Section 501. General powers of commission.
(a) Commission authority.--The commission shall have general administrative authority to supervise and regulate pipeline operators within this Commonwealth consistent with Federal pipeline safety laws. The commission may adopt regulations, consistent with the Federal pipeline safety laws, as may be necessary or proper in the exercise of its powers and perform its duties under this act. The regulations shall not be inconsistent with or greater or more stringent than the minimum standards and regulations adopted under the Federal pipeline safety law. The commission shall have the following duties:
(1) To investigate a service, act, practice, policy or omission by a pipeline operator to determine compliance with this act.
(2) To investigate a pipeline transportation facility to determine if it is hazardous to life or property.
(3) To investigate the existence or report of a safety-related condition that involves a pipeline transportation facility.
(4) To enter into contracts or agreements with the United States Department of Transportation to inspect intrastate or interstate transmission facilities.
(5) Accept grants-in-aid, cash and reimbursements made available to the Commonwealth by the Federal Government to implement Federal pipeline safety laws or other Federal law.
(6) To advise, consult and cooperate with the Federal Government, other states and other agencies as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this act.
(7) To enforce the Federal pipeline safety laws and, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, impose civil penalties and fines and take other appropriate enforcement action.
(8) For purposes of petroleum gas, the commission's jurisdiction under this act shall be limited to those petroleum gas systems that are the following:
(i) Subject to the Federal pipeline safety laws.
(ii) Not a public utility.
(b) Compliance.--Each pipeline operator, its officers, agents and employees, and other persons subject to this act, or to an order of the commission, or a court under this act, shall observe, obey and comply with this act and the terms and conditions of the orders issued hereunder.