The Federal Agency that monitors pipelines announced new regulations today. And several are in response to safety concerns over the controversial Line 5 oil pipelines.
The new rules beef up the regulatory and enforcement powers of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
The agency’s director can now shut down a pipeline if it’s in poor enough condition. The Line 5 oil pipelines were temporarily shut down last year after an anchor hit them.
But Democratic U.S. Senator Gary Peters says it took too long to do that.
He said the agency, “needs very direct authority if there’s a potential hazardous situation.”
Other new rules include more inspections and leak detection systems on pipelines across the country.
Enbridge Energy said in a statement that they intend to fully comply with the new rules.