Bill > S2661

This bill allows owners and operators of pipeline facilities to use risk-based inspections for in-service breakout tanks, which are storage tanks along pipeline routes used to temporarily hold petroleum or other hazardous liquids. Specifically, the bill permits these facility owners to comply with existing federal inspection requirements by implementing a risk-based approach to tank inspections, rather than following a strict, uniform inspection schedule. The bill directs the Secretary of Transportation, through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), to update federal regulations (specifically 49 CFR 195.432) to formally enable these risk-based inspections as soon as possible after the bill's enactment. By allowing risk-based inspections, the bill suggests that owners can focus more intensive inspection efforts on tanks that are deemed higher-risk, potentially improving safety while potentially reducing unnecessary inspection costs for lower-risk tanks. The approach implies a more flexible and potentially more efficient regulatory framework for pipeline facility maintenance and safety oversight.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2661/all-info