Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Underground Gas Storage Facility Safety Act of 2015”.
Underground Gas Storage Facility Safety Act of 2015
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 paragraphs (22) and (24), as redesignated, by striking the period at the end of each paragraph and inserting a semicolon;
in paragraph (25), as redesignated, by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(26) underground natural gas storage wellbore means the piping and hole drilled connecting the surface of the earth with the underground natural gas 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 “(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 natural gas storage wellbores if—
“(i) the State authority has consulted with the Secretary respecting the State requirement; and
“(ii) the Secretary does not object to the State requirement during the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the consultation described in clause (i) is initiated.”