Pipeline Safety Legislation Heads to the President’s Desk

Bill Passed the Senate Yesterday by Unanimous Consent

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Washington, DC — Yesterday, the Senate approved legislation reauthorizing the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) through fiscal year 2019 by unanimous consent.

Included among the provisions in the bill are federal minimum standards for underground natural gas storage facilities–like the one in Porter Ranch, California that leaked methane pollution for months.

President Obama is expected to sign the legislation into law in the coming days.

In response, Sierra Club’s Legislative Director Melinda Pierce released the following statement:

“We applaud Congress for passing sensible, bipartisan legislation that will strengthen PHMSA’s oversight capacity. Too many Americans are acutely aware of the threat pipelines pose to landowners, our communities, and our waterways, and we must ensure they are protected from fossil fuels.

“However, the only way to truly safeguard our environment is to transition off of dirty fuels like oil and gas and complete our transition onto 100 percent clean, renewable energy.”