“We came together, Republicans and Democrats, to improve and strengthen the safety of our pipelines - and we got the job done," U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, said in a statement. Upton is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “Our bipartisan legislation, signed into law today by President Obama is a win for Southwest Michigan, our Great Lakes, and the entire country."
Learn more about the PIPES Act HERE.
Obama signs pipeline safety bill affecting Great Lakes
President Barack Obama signed a bipartisan bill Wednesday that boosts federal pipeline safety oversight, including in the Great Lakes.
The measure, known as the Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act, subjects the Great Lakes to higher standards of operating safety. It also authorizes funding for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration until 2019 and increases the agency’s funding 2 percent annually during that period.
The legislation includes provisions that would require federal reviews of pipeline age and integrity once a year, such as for Enbridge’s Line 5 that runs twin 63-year-old oil pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac between lakes Michigan and Huron.
It also would direct pipeline operators and federal regulators to update response plans for spills affecting waters or shorelines covered by ice, another concern in the Great Lakes region.
Supporters touted the measure as a rare example of bipartisanship in the middle of a heated presidential election.
“We came together, Republicans and Democrats, to improve and strengthen the safety of our pipelines - and we got the job done," U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, said in a statement. Upton is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
“Our bipartisan legislation, signed into law today by President Obama is a win for Southwest Michigan, our Great Lakes, and the entire country." …
The legislation identifies the Great Lakes as an “Unusually Sensitive Area," and Enbridge would be required to inspect the internal and external inspection safety of the two pipelines at least once a year. The annual inspection requirement applies to pipelines that rest more than 150 feet under water, and Line 5 runs to depths of up to 290 feet under water - a measure trumpeted by U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township.
Read the full story online HERE.
