What This Bill Does
This bill requires the federal government to create new rules for oil and gas pipelines in ocean waters. The rules focus on making sure pipelines stay safe and intact, and on handling old pipelines that are no longer being used.
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Who It Affects
- Owners of offshore oil and gas pipelines
- The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (a federal agency)
- The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (a federal agency)
- Congress
- Fishing operations and navigation activities in ocean areas
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Key Provisions
- Owners of offshore oil and gas pipelines must have internal and external inspections performed by an outside company at least once every two years, unless the Director decides an inspection is not needed (Sec. 2)
- All offshore oil and gas pipelines must have leak detection systems that continuously compare how much product enters and leaves the pipeline, with alarms that can catch leaks as quickly as possible (Sec. 2)
- The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement must watch over all decommissioned pipelines (pipelines that have been taken out of service) that stay on the ocean floor and keep records of their condition (Sec. 3)
- Pipeline owners must pay annual fees to help the federal government remove or decommission pipelines if an owner goes bankrupt, with fees of at least $10,000 per mile in deep water (500 feet or deeper) and $1,000 per mile in shallower water (Sec. 3)
- If the Bureau finds any exposed pipeline segment, it must either remove the pipeline or make sure it is properly decommissioned and poses no threat (Sec. 4)
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What Changes
If this bill becomes law, offshore pipeline owners will be required to have their pipelines inspected regularly by outside companies. Pipelines must have working leak detection systems installed. The federal government will collect annual fees from pipeline owners to pay for removing or decommissioning abandoned pipelines. The government will also continuously monitor decommissioned pipelines that remain on the ocean floor and must fix or remove any exposed pipeline segments.
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Important Definitions
None explicitly defined in bill text.
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Effective Date
The bill states that no part of this law takes effect without considering whether that action will reduce reef fish habitat. No other effective date is specified in bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1441
To require the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement to further
develop, finalize, and implement updated regulations for offshore oil
and gas pipelines to address long-standing limitations regarding its ability
to ensure active pipeline integrity and address safety and environmental
risks associated with decommissioning, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 8, 2023
Ms. BROWNLEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To require the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforce-
ment to further develop, finalize, and implement updated
regulations for offshore oil and gas pipelines to address
long-standing limitations regarding its ability to ensure
active pipeline integrity and address safety and environ-
mental risks associated with decommissioning, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Offshore Pipeline Safe-
4
ty Act’’.
5
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•HR 1441 IH
SEC. 2. FINALIZATION OF REGULATIONS RELATED TO OFF-
1
SHORE PIPELINES.
2
Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment
3
of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through
4
the Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental
5
Enforcement, shall issue final regulations relating to Oil
6
and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental
7
Shelf—Pipelines and Pipeline Rights-of-Way (72 Fed.
8
Reg. 56,442 (Oct. 3, 2007)). Such regulations shall re-
9
quire owners of oil and gas pipelines subject to such regu-
10
lations—
11
(1) to provide for internal and external inspec-
12
tions of pipelines by a third-party no less frequently
13
than every two years, unless the Director of the Bu-
14
reau determines that any such inspection is not re-
15
quired; and
16
(2) to equip such pipelines with a leak detection
17
system or device that provides continuous volumetric
18
comparison between the pipeline’s product input and
19
output and includes alarms and adequate sensitivity
20
to detect variations between input and discharge vol-
21
umes to enable any leaks from the pipeline to be de-
22
tected as quickly as possible.
23
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•HR 1441 IH
SEC. 3. ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS OF DECOM-
1
MISSIONING PIPELINES.
2
(a) STUDY ON ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS OF DECOM-
3
MISSIONING PIPELINES VERSUS REMOVING PIPELINES.—
4
(1) STUDY.—The Directors of the Bureau of
5
Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the Bu-
6
reau of Ocean Energy Management shall jointly con-
7
duct a study to evaluate the environmental benefits
8
and risks associated with decommissioning oil and
9
gas pipelines in place on the sea floor compared to
10
removing such pipelines. Such study shall include—
11
(A) an evaluation of pipelines that have
12
been decommissioned in place, identifying de-
13
commissioned pipelines at high-risk of causing
14
safety and environmental harm, causing ob-
15
structions, or otherwise unduly interfering with
16
present or future uses of the outer continental
17
shelf; and
18
(B) recommendations on the best uses of
19
the revenues generated by the annual pipelines
20
fees as authorized by subsection (d).
21
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after
22
the date of enactment of this Act, the Directors shall
23
transmit a report to the Committee on Natural Re-
24
sources of the House of Representatives and the
25
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the
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•HR 1441 IH
Senate, detailing the findings and determinations of
1
the study, including any recommendations for legis-
2
lation.
3
(b) REQUIRED CONSIDERATIONS IN REVIEWING DE-
4
COMMISSIONING APPLICATIONS.—In determining whether
5
to permit an owner to decommission an oil or gas pipeline,
6
the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement,
7
shall fully consider whether the offshore oil and gas pipe-
8
line constitutes a hazard to navigation and commercial
9
and recreational fishing operations, unduly interferes with
10
other uses of the outer continental shelf, or has adverse
11
environmental effects.
12
(c) ONGOING MONITORING
OF DECOMMISSIONED
13
PIPELINES.—The Bureau of Safety and Environmental
14
Enforcement shall continually monitor the condition and
15
location of all oil and gas pipelines that have been decom-
16
missioned and remain in place, and shall maintain all rel-
17
evant records of such monitoring.
18
(d) ANNUAL PIPELINE OWNERS FEE.—Not later
19
than 180 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Bu-
20
reau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement shall issue
21
regulations to assess an annual fee on owners of offshore
22
oil and gas pipelines for the purpose of providing the Bu-
23
reau with funds to decommission or remove such pipelines
24
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•HR 1441 IH
in the event an owner files for bankruptcy. Such fee shall
1
be no less than—
2
(1) $10,000 per mile for such pipelines in water
3
with a depth of 500 feet or greater; and
4
(2) $1,000 per mile for pipelines in water depth
5
of under 500 feet.
6
SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT RELATING TO EXPOSED SEGMENTS
7
OF OFFSHORE PIPELINES.
8
If the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforce-
9
ment identifies any exposed segment of any active or de-
10
commissioned pipeline, the Bureau shall either remove the
11
pipeline from the ocean or ensure it is properly decommis-
12
sioned and does not pose a threat. If a segment of any
13
active pipeline is exposed or shifts, the Bureau shall re-
14
secure such segment to the sea floor.
15
SEC. 5. COMPLETION OF STUDY RELATING TO ENVIRON-
16
MENT RISKS OF CHEMICAL PRODUCTS USED
17
IN OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS.
18
(a) COMPLETION OF STUDY.—The Bureau of Safety
19
and Environmental Enforcement shall complete a study
20
addressing the risks to the environment of chemical prod-
21
ucts used in oil and gas operations including umbilical
22
lines. In conducting the study, the Bureau shall seek input
23
from chemical suppliers and the oil and gas industry.
24
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•HR 1441 IH
(b) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date
1
of enactment of this Act, the Bureau shall transmit a re-
2
port of the findings and determinations in such study to
3
Congress, including any recommendations for legislation.
4
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
5
No provision of this Act shall take effect without con-
6
sidering whether such action will result in a reduction of
7
reef fish habitat.
8
Æ
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