REQUESTING THE STATE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM DETERIORATED AND DANGEROUS GAS OR HAZARDOUS LIQUID PIPELINES AND REQUESTING THE PIPELINE SAFETY BUREAU OF THE PUBLIC REGULATION COMMISSION TO APPLY FOR GRANTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO AGGRESSIVELY CARRY OUT A PIPELINE SAFETY PROGRAM AND TO IDENTIFY AND COMPEL CORRECTION OF DEFECTS IN INTERSTATE GAS OR INTERSTATE HAZARDOUS LIQUID PIPELINE FACILITIES.

WHEREAS, gas and hazardous liquid pipelines can be found crossing New Mexico in almost all areas of the state; and

WHEREAS, many of these pipelines are old and lack physical integrity; and

WHEREAS, New Mexico has already suffered twelve deaths from one family due to the explosion of an old and poorly maintained natural gas pipeline; and

WHEREAS, pipelines carrying many combustible materials course the state from every corner, underlying senior citizen center parking lots, passing close to school playgrounds and running within feet of heavily traveled roads, family homes and grazing land, from Jal to Farmington, from Carlsbad to Gila, from Clayton to Gallup and from the four corners to El Paso, across tribal lands, through rural communities that are long distances from medical services and through heavily populated urban and suburban areas; and

WHEREAS, the costs to repair or replace sections of damaged or deteriorated pipeline are low when compared to the revenue generated by the companies who own and operate the pipelines and very low when compared to the devastation to families who lose family members and property in a pipeline explosion; and

WHEREAS, many feet of pipeline remain in deteriorated or unsafe condition, and it only takes a small area of weakness in a pipeline to cause catastrophic devastation; and

WHEREAS, the federal office of pipeline safety grants states funding and the authority to carry out a pipeline safety program and to act as an agent of the federal secretary of transportation on interstate gas or hazardous liquid pipeline facilities issues; and

WHEREAS, the pipeline safety bureau of the public regulation commission is charged with the regulation and oversight of intrastate pipelines and protection of the safety of residents and visitors in New Mexico from damaged or deteriorated pipelines, but many of the pipelines in New Mexico are interstate pipelines; and

WHEREAS, with help from federal funds, the pipeline safety bureau of the public regulation commission could establish an aggressive pipeline safety program to identify and compel correction of defects in both intrastate and interstate gas or hazardous liquid pipelines;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the pipeline safety bureau of the public regulation commission be requested to apply for and obtain funding from the federal office of pipeline safety in the department of transportation and to become authorized to carry out a safety program on interstate gas pipeline facilities or on interstate hazardous liquid pipeline facilities and to become an agent of the federal secretary of transportation in regard to interstate gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities issues; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the pipeline safety bureau of the public regulation commission work to protect the safety of New Mexico residents and visitors by developing a rigorous pipeline safety program and taking action to prevent future pipeline accidents; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the public regulation commission and the pipeline safety bureau of the public regulation commission.