Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Underground Gas Storage Facility Safety Act of 2013”.
Underground Gas Storage Facility Safety Act of 2013
A BILL
To authorize States to enforce pipeline safety requirements related to wellbores at interstate storage facilities.
Sec. 2 Definitions
Section 60101(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—
by redesignating paragraphs (20), (21), (22), (23), (24), and (25) as paragraphs (23), (24), (25), (20), (21), and (22), respectively;
in paragraph (21), as redesignated, by striking “and” at the end;
in paragraph (22), as redesignated, by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(26) “underground gas storage wellbore” means the piping and hole drilled connecting the surface of the earth with the underground gas storage reservoir; and
“(27) “underground hazardous liquid storage wellbore” means the piping and hole drilled connecting the surface of the earth with the underground hazardous liquid storage reservoir.”
Sec. 3 State enforcement of pipeline safety requirements
Section 60104(c) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—
by striking “A State authority that” and inserting the following:
“(1) A State authority that”
by striking “A State authority may not” and inserting the following:
“(2) A State authority may not”
by striking “Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, a State authority may enforce a requirement” and inserting the following:
“(3) Notwithstanding the limitation set forth in paragraph (2), a State authority may—
“(A) enforce a requirement”
by striking “chapter 61.” and inserting “chapter 61; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(B) enforce a State requirement for the safe construction and operation of underground gas storage wellbores and underground hazardous liquid storage wellbores if—
“(i) the State requirement has been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (referred to in this subparagraph as the “Commission”); or
“(ii) the Commission fails to make a decision with respect to the State requirement during the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the State submits the State requirement to the Commission.”