News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 8, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke and Murray announce pipeline safety agreement

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray today announced an agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation that allows the state a much greater role in ensuring the safety of interstate pipelines running through Washington.

The agreement was the result of a pipeline safety study ordered by Locke immediately after an explosion in Bellingham a year ago this Saturday that killed Wade King and Stephen Tsiorvas, both 10, and Liam Wood, 18.

"This is an emotional time as we mark the first anniversary of the tragic pipeline explosion in Bellingham," Locke said.

"But at least some good can come out of such a horrible accident. Because of this agreement we're announcing today, more inspectors, armed with stronger laws, will be checking pipelines in Washington much more often," Locke said.

"I feel so strongly that these thousands of miles of pipelines that run beneath our communities must be safe that I went to Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater's office in Washington, D.C. and insisted that our state play a much greater safety role supervising interstate as well as intrastate lines," Locke said.

"As a result, at a time when the federal government is withdrawing authority for other states to inspect interstate pipelines within their borders, Washington has real authority over our interstate pipelines-rights granted to only six other states," he added.

The governor explained the study from the task force he convened a year ago revealed Washington needed more authority from the federal government to build on the state Utilities and Transportation Commission's (UTC) existing safety programs.

Murray said, "For nearly a year, we've been working to give states more power to oversee pipelines running through their communities. Today's announcement is another step forward in our quest to make communities safer, but we still have a long way to go.

"We owe our thanks to Transportation Secretary Slater, Gov. Locke, Mayor Mark Asmundson of Bellingham and all the others who are working to ensure that the Bellingham tragedy is not repeated in our communities," she added.

The agreement announced today allows state UTC inspectors to examine interstate natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines currently under the authority of the federal Office of Pipeline Safety, an arm of the Department of Transportation.

State inspectors will be allowed to check pipelines during construction, during operations and after incidents.

State findings of possible violations would be provided to the federal Office of Pipeline Safety for possible enforcement action.

Locke thanked Murray for her help and called for Congress to change pipeline safety laws to allow Washington and other states to take their own enforcement actions. He also called for Congress to strengthen pipeline safety laws and provide more funding.

Murray agreed, saying, "Now Congress needs to follow the lead of the Washington State Legislature and pass comprehensive pipeline safety legislation."

Murray is working with Chairman John McCain and others on the Senate Commerce Committee to pass safety legislation this year. She introduced her pipeline safety legislation in January. Since that time, she has co-sponsored a pipeline safety bill offered by McCain. On June 15, the Commerce Committee is tentatively scheduled to debate the bills and come up with a final piece of legislation to send to the full Senate.

Locke said that the state budget he signed last month provided the funds to increase the number of state pipeline safety inspectors from six to 10. The state had only four inspectors in 1998.

The governor added the state now has a larger role in follow-up on safety issues. For example, after the Bellingham accident, federal officials inspected all interstate pipelines in Washington and found numerous safety problems. The newly authorized state inspectors will follow up on the results of those inspections and ensure the problems are fixed.

In March, Locke signed the Washington Pipeline Safety Act, which he proposed after the Bellingham incident.

That law created a comprehensive program to regulate pipelines. It established a citizen advisory committee to help the public, local governments and industry work with the state. It also set up a program to avoid pipeline damage from excavation and digging by setting up a single Call-Before-You-Dig number and increasing penalties for failing to do so.

Washington has 17,250 miles of intrastate natural gas pipelines and 83 miles of hazardous liquid pipelines. In addition, there are 1,732 miles of interstate natural gas pipelines and 777 miles of interstate hazardous liquid lines. The federal government has only 14 inspectors to check pipelines in 11 western states.

The three young people were killed on June 10, 1999, when an interstate gas pipeline leaked hundreds of thousands of gallons of gasoline and then exploded in Bellingham's Whatcom Falls Park. The blast destroyed a mile-and-a-half stretch of the creek's banks.

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