U.S. proposes tough pipeline rules, fines

WASHINGTON, April 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Transportation called for an increase in maximum penalties for pipeline violations, the department's secretary announced.

Transportation Department Secretary Ray LaHood said his agency adopted a plan to make sure operators know the age and condition of their pipelines. Additional regulations would strengthen inspection requirements and provide more public access to safety records.

Additionally, LaHood said he was calling on U.S. lawmakers to increase the maximum civil penalty for pipeline violations from $100,000 per day to $250,000 per day. Pipeline operators could face penalties of as much as $2.5 million for a string of violations.

Meanwhile, the department's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is called on to make more information readily available and easily understood by local communities.

"To the American public, it doesn't matter who has jurisdiction over these essential utility lines," said LaHood. "We have a responsibility to work together to prevent the loss of life and environmental damage that can result from poor pipeline conditions."

The department said serious pipeline accidents were down by almost half during the past two decades. An oil spill in Marshall, Mich., and deadly accidents in Allentown, Pa., and San Bruno, Calif., however, prompted a review of the nation's aging pipeline infrastructure.