE SAFETY
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Metcalf) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, on June 10, 1999, a liquid gasoline pipeline owned by the Olympic Pipeline Company ruptured and spilled over 200,000 gallons of gasoline at Whatcom Falls Park, a 241-acre park in my district in the city of Bellingham. Gasoline was carried into Whatcom Creek, where it reportedly filled the creek at depths of up to 10 feet.
The spilled fuel was inadvertently ignited by two 10-year-old boys, Wade King and Stephen Tsiorvas, who were playing with bottle rockets at the creek. The resulting fireball raced down the length of the creek for a mile and a half, killing King, Tsiorvas, and an 18-year-old fly fisherman named Liam Wood. Swaths as wide as 200 feet along the creek were burned within minutes.
The explosion of June 10 caused millions of dollars in property damage and did immeasurable harm to the families and friends of Wade King, Stephen Tsiorvas, and Liam Wood.
I have long held reservations about our system of pipeline safety regulations. In 1996, I voted against the pipeline deregulation bill because I felt it removed too many essential safeguards. Since the tragedy, I have redoubled my efforts to improve the regulatory climate.
I have been in close contact with industry, public interest groups, local officials, Federal regulators, and constituents.
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The bill that I have introduced today addresses several concerns. Under my legislation, number one, pipelines will be required to be inspected both internally and with hydrostatic tests. Pipelines with a history of leaks will be specifically targeted for more strenuous testing. All pipeline operators will be tested for qualifications and certified by the Department of Transportation.
The results of pipeline tests and inspections will be made available to the public and a nationwide map of all pipeline locations will be placed on the Internet where ordinary citizens can easily access it. All pipeline ruptures and spills of more than 40 gallons will be reported to the Federal Office of Pipeline Safety. And States will be able to set up their own pipeline safety programs for interstate pipelines.
In addition, the bill requires studies on various technologies that may improve safety such as external leak detection systems and double-
walled pipelines.
The bill has already bipartisan support. My distinguished colleagues, the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Dunn), the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Inslee), and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith) have agreed to cosponsor; and I thank them very much for that.
Mr. Speaker, we hope to move this legislation through Congress and I hope the rest of my colleagues can join with me in support of this bipartisan proposal.
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