Reid Porter | 202.682.8114 | porterr@api.org

WASHINGTON, February 3, 2011 – The American Petroleum Institute today called the pipeline safety bill introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg and Senator Jay Rockefeller an important opportunity for productive dialogue.

Following is a statement by Peter Lidiak, API’s Pipeline Director:

“API supports pipeline laws that address serious safety issues and allow pipeline operators to focus their resources on the areas of greatest risk. This results in sensible, risk-based regulations that protect the public and the environment.

“We welcome this bill as a positive starting point for discussion of pipeline safety. We thank Senators Lautenberg and Rockefeller for their leadership on pipeline safety, and look forward to working with Congress and other stakeholders on legislation that will continue to assure pipeline safety.

“Pipelines operate 365 days a year with a strong and improving record of safe, efficient and reliable transportation of the energy products needed to support the U.S. economy. Continuous improvement in safety is an industry priority.

“API also supports stronger state excavation damage prevention programs. Excavation damage is the leading cause of death and injury from pipelines. We urge states, Congress, and the Department of Transportation to strengthen one-call laws and their enforcement, and to remove exemptions from requirements to use one-call before digging.”

API represents more than 450 oil and natural gas companies, leaders of a technology-driven industry that supplies most of America’s energy, supports more than 9.2 million U.S. jobs, accounts for 7.5 percent of the U.S. economy, and, since 2000, has invested nearly $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives, while reducing the industry’s environmental footprint.