Underground Construction - January 2020 - 13

for the ﬁrst time. Automatic shutoﬀ or
remote-controlled valves would be required
on existing, new and replaced pipelines.
The maximum civil penalties that could
be imposed by PHMSA would be increased
from $200,000 to $2 million per violation.
It would be easier for PHMSA to assess
criminal penalties for operators who act
recklessly. Operators would have to immediately repair major gas leaks.
Democrats in the House believe those
far-reaching actions are necessary. "There
are nearly 3 million miles of pipelines
transporting hazardous liquid and natural
gas just feet below countless communities across the U.S., yet federal eﬀorts to
ensure these pipelines are safe, reliable
and environmentally sound are woefully
outdated," Transportation Chair Peter
DeFazio (D-OR) said. "Last year alone,
there were 636 pipeline incidents that left
eight people dead and injured another 90,
including the horriﬁc incident that killed
one person, sent 21 others to the hospital,
and damaged 131 structures in Merrimack
Valley, Mass. Moreover, it's estimated that
this industry is responsible for one-third
of our country's emissions of methane,
a greenhouse gas that is 84 times more
potent than carbon dioxide in the ﬁrst few
decades of its release and a major contributor to climate change."
But those provisions go too far for the
pipeline industry, and for Republicans in
the House, and most likely, for GOPers in
the Senate, where Republicans are in control. After the Transportation Committee
vote on Nov. 20, ranking member Sam
Graves (R-Mo.), said, "The most disappointing fact about today's partisan markup is that if Republicans had been oﬀered
the chance to work on these bills with our
colleagues in the majority, we could have
produced legislation that every member of
the committee supported."
The GOP bill, which one Democrat
supported, is called the Pipeline Safety
Improvement Act of 2019. It includes a
number of industry "asks" including prohibiting three overt actions that jeopardize
safety: unauthorized turning of a valve;
puncturing of a pipe, pump or valve; and
causing a defect to a pipe, pump or valve.

It also creates a safety-enhancing testing
program for innovative technologies and
operational practices.
Don Santa, president and chief executive oﬃcer of INGAA, said, "The Pipeline
Safety Improvement Act of 2019 includes
a number of provisions that enjoy wide

support...and along with elements of the
SAFER Pipeline Act of 2019, reﬂects the
bipartisan approach that has characterized
each renewal of this important law. We
urge the committees to work together to
reconcile these proposals into a legislative
package that can be signed into law." *

Ring-O-Matic's team of industry experts are
hitting the road for three of the industry's
biggest events with products you won't want to
miss heading into the new year!

For 60 years, Rental Customers to cross country Pipe liners rely on the proven
performance of Ring-O-Matic's full line of rental, ﬂuid management and vacuum
excavation equipment. Versatility, highly productivity, safe and easy to use are all standard
features built in to every product we build. Conﬁgured on trailers, skid or trucks, Ring-O-Matic
range in size from 150 gallons to custom built 3000-gallon truck mount units. From our factory
to your job site, you can count on Ring-O-Matic products being READY TO WORK!

350VX
On display at ARA.

THE ARA SHOW

1000T
On display at WWETT.

550VX

On display at CONEXPO -
CON/AGG.

Booth #5881
Orlando, FL
February 10-12
arashow.org

WWETT

(Water & Wastewater
Equipment, Treatment &
Transport Show)

Booth #5631
Indianapolis, IN
February 17-20
wwettshow.com

CONEXPO -
CON/AGG
Hall C - 32401

RING-O-MATIC.COM * 800-544-2518

Las Vegas, NV
March 10-14
conexpoconagg.com

UConOnline.com | JANUARY 2020

http://www.arashow.org http://www.wwettshow.com http://www.RING-O-MATIC.COM http://www.conexpoconagg.com http://www.UConOnline.com

Underground Construction - January 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Underground Construction - January 2020