Houses passes pipeline protection bill

WASHINGTON: The House passed a bill that doubles the utmost fine for pipeline protection violations, but ignores more than a few key recommendations arising from investigation of lethal usual gas explosions and high-profile oil spills over the ancient times two years.

The cooperation bill was passed Monday by a voice vote. council action is expected this week, perhaps as near the beginning as Tuesday.

The bill extends federal security oversight of 2.3 million miles of gas and oil pipelines through 2015. It also doubles the maximum fine for protection violations to $2 million and authorizes the hiring of 10 more federal protection inspectors. That's far fewer new inspectors than most security experts say are needed.

The bill also doesn't include several shelter recommendations made by investigators in reply to a 2010 gas pipeline detonation in California.