Congressman Paul Tonko voted in favor of a pipeline safety bill that passed the House of Representatives Tuesday night. The Corporate Liability and Emergency Notification (CLEAN) Act would require companies to provide notice of a pipeline leak or hazardous liquid spill to the National Response Center within one hour of its discovery. It would also require the U.S. Department of Transportation to maintain a public, searchable internet database of all reported incidents involving gas and hazardous liquid pipelines.

“This legislation will make sure incidents are reported swiftly so that the impacts of pipeline leaks and spills on people and the environment can me minimized,” said Congressman Tonko. “We also need to make sure that there is transparency in the process to hold companies accountable and ensure that public safety is the number one priority.”

Just last month, a pipeline owned by Enterprise Products failed in the Schoharie County town of Broome, leaking dangerous amounts of propane gas into the surrounding neighborhood. Residents noticed the leak and quickly notified officials, preventing an explosion.

The CLEAN Act will raise penalties for companies that exceed the one-hour rule or violate other pipeline safety requirements, from the current $100,000 to $250,000. It will also increase penalties for companies that have multiple related violations from $1 million to $2.5 million. The legislation will also increase transparency by creating a publically accessible and searchable internet database of all reportable incidents involving gas or hazardous liquid pipelines, holding companies accountable for the damage they cause.

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