WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today (R-Kan.) urged his colleagues on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation to improve the safety and regulation of underground natural gas storage facilities as the committee continues debate on pipeline oversight.

“I urge members of the committee to include language I have introduced to address a dangerous lapse in the oversight of underground gas storage facilities,” Roberts said. “These facilities are not being regulated by the federal government and the courts will not allow states to monitor their own storage fields if the gas in those facilities is in interstate transportation. We lost two lives and had a significant loss of property when a gas leak migrated to underground caverns in Hutchinson, Kansas. As our nation begins to rely more and more on natural gas, we need to ensure there is a proper level of oversight to prevent dangerous explosions and any further loss of life.”

In Kansas, there are 11 interstate underground storage sites containing over 270 billion cubic feet of gas.

In July, Roberts and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), introduced a bill to improve safety of underground gas storage facilities. For more on the bill, go here.

For more information on the Commerce Committee’s hearing, go here.

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