§60140 Cover Over Buried Pipelines

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation must study accidents where hazardous liquid pipelines cross inland waters that are at least 100 feet wide, measured from high water mark to high water mark. The study must look at whether how deep the pipe was buried caused or helped cause any spills. The Secretary must send a report on the study to the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and on Energy and Commerce, and to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation within 1 year after this law is enacted. If the study shows burial depth helped cause releases, the Secretary must, within 1 year after the study ends, review whether current rules about how deep pipelines must be buried are enough. If those rules are not enough, the Secretary must create legislative recommendations to make crossings of such inland waters safer, consider the factors listed in section 60102(b)(2), and send the recommendations to the same committees.