The Pipeline Industry Meets Grief Unimaginable: Congress Reacts with the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002

摘要

In response to several devastating pipeline accidents, Congress implemented major changes to the nation's pipeline safety laws. By way of background, this article (1) describes the accident history leading to the passage of the new law, (2) explains basic pipeline operation, and (3) identifies the people and agencies that lobbied for change. The article then summarizes the legislative history of the new law, including some of the bills that Congress considered in the immediately preceding years. It explains the sections of the new statute and highlights the changes Congress made. The article illustrates how the new statute would have affected past accidents, had it been in place earlier, and goes on to identify where Congress fell short, finally, the article suggests additional measures that Congress could impose if the new law fails to reduce the frequency and severity of pipeline accidents.