Markey: When We Fix Leaky Natural Gas Pipelines, We Can Save Lives and Money, Create Jobs

Press Release

After several years in which communities across the country have suffered dangerous, sometimes deadly natural gas explosions as a result of old, leaking natural gas pipelines, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today re-introduced legislation with Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) that would provide additional incentives to replace and repair aging natural gas distribution infrastructure that is potentially costing consumers billions of dollars, and releasing pollution that worsens global warming. Senator Markey's legislation would urge states and natural gas companies to speed up their replacement of old natural gas infrastructure, and would provide a new, stable funding stream to put people to work building a modern natural gas system. The Obama administration's recently released Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) makes similar recommendations to establish a competitive program to accelerate pipeline replacement and improve the quantification of methane emissions from America's natural gas system.

In August 2013, Senator Markey released a report that showed leaky natural gas pipelines are costing American consumers tens of billions of dollars for fuel that may never reach their homes. For example, consumers in Massachusetts paid up to $1.5 billion in extra charges from 2000-2011 because of tens of thousands of miles of old, leaking pipelines.

"When we fix old, leaking natural gas pipelines, we can help save lives and money and put people to work building new critical infrastructure," said Senator Markey, a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. "This legislation will create jobs, help save consumers money, and fix the dangerous leaks that cause accidents and add to climate change."

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