Schauer requests T&I; oversight investigation

By Mary Kerr (202) 225-6260

Rep. James L. Oberstar (Minn.), Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Rep. Mark Schauer (Mich.) sent a letter today to Enbridge Energy Partners requesting information regarding the rupture of its 30-inch pipeline located near Marshall, Michigan, and its integrity management systems. They also sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson requesting information related to the ruptured pipeline that is owned and operated by Enbridge.

The rupture has spilled more than one million gallons of oil into Talmadge Creek, which flows into the Kalamazoo River, and is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. EPA has assumed the role of the federal On-Scene Coordinator for this spill.

On July 30, Schauer, who represents the district where the spill took place, sent a letter to Oberstar requesting an oversight investigation of the incident, as well as an audit of PHMSA’s pipeline safety program. Schauer also expressed his concern that the failure of Enbridge to immediately report the incident slowed the response efforts to contain the spill, and that it took pipeline safety regulators several hours to arrive at the scene.

“I have very serious concerns about the apparent delayed reporting and slow response time related to the Enbridge pipeline leak near Marshall, Michigan. The negative result of delayed reporting is a delay in response time and a delay in the safety investigation. If responders were able to get out earlier, it is possible that they could have prevented the spill from entering the Kalamazoo River,” said Oberstar. “This incident also raises concerns about the adequacy and effectiveness of existing integrity management and corrosion control regulations and leak detection requirements issued by the Bush administration.

In the letter to Enbridge, Oberstar and Schauer requested, among other things, a detailed description of the system used by Enbridge to identify and monitor leaks on the affected pipeline, as well as records of pipeline maintenance and inspections performed on the affected pipeline.

In letters to DOT and EPA, Oberstar and Schauer requested information on inspection reports, information on reportable leaks on Enbridge’s pipelines, correspondence and meeting information concerning incidents or other safety problems between Enbridge and DOT or EPA, and a summary of any enforcement actions taken against Enbridge. The letter further requested detailed maps of the relevant pipeline, as well as Enbridge’s integrity management and response plans for pipeline incidents.

The letters directed Enbridge, DOT, and EPA, and to comply with the information and document request by August 13.

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