Lautenberg, Rockefeller Introduce Pipeline Safety Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, and U.S. Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Chairman of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today introduced legislation to enhance pipeline safety efforts nationwide. The bill strengthens pipeline safety oversight by the federal government and addresses long-standing safety issues, including the use of automatic shutoff valves—which could have reduced the extent of damage caused in the San Bruno, California explosion.

Chairman Rockefeller Remarks on Pipeline Safety: Assessing the San Bruno, California Explosion and Other Recent Accidents

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Let me be clear: I believe safety should be the bedrock of any responsible industry. This goes for all companies, big or small, from the coal fields of West Virginia, to the manufacturers of automobiles. Whether you are a worker in a coal mine or live near a pipeline, we must do all that we can to make our industries as safe as possible. And safety must never take a backseat to profit.

Chairman Rockefeller Remarks on the Federal Role in National Rail Policy

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today’s hearing is about progress. It’s about what’s required to modernize our transportation system so our businesses and our workers can stay competitive in the 21st century. It’s about leveling the playing field. And it’s about how when we do that, America is stronger in the global marketplace and that means jobs and economic security.

Rockefeller Releases Report on the Rail Industry and the Need for Level Playing Field to Create Competition and Boost Economy

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In anticipation of this afternoon’s hearing on federal rail policy, Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today released a Committee staff report, The Current Financial State of the Class I Freight Rail Industry, showing that the largest American freight railroad companies have been earning record profit margins at the expense of their shipper customers.