WASHINGTON— Don Santa, president and CEO of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, today released the following statement, commending the House Energy and Commerce Committee for reporting a bill that ensures the safety of the interstate natural gas pipeline system that delivers almost one quarter of the energy consumed by Americans:
“We appreciate the committee’s efforts to report a bill to reauthorize the Pipeline Safety Act and look forward to prompt action by the House and Senate to enact this important legislation this year.
“The action today shows leadership on the part of the committee to put its stamp on the vital issue of pipeline safety by providing goals and guideposts for the regulator to work within. The two House committees of jurisdiction on this issue – the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee – have worked quickly to produce their own versions of pipeline safety legislation. INGAA believes that these two bills can be ‘merged’ into an achievable compromise and presented to the House in the next few weeks.
“Timely reauthorization, combined with a credible, effective regulator and the industry’s renewed commitment to pipeline safety, will create greater confidence in the safety of this critical energy infrastructure. Continuous safety improvement is critical to future pipeline expansion—and American job creation—as natural gas demand continues to grow over the coming decades.”
###
INGAA is the North American association representing the interstate and interprovincial natural gas pipeline industry. INGAA’s members operate approximately 200,000 miles of pipelines, and serve as an indispensible link between natural gas producers and consumers.
