Letter to the Hon. Tristan Brown, Acting Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration - Rep. Payne, Jr. Wants Stronger Federal Oversight of Pipelines After Linden Gasoline Spill

Letter

Dear Mr. Brown:

We write regarding the March 16, 2021 rupture of a 12-inch hazardous liquid pipeline operated by Buckeye Partners, L.P. and the subsequent release of 353 barrels of unleaded gasoline in Linden, New Jersey. As Members of Congress who represent New Jersey and sit on committees with jurisdiction over pipeline safety, we are closely monitoring this accident.

We are alarmed by the potential harm the unleaded gasoline could do to the nearby Arthur Kill, a navigable body of water that connects to both upper and lower New York Bay. It is further concerning to learn that the pipeline operator did not discover any actionable anomalies at the failure site when the operator performed an integrity assessment of the line in July 2019. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration swiftly issued a Corrective Action Order (CAO) on March 19, 2021 to the pipeline operator, and it is our expectation that the pipeline operator will take all corrective actions laid out in the order.

We remain concerned about the possibility of another accident involving the pipeline and urge you to be vigilant in your oversight of this situation. We request that you keep us informed about your agency's progress in determining how the pipeline operator did not identify any actionable anomalies when the pipeline was inspected in 2019.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We look forward to working with you to ensure the issue is resolved safely, the pipeline operator complies with all aspects of the CAO, and normal pipeline operations are restored.

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