article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Durham Woods Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1995''. SEC. 2. INCREASED INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS IN HIGH-DENSITY POPULATION AREAS. (a) Instrumented Internal Inspection Devices.--Section 60102(f)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``In the case of gas pipelines, such inspection shall be required not less than once every 7 years.'' after ``60109 of this title.''. (b) Additional Inspections.--Section 60108 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(e) Additional Inspection Requirements for Gas Transmission Pipeline Facilities.--Within 2 years after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall prescribe regulations requiring that each owner or operator of a gas transmission pipeline facility-- ``(1) establish a program for observing from the air, or inspecting from the ground, or both, at least once every month, the surface conditions on and adjacent to the right-of-way of all of such owner or operator's gas transmission pipeline facilities identified under section 60109 of this title for indications of leaks, construction, and other circumstances affecting safety or operation; and ``(2) place line markers at suitable intervals along the rights-of-way of all of such owner or operator's gas transmission pipeline facilities identified under section 60109 of this title, unless such placement is impractical.''. SEC. 3. DAMAGE REPORTING. Section 60123(d)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended-- (1) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (A); (2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); and (3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new subparagraph: ``(B) a pipeline facility and does not report the damage promptly to the operator of the pipeline facility and other appropriate authorities; or''. SEC. 4. INCREASED PENALTIES. (a) Criminal Penalties.--Section 60123 of title 49, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``5 years'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``10 years''; (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``15 years'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``30 years''; (3) in subsection (c), by striking ``one year'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``5 years''; and (4) in subsection (d), by striking ``5 years'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``10 years''. (b) Civil Penalties.--Section 60122(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in paragraph (1)-- (A) by striking ``or 60118(a)'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``, 60102(l), or 60118(a)''; (B) by striking ``$25,000'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``$50,000''; and (C) by striking ``$500,000'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``$1,000,000''; and (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``$50,000'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``$100,000''. SEC. 5. PUBLIC AWARENESS. Section 60116 of title 49, United States Code, is amended-- (1) by inserting ``(a) Requirement.--'' before ``Under regulations the Secretary''; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(b) State Programs.--The Secretary shall, to the extent provided in advance in appropriations Acts, make grants to States for the promotion of public awareness of the dangers of excavating near pipeline facilities by advertising in the media and other means.''. SEC. 6. PIPELINE SAFETY STUDY. (a) Study.--The Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a comprehensive study on the safety of all gas transmission pipeline facilities in the State of New Jersey. Such study shall address, at a minimum-- (1) increasing population encroachment on pipeline rights- of-way; (2) environmental concerns; (3) financial pressures on the pipeline industry to control their costs; and (4) the feasibility of utilizing remotely operated or automatic shut-off valves, and their appropriate spacing. (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall transmit to the Congress a report containing the results of the study conducted under subsection (a). SEC. 7. RISK ASSESSMENT. (a) Assessment.--The Secretary of Transportation shall conduct an assessment of the risks to public safety and the environment posed by the transportation of gas by pipeline. Such assessment shall-- (1) rank the risks identified by the Secretary in terms of their probability of occurrence and the severity of their likely consequences, and in terms of any other factors the Secretary considers relevant; (2) identify and prioritize technically feasible and economically justified actions that should be taken to lessen the risks identified; and (3) address, at a minimum-- (A) inspection by instrumented internal inspection devices; (B) installation of state-of-the-art leak detection systems, including automatic and remotely controlled valves; (C) inspection and burial of underwater pipelines; and (D) inspection and replacement of cast iron pipelines. (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall transmit to the Congress a report including the assessment required under subsection (a) and a plan for actions proposed by the Secretary to address each risk identified in the assessment. SEC. 8. MAPPING. Section 60102 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(l) Mapping of Pipeline Facilities.--(1) The owner or operator of a gas transmission or hazardous liquid pipeline facility, or a regulated gathering line, shall inform the Secretary of the specific location of such pipeline facility or gathering line. ``(2) The Secretary, using the information received under paragraph (1) and any other information available to the Secretary, shall develop a comprehensive mapping program to identify the specific location of all gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities, and regulated gathering lines. The program shall include information on the proximity of such pipeline facilities and gathering lines to high- density population areas, environmentally sensitive areas, water intakes, and other appropriate areas or facilities. The Secretary shall establish an electronic data base for the comprehensive mapping program, and shall ensure that such data base is available to State and local governments and the public in an appropriate manner. ``(3) The Secretary shall ensure the security of the program developed under paragraph (2) against terrorism, sabotage, and other threats.''. SEC. 9. TECHNICAL SAFETY STANDARDS COMMITTEE. Section 60115(f) is amended-- (1) by striking the first 2 sentences thereof; and (2) by inserting ``of a committee under this section'' after ``A member''. SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS. Terms used in this Act shall have the same definitions given such terms in section 60101 of title 49, United States Code.
summary: Durham Woods Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1995 - Amends Federal pipeline safety law to instruct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations requiring: (1) periodic inspections of gas pipeline facilities with the use of instrumented internal inspection devices at least once every seven years in high-density population areas; and (2) transmission pipeline operators to institute a monthly inspection program for leaks and other specified hazards and line markers along pipeline rights-of-way. (Sec. 3) Declares it is a criminal offense to fail to report damage to a gas or hazardous liquid pipeline facility after knowingly and willfully engaging in excavation activities without taking specified steps to establish the location of underground facilities. (Sec. 4) Increases the civil and criminal penalties for violations of such law. (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary to: (1) make grants to the States to promote public awareness programs regarding the dangers of excavating near gas pipelines; (2) study and report to the Congress on the safety of all gas transmission pipelines in the State of New Jersey and on an assessment of the risks to public safety and the environment posed by gas pipeline transportation; and (3) develop a comprehensive mapping program to identify the specific location of all gas and hazardous liquid transmission pipelines , and gathering lines, in the country.