Legis Daily

A bill to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to equalize liability and financial assurance requirements for onshore pipeline facilities that could discharge oil into the Great Lakes system with such requirements for offshore pipelines, to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to issue an emergency order directing pipeline owners to comply with existing pipeline operating agreements or acquire sufficient resources to appropriately respond to possible oil spill incidents, and for other purposes.

USA115th CongressS-1226| Senate 
| Updated: 5/24/2017
Gary C. Peters

Gary C. Peters

Democratic Senator

Michigan

Cosponsors (1)
Debbie Stabenow (Democratic)

Environment and Public Works Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
Liability Insurance in Event of Spill Act or the LINES Act This bill amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to cap the liability of parties that are responsible for oil discharges from a Great Lakes pipeline (any pipeline that crosses the navigable waters of the Great Lakes system) to the total of all removal costs plus $75 million. A responsible party with respect to a Great Lakes pipeline must establish and maintain evidence of financial responsibility (e.g., evidence of insurance or a bond) in a certain amount. Under current law, the Department of Transportation (DOT) may issue an emergency order to impose restrictions, prohibitions, and safety measures on owners and operators of gas or hazardous liquid pipeline facilities without prior notice or an opportunity for a hearing if they are necessary to abate an imminent hazard. This bill eliminates DOT's emergency order authority with respect to gas pipeline facilities. The bill expands DOT's emergency order authority with respect to hazardous liquid pipeline facilities, including by allowing DOT to impose restrictions, prohibitions, and safety measures if it: (1) discovers reliable evidence that the pipeline is violating conditions required for its operation that were previously agreed upon between the responsible party and a state, tribal, or local government; or (2) determines, after consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard, that inadequate resources are available to respond to and clean up an oil spill during seasonal conditions or conditions expected or caused by an extreme weather event, or the responsible party cannot demonstrate that it has sufficient financial resources to satisfy the liability limits in the event of an oil spill incident.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline
May 24, 2017
Introduced in Senate
May 24, 2017
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  • May 24, 2017
    Introduced in Senate


  • May 24, 2017
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Environmental Protection

Administrative law and regulatory proceduresDepartment of TransportationEnvironmental regulatory proceduresGreat LakesHazardous wastes and toxic substancesLakes and riversMarine pollutionOil and gasPipelinesPollution liabilityTransportation safety and securityWater quality

A bill to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to equalize liability and financial assurance requirements for onshore pipeline facilities that could discharge oil into the Great Lakes system with such requirements for offshore pipelines, to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to issue an emergency order directing pipeline owners to comply with existing pipeline operating agreements or acquire sufficient resources to appropriately respond to possible oil spill incidents, and for other purposes.

USA115th CongressS-1226| Senate 
| Updated: 5/24/2017
Liability Insurance in Event of Spill Act or the LINES Act This bill amends the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to cap the liability of parties that are responsible for oil discharges from a Great Lakes pipeline (any pipeline that crosses the navigable waters of the Great Lakes system) to the total of all removal costs plus $75 million. A responsible party with respect to a Great Lakes pipeline must establish and maintain evidence of financial responsibility (e.g., evidence of insurance or a bond) in a certain amount. Under current law, the Department of Transportation (DOT) may issue an emergency order to impose restrictions, prohibitions, and safety measures on owners and operators of gas or hazardous liquid pipeline facilities without prior notice or an opportunity for a hearing if they are necessary to abate an imminent hazard. This bill eliminates DOT's emergency order authority with respect to gas pipeline facilities. The bill expands DOT's emergency order authority with respect to hazardous liquid pipeline facilities, including by allowing DOT to impose restrictions, prohibitions, and safety measures if it: (1) discovers reliable evidence that the pipeline is violating conditions required for its operation that were previously agreed upon between the responsible party and a state, tribal, or local government; or (2) determines, after consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard, that inadequate resources are available to respond to and clean up an oil spill during seasonal conditions or conditions expected or caused by an extreme weather event, or the responsible party cannot demonstrate that it has sufficient financial resources to satisfy the liability limits in the event of an oil spill incident.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline
May 24, 2017
Introduced in Senate
May 24, 2017
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  • May 24, 2017
    Introduced in Senate


  • May 24, 2017
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Gary C. Peters

Gary C. Peters

Democratic Senator

Michigan

Cosponsors (1)
Debbie Stabenow (Democratic)

Environment and Public Works Committee

Environmental Protection

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
Administrative law and regulatory proceduresDepartment of TransportationEnvironmental regulatory proceduresGreat LakesHazardous wastes and toxic substancesLakes and riversMarine pollutionOil and gasPipelinesPollution liabilityTransportation safety and securityWater quality