THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(San Francisco, California)
_______________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release November 3,
2000
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
Today, my Administration is taking significant steps to ensure the
safety of Americans living and working near the more than two million miles
of oil and gas pipeline that criss-cross our country. These pipelines are
vital to our economy and our daily lives. But when they fail, they can
damage the environment, contaminate our drinking water, threaten the safety
of our communities, and put human lives at risk. Recent tragedies in
Bellingham, Washington, and near Carlsbad, New Mexico, have underscored the
need to improve pipeline safety nationwide.
Despite efforts in both the House and the Senate, there has been no
final action this year on legislation to improve pipeline safety.
Consequently, we are taking two actions today to strengthen protections for
communities across the country. First, the Department of Transportation is
issuing strong new requirements for large hazardous liquid pipeline
operators to regularly inspect and promptly repair pipelines in populated
and environmentally sensitive areas, and to take systematic steps to detect
and prevent leaks. Second, I am directing the Secretary of Transportation
to take additional steps leading to stronger pipeline safety standards,
improved enforcement, enhanced federal-state partnerships, increased public
access to information, and more innovative technology. Together, these
actions will help ensure that our pipeline system is sound, our communities
are safe, and our environment is protected.
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