Line of Sight: Pipeline Law Alerts and Analysis

In the wake of the recent Plains All American Pipeline (“Plains”) release, the U.S. House subcommittee on Energy & Power has issued a lengthy information request to Plains, and announced an upcoming hearing on Pipeline Safety Issues. The hearing will cover the progress of the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty and Job Creation Act of 2011, with focus on seventeen Congressional mandates that have not yet been implemented by PHMSA. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, at 10:15 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing webcast will be available at http://energycommerce.house.gov.

On May 19,  crude oil was released from Plains’ 24-inch pipeline from Las Flores to Gaviota, located in Santa Barbara County, California. The company’s substantial cleanup efforts began quickly and the company reports that more than 95 percent of shoreline cleanup is complete, and all beaches, except Refugio State Beach, are open to the public.