Last week, President Barack Obama signed into law a pipeline safety act proposed in response to the 2015 Refugio oil spill, which deposited 142,800 gallons of crude oil into the ocean at Refugio State Beach.
The new law—called the PIPES (Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety) Act—aims to improve pipeline safety standards and agency oversight. It also establishes an Aliso Canyon natural gas leak task force, which will analyze the 2015 methane leak and make recommendations for improved responses to future leaks.
Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) authored several PIPES Act provisions, all responding to the Refugio spill and based on findings from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) that the spill originated from unobserved pipeline corrosion.
“The spill significantly disrupted local businesses and the regional economy, harmed our treasured wildlife, and put the health of the public at risk,” Capps said in an emailed statement. “While much of the oil has been cleaned up, my district is still recovering from those setbacks.”
Capps said the PIPES Act will “help protect the health and safety of communities and environments across the nation by holding the energy industry accountable.” Her provisions include:
• A required analysis of risk factors that would require more frequent pipeline integrity inspections
• The classification of all coastal beaches, marine coastal waters, and Great Lakes as “High Consequence Areas,” subjecting them to higher safety standards
• An assessment of the causes of pipeline corrosion and potential preventative measures
“But I have said it before, and I will say it again,” Capps said in her statement. “Oil spills are inevitable as long as we rely on oil for our energy needs. Moreover, this law is just a first step. It will not solve all of the challenges facing the pipeline industry.”
This article appears in Jun 30 – Jul 7, 2016.
