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U.S. Department of Transportation Forms Partnership with Washington State To Participate in Interstate Pipeline Inspections

8 June 2000

U.S. Department of Transportation Forms Partnership with Washington State To Participate in Interstate Pipeline Inspections

    WASHINGTON, June 8 U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E.
Slater today joined with Washington Governor Gary Locke and U.S. Sen. Patty
Murray to announce a partnership between Washington state and U.S. Department
of Transportation's Office of Pipeline Safety that will allow Washington state
pipeline safety inspectors to participate in inspections of interstate
pipeline facilities.

    "I am pleased to announce with Governor Locke and Senator Murray a
partnership between Washington and the USDOT Office of Pipeline Safety,"
Secretary Slater said.  "I commend them for their continued efforts to ensure
the safety of the people and the environment along the pipelines.  This
agreement highlights all of our continued efforts to ensure the safety of the
people and environment along pipelines."

    Today's agreement will increase the participation of Washington state
pipeline safety inspectors in damage prevention, construction, accident
investigations, emergency response coordination, and other forms of
inspection.

    Since the tragic pipeline failure in Bellingham, Wash., in June 1999, the
Department has been working closely with Governor Locke, Senator Murray and
other officials in Washington to respond to their concerns about pipeline
safety.  Last week, the Department announced that it is seeking a
$3.05 million civil penalty against Olympic Pipeline, owned and operated by
Equilon, for safety violations related to the June 1999 pipeline failure in
Bellingham.  That is the largest civil penalty ever proposed against a
pipeline operator in the history of the federal pipeline safety program and
reflects the serious attention the U.S. Department of Transportation is paying
to this.

    The partnership agreement mirrors provisions in the Administration bill,
the Pipeline Safety and Community Protection Act of 2000 (S. 2409/H.R. 4276).
The Administration's proposed legislation will strengthen state partnerships
with USDOT and allow states to monitor new construction, investigate accidents
and participate in local preparedness and damage prevention activities.

    Under the proposed legislation, USDOT would be authorized to reimburse up
to 100 percent of a state's costs in monitoring new pipeline construction or
investigating accidents.  The proposed legislation is scheduled for Senate
Commerce Committee action next week. The legislation also would increase the
public's right to know, making public information about the safety of
pipelines and the steps pipeline companies are taking to protect people and
the environment.

    "This legislation presents us the opportunity to enact the most
comprehensive pipeline safety legislation in our nation's history," Secretary
Slater said.  "Today I join Governor Locke and Senator Murray in calling on
Congress to enact legislation to strengthen our pipeline safety program to
better protect people and the environment from the threats posed by
pipelines."