§60112 — Title 49 Transportation | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation can decide a pipeline facility or part of it is dangerous after giving notice and a chance for a hearing. The Secretary must find a hazard if the facility’s operation or its equipment, materials, or methods would harm people, property, or the environment. In making that choice, the Secretary must consider, when relevant, things like pipe and equipment condition and design (age, how made), what the pipeline carries (corrosiveness, pressure, order of materials), local climate and soil, closeness to sensitive environmental areas, population and growth, any National Transportation Safety Board recommendations, and other relevant factors. The Secretary must also let the State officials where the pipeline is located review and comment on any proposed agreement, and those comments should include affected local officials’ views. If the Secretary finds a hazard, the operator must fix it. Orders can require limiting or stopping use, inspections, tests, repairs, replacements, or other actions. After an accident, if an employee carrying out a regulated activity (including duties under section 60102(a)) may have substantially contributed, the Secretary can require the operator to relieve, reassign, or place that employee on leave until the Secretary, after notice and a hearing, finds the employee did not contribute or the employee is retrained or requalified under section 60131. Any such action must follow a collective bargaining agreement. In an emergency, the Secretary may skip prior notice and issue an immediate order if delay would likely cause serious harm, but must provide a hearing as soon as possible afterward.

Title 49, §60112

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)After notice and an opportunity for a hearing, the Secretary of Transportation may decide that a pipeline facility is hazardous if the Secretary decides that—

(1)operation of the facility is or would be hazardous to life, property, or the environment; or

(2)the facility is or would be constructed or operated, or a component of the facility is or would be constructed or operated, with equipment, material, or a technique that the Secretary decides is hazardous to life, property, or the environment.

(b)In making a decision under subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary shall consider, if relevant—

(1)the characteristics of the pipe and other equipment used in the pipeline facility, including the age, manufacture, physical properties, and method of manufacturing, constructing, or assembling the equipment;

(2)the nature of the material the pipeline facility transports, the corrosive and deteriorative qualities of the material, the sequence in which the material are 11 So in original. Probably should be “is”. transported, and the pressure required for transporting the material;

(3)the aspects of the area in which the pipeline facility is located, including climatic and geologic conditions and soil characteristics;

(4)the proximity of the area in which the hazardous liquid pipeline facility is located to environmentally sensitive areas;

(5)the population density and population and growth patterns of the area in which the pipeline facility is located;

(6)any recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board made under another law; and

(7)other factors the Secretary considers appropriate.

(c)The Secretary shall provide, to any appropriate official of a State in which a pipeline facility is located and about which a proceeding has begun under this section, notice and an opportunity to comment on an agreement the Secretary proposes to make to resolve the proceeding. State comment shall incorporate comments of affected local officials.

(d)(1)If the Secretary decides under subsection (a) of this section that a pipeline facility is or would be hazardous, the Secretary shall order the operator of the facility to take necessary corrective action, including suspended or restricted use of the facility, physical inspection, testing, repair, replacement, or other appropriate action.

(2)If, in the case of a corrective action order issued following an accident, the Secretary determines that the actions of an employee carrying out an activity regulated under this chapter, including duties under section 60102(a), may have contributed substantially to the cause of the accident, the Secretary shall direct the operator to relieve the employee from performing those activities, reassign the employee, or place the employee on leave until the earlier of the date on which—

(A)the Secretary, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, determines that the employee’s actions did not contribute substantially to the cause of the accident; or

(B)the Secretary determines the employee has been re-qualified or re-trained as provided for in section 60131 and can safely perform those activities.

(3)An action taken by an operator under paragraph (2) shall be in accordance with the terms and conditions of any applicable collective bargaining agreement.

(e)The Secretary may waive the requirements for notice and an opportunity for a hearing under this section and issue expeditiously an order under this section if the Secretary decides failure to issue the order expeditiously will result in likely serious harm to life, property, or the environment. An order under this subsection shall provide an opportunity for a hearing as soon as practicable after the order is issued.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Pub. L. 103–272 Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 60112(a)49 App.:1679b(b)(1) (1st sentence words before 3d comma), (2).Aug. 12, 1968, Pub. L. 90–481, 82 Stat. 720, § 12(b)(1)–(5); added Nov. 30, 1979, Pub. L. 96–129, § 104(b), 93 Stat. 993; Oct. 24, 1992, Pub. L. 102–508, § 101(b), 106 Stat. 3290. 49 App.:2008(b)(1) (1st sentence words before 3d comma), (2).Nov. 30, 1979, Pub. L. 96–129, § 209(b)(1)–(5), 93 Stat. 1010; Oct. 24, 1992, Pub. L. 102–508, § 201(b), 106 Stat. 3300. 60112(b)49 App.:1679b(b)(3). 49 App.:2008(b)(3). 60112(c)49 App.:1679b(b)(6).Aug. 12, 1968, Pub. L. 90–481, 82 Stat. 720, § 12(b)(6); added Oct. 24, 1992, Pub. L. 102–508, § 113(a), 106 Stat. 3296. 49 App.:2008(b)(6).Nov. 30, 1979, Pub. L. 96–129, 93 Stat. 989, § 209(b)(6); added Oct. 24, 1992, Pub. L. 102–508, § 213(a), 106 Stat. 3305. 60112(d)49 App.:1679b(b)(1) (1st sentence words after 3d comma, last sentence). 49 App.:2008(b)(1) (1st sentence words after 3d comma, last sentence). 60112(e)49 App.:1679b(b)(4), (5). 49 App.:2008(b)(4), (5). In subsection (a), before clause (1), the word “reasonable” and the text of 49 App.:1679b(b)(1) (last sentence) and 2008(b)(1) (last sentence) are omitted as surplus. Clauses (1) and (2) are substituted for “that any pipeline facility is hazardous to life or property” and 49 App.:1679b(b)(2) and 2008(b)(2) to eliminate unnecessary words. In subsection (b)(1), the words “involved” and “(including its resistance to corrosion and deterioration)” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (b)(5), the words “in connection with any investigation conducted by the Board” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (c), the words “responsible for pipeline safety” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (e), the text of 49 App.:1679b(b)(4) and 2008(b)(4) is omitted because of 28:516 and 1331. Pub. L. 103–429This amends 49:60112(d) to clarify the restatement of 49 App.:1679b(b)(1) and 2008(b)(1) by section 1 of the Act of July 5, 1994 (Public Law 103–272, 108 Stat. 1317).

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–355, § 8(a)(1), reenacted heading without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “After notice and an opportunity for a hearing, the Secretary of Transportation may decide a pipeline facility is hazardous if the Secretary decides the facility is— “(1) hazardous to life, property, or the environment; or “(2) constructed or operated, or a component of the facility is constructed or operated, with equipment, material, or a technique the Secretary decides is hazardous to life, property, or the environment.” Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 107–355, § 10(b), designated existing provisions as par. (1), inserted heading, realigned margins, and added pars. (2) and (3). Pub. L. 107–355, § 8(a)(2), substituted “is or would be hazardous” for “is hazardous”. 1994—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–429 inserted before period at end “, including suspended or restricted use of the facility, physical inspection, testing, repair, replacement, or other appropriate action”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1994 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 103–429 effective July 5, 1994, see section 9 of Pub. L. 103–429, set out as a note under section 321 of this title.

§60112 Pipeline facilities hazardous to life and property