Congressional Research Service Posits 'Room for Improvement' in U.S. Pipeline Safety and Security Policies; New Congress Should Address Agency Staffing Levels, Automatic Shutoff Valves, and Enforcement

摘要

As legislators on Capitol Hill form the new 112th Congress, Paul Parfomak of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) recommends that they address U.S. pipeline safety and security issues. In a recent report, Keeping America's Pipelines Safe and Secure: Key Issues for Congress, Parfomak, a CRS specialist in energy and infrastructure policy, outlined concerns regarding U.S. federal pipeline safety and security activities including appropriate agency staffing levels, implementation of automatic pipeline shutoff valves, penalties for pipeline safety violations, and the possible need for pipeline security regulations.