Media Contact: Patrick Wright -- Patrick.Wright@mail.house.gov
Washington, D.C. — Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. asked the federal agency responsible for pipeline safety for a thorough investigation following the March 16th pipeline leak that spilled more than 350 barrels of unleaded gasoline in Linden, NJ. Rep. Payne, Jr. wrote a letter to Tristan Brown, Acting Administrator for the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), to seek more information on the causes of the leak and the administration’s planned actions to deal with it. The pipeline is operated by Buckeye Partners, LP and the letter was co-signed by Rep. Frank Pallone, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
“What happened in Linden should not be happening anywhere in the country,” said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. “As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, I am extremely concerned about the environmental damage that such a spill could cause to local waterways. I do not know how this pipeline could have ruptured less than two years after it passed an inspection. PHMSA’s investigation will help Congress ensure all pipelines are safe for use. We need more information about why this accident happened so we can take the appropriate actions to prevent similar leaks in the future.”
The full letter is below.
April 1, 2021
Mr. Tristan Brown
Acting Administrator
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Mr. Brown:
We write regarding the March 16, 2021 rupture of a 12-inch hazardous liquid pipeline operated by Buckeye Partners, L.P. and the subsequent release of 353 barrels of unleaded gasoline in Linden, New Jersey. As Members of Congress who represent New Jersey and sit on committees with jurisdiction over pipeline safety, we are closely monitoring this accident.
We are alarmed by the potential harm the unleaded gasoline could do to the nearby Arthur Kill, a navigable body of water that connects to both upper and lower New York Bay. It is further concerning to learn that the pipeline operator did not discover any actionable anomalies at the failure site when the operator performed an integrity assessment of the line in July 2019. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration swiftly issued a Corrective Action Order (CAO) on March 19, 2021 to the pipeline operator, and it is our expectation that the pipeline operator will take all corrective actions laid out in the order.
We remain concerned about the possibility of another accident involving the pipeline and urge you to be vigilant in your oversight of this situation. We request that you keep us informed about your agency’s progress in determining how the pipeline operator did not identify any actionable anomalies when the pipeline was inspected in 2019.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward to working with you to ensure the issue is resolved safely, the pipeline operator complies with all aspects of the CAO, and normal pipeline operations are restored.
Sincerely,
original source can be found here.
