What's happening
This bill requires gas pipeline operators in New York to accelerate the repair and replacement of leaking or high-risk pipelines and improve reporting and cost recovery related to gas leaks.
Why it matters
Accelerates the timeline for repairing and replacing hazardous gas pipelines. , meaning that utility companies will need to address both existing leaks and infrastructure at high risk of failure more quickly, potentially enhancing public safety and reducing environmental hazards.
Mandates standardized tracking and reporting of “unaccounted-for” gas. , which refers to gas lost through leaks or other means. This could improve transparency, help pinpoint systemic problems, and allow for better regulatory oversight.
Limits how much gas companies can charge customers for lost or unaccounted-for gas. , which may protect ratepayers from being unfairly billed due to utility inefficiencies or negligence.
Requires use of best available technology to detect leaks and necessitates detailed, public infrastructure databases in large cities. , supporting more effective leak detection, prioritization of repairs, and public access to information about local pipeline conditions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Fix Leaking Gas Pipelines Faster
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
19 Co-sponsors
History
- Advanced to third reading cal.427
- Reported
- Print number 7334b
- Amend and recommit to codes
- Referred to codes
- Reported referred to rules
- Reported referred to codes
- Print number 7334a
- Amend (t) and recommit to energy
- Referred to energy
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Fix Leaky Gas Pipelines
In Senate Committee · Energy And Telecommunications · Sponsor Leroy Comrie
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7334--B
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 25, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. REYES, LIFTON, DICKENS, COLTON, GOTTFRIED, ENGLE- BRIGHT, DeSTEFANO, McDONOUGH, MOSLEY, PICHARDO, JAFFEE, GLICK, NIOU -read once and referred to the Committee on Energy -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- reported and referred to the Committee on Codes -- recommitted to the Committee on Codes in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to requiring gas pipeline facilities to accelerate the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of equipment or pipelines that are leaking or at a high risk of leaking
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 66-q to read as follows:
§ 66-q. Pipeline modernization and consumer protection. 1. As used in this section, "gas pipeline facility" means (a) a distribution facility, and (b) a gas utility.
2. Each operator of a gas pipeline facility shall accelerate the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of gas piping or equipment that is:
(a) leaking; or
(b) may pose high risks of leaking, or may no longer be fit for service, because of: (i) inferior materials, (ii) poor construction practices, (iii) lack of maintenance, or (iv) age.
3. In complying with subdivision two of this section, the commission shall: (a) develop prioritized timelines to repair all leaks based on the severity of the leak, including non-hazardous leaks, or replace identified leaking or high-risk piping or equipment, including leaks
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06102-06-0
A. 7334--B 2
identified as part of an integrity management plan developed under this section if applicable;
(b) adopt a cost-recovery program that includes (i) replacement plans with targets and benchmarks for leaking or high-risk infrastructure replacement, (ii) consideration of the economic, safety, and environmental benefits of reduced gas leakage, including consideration of reduced operation and maintenance costs and reduced costs attributable to lost or unaccounted-for natural gas, and (iii) reporting on the reductions in lost or unaccounted-for gas as a result of pipeline replacements;
(c) adopt a standard definition and methodology for calculating and reporting unaccounted-for gas to improve data quality;
(d) adopt limits on cost recovery for the lost and unaccounted-for gas; and
(e) require use of best available technology to detect gas leaks.
4. No later than one year after the effective date of this section, the commission shall, after notice and opportunity to comment, issue non-binding guidelines identifying best practices for identifying and classifying high-risk pipeline infrastructure and leaks for repair or replacement.
5. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no later than one year after the effective date of this section, the commission shall establish and publish forms that adopt a standard definition and methodology for calculating and reporting unaccounted-for gas, including, when possible, information on the causes of unaccounted-for gas and the quantities associated with each cause, for use by applicable state agencies to standardize the data collected on unaccounted-for gas.
6. Operators of gas pipeline facilities in cities with a population of one million or more shall establish a database of pipeline infrastructure that includes its age and state of repair and shall share this information with the coordinated building inspection data analysis system.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.