WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) today said the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved the bipartisan SAFE PIPES Act, S. 2276 which contains his language to improve the safety and regulation of underground natural gas storage facilities. The Committee reported out the bill with a favorable voice vote.

“Underground natural gas storage 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,” Roberts said. “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.

“I thank the Chairman Thune and Subcommittee Chairperson Deb Fischer and Senator Jerry Moran for working with me to ensure this important provision was included in the SAFE PIPES Act,” Roberts said.

Senator Deb Fischer submitted a letter from Senator Roberts for the record to express the importance of the measure to Kansas.

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.

The bill now awaits a debate and vote in the full Senate.

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