State Sens. Tom Killion and Andy Dinniman introduced this week a legislative package aimed at reforming Pennsylvania’s pipeline regulatory process to improve safety at schools and in local neighborhoods and communities.
“For years, I’ve been working to protect our communities from the potential safety risks of the Mariner East pipeline project,” Dinniman said. “Along the way, I’ve identified several areas that are in dire need of improvement in the Commonwealth. These bills are a result of that ongoing effort and a necessary starting point to refocus and reenergize our efforts in the new year. I am committed to working in the spirit of bipartisanship and for the sake of Chester County residents and families to achieve real and lasting pipeline safety reform in the 2019-2020 legislative session.”
The package consists of 12 bills, six sponsored by Dinniman and six sponsored by Killion. Both senators also serve as first prime co-sponsor of each other’s bills.
The bills require pipeline operators to provide safety information to nearby schools, provide emergency response information to county emergency coordinators and conduct studies and hydrological investigations of potentially affected aquifers. They also require the use of automatic or remote shutoff valves on some pipelines, centralize pipeline safety inspection within the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and establish a pipeline impact fee.
“Pipelines are transporting highly flammable and toxic materials under high pressure through densely populated areas,” Killion said. “Having new laws in place to ensure the safety of families living in pipeline communities is long overdue. I look forward to working with Senator Dinniman on passing these bills. Pipeline industry oversight and public safety are top concerns for our constituents, and I’m pleased to be partnering with him on these important issues.”