Pipeline operators want Congress to amend federal law to eliminate a “loophole” they say allows vandals to tamper with energy infrastructure with few legal repercussions.
Right now, under U.S. Code Section 60123(b) of title 49, convictions for purposely or negligently damaging energy infrastructure and destroying pipelines draw 15-year, five-year, and one-year prison sentences and fines up to $25,000.
“But there’s a loophole,” Liquid Energy Pipeline Association President and CEO Andrew Black said during a July 22 hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy Subcommittee.
“If you tamper with a pipeline but don’t immediately damage or destroy it, it’s not covered by federal pipeline safety laws,” he testified during the hearing on the 20-month delayed reauthorization of the Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2020….
Pipeline Operators Call for Congress to Close Loophole That Shields Vandals From Federal Criminal Prosecution
