H.R. 3488: Valve Safety Fairness Act of 2025
This bill, known as the Valve Safety Fairness Act of 2025, aims to enhance safety regulations related to gas pipeline operations. Specifically, it requires the Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to extend existing safety rules to a specific type of gas gathering lines, referred to as Type A gas gathering lines.
Key Provisions
- Application of Existing Rules: The bill directs the PHMSA to apply a final rule, which was established on April 8, 2022, regarding valve installation and minimum standards for detecting pipeline ruptures. This rule is currently in place for certain pipeline operations, but this legislation will make it mandatory for Type A gas gathering lines as well.
Types of Gas Gathering Lines
Gas gathering lines are pipelines that transport natural gas from production sites to processing plants. The Type A designation typically refers to a specific category of these pipelines that may have lower operational pressure or different usage compared to other types.
Impact of the Legislation
By applying these safety regulations to Type A gas gathering lines, the bill seeks to improve the overall safety management of natural gas operations. This is aimed at reducing the risks of gas leaks and ruptures, which can have severe environmental and safety implications.
Regulatory Oversight
The PHMSA will have the responsibility to enforce these standards once the bill is enacted. This includes ensuring that companies operating Type A gas gathering lines adhere to the new safety measures outlined in the finalized rule, potentially increasing operational costs for compliance but enhancing safety measures in the industry.
Relevant Companies
- ET - Energy Transfer LP: May impact operations and compliance costs related to gas gathering lines.
- OKS - ONEOK, Inc.: May face increased regulatory requirements related to valve and safety standards.
- NBL - Noble Energy, Inc.: Potentially affected by changes to safety protocols for gas gathering operations.
This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.
Sponsors
2 bill sponsors
Actions
2 actions
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| May. 19, 2025 | Introduced in House |
| May. 19, 2025 | Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. |
Corporate Lobbying
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