§ 60113. — Customerowned natural gas service lines.
[Laws in effect as of January 7, 2003]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 7, 2003 and December 19, 2003]
[CITE: 49USC60113]
TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
SUBTITLE VIII--PIPELINES
CHAPTER 601--SAFETY
Sec. 60113. Customer-owned natural gas service lines
Not later than October 24, 1993, the Secretary of Transportation
shall prescribe standards requiring an operator of a natural gas
distribution pipeline that does not maintain customer-owned natural gas
service lines up to building walls to advise its customers of--
(1) the requirements for maintaining those lines;
(2) any resources known to the operator that could assist
customers in carrying out the maintenance;
(3) information the operator has on operating and maintaining
its lines that could assist customers; and
(4) the potential hazards of not maintaining the lines.
(Pub. L. 103-272, Sec. 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1318; Pub. L. 104-
304, Secs. 9, 20(k), Oct. 12, 1996, 110 Stat. 3801, 3805.)
Historical and Revision Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised Section Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
60113(a).............................. 49 App.:1685(b). Aug. 12, 1968, Pub. L. 90-481, 82 Stat.
720, Sec. 18(b); added Oct. 24, 1992,
Pub. L. 102-508, Sec. 115(a)(2), 106
Stat. 3296.
60113(b).............................. 49 App.:1672(k). Aug. 12, 1968, Pub. L. 90-481, 82 Stat.
720, Sec. 3(k); added Oct. 24, 1992,
Pub. L. 102-508, Sec. 115(c), 106
Stat. 3297.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amendments
1996--Pub. L. 104-304 struck out subsec. (a) designation and
heading, substituted ``standards'' for ``regulations'', and struck out
subsec. (b), which read as follows:
``(b) Actions To Promote Safety.--Not later than one year after
submitting the report required under section 115(b) of the Pipeline
Safety Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-508, 106 Stat. 3296), the Secretary,
considering the report and in cooperation and coordination with
appropriate State and local authorities, shall take appropriate action
to promote the adoption of measures to improve the safety of customer-
owned natural gas service lines.''
Maintenance of Customer-Owned Service Lines
Pub. L. 102-508, title I, Sec. 115(b), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat.
3296, provided that:
``(1) DOT safety review.--Within 18 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act [Oct. 24, 1992], the Secretary of Transportation
shall conduct a review of Department of Transportation and State rules,
policies, procedures, and other measures with respect to the safety of
customer-owned natural gas service lines, including the effectiveness of
such rules, policies, procedures, and other measures. The Secretary of
Transportation shall include in the review an evaluation of the extent
to which lack of maintenance of customer-owned natural gas service lines
raises safety concerns and shall make recommendations regarding
maintenance of such lines, including the need for any legislative
changes or regulatory action. In conducting the review and developing
the recommendations, the Secretary of Transportation shall consider the
following factors: State and local law, including law governing private
property and rights, and including State pipeline safety regulation of
distribution operators; the views of State and local regulatory
authorities; the extent of operator compliance with the program for
advising customers regarding maintenance of such lines required under
section 18(b) of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 [see
subsec. (a) of this section]; available accident information; the
recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board; costs; the
civil liability implications of distribution operators taking
responsibility for customer-owned service lines; and whether the service
line maintenance information program required under such section 18(b)
sufficiently addresses safety risks and concerns involving customer-
owned service lines.
``(2) Operation and maintenance responsibility.--Within 18 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 24, 1992], the
Secretary of Transportation shall conduct, with the participation of the
operators of natural gas distribution facilities, a survey of owners of
customer-owned service lines to determine the views of such owners
regarding whether distribution companies should assume responsibility
for the operation and maintenance of customer-owned service lines. In
conducting the survey, the Secretary of Transportation shall ensure that
such customers are aware of any potential safety benefits, any potential
implementation issues (including any property rights or cost issues),
the recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board, and
accidents that have occurred, related to customer-owned service lines.
``(3) Applicability.--Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code
(relating to coordination of Federal information policy) shall not apply
to the conduct of the review or survey under this subsection.
``(4) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act [Oct. 24, 1992], the Secretary of Transportation
shall transmit to Congress a report on the results of the review and
survey conducted under this subsection, together with any
recommendations (including legislative recommendations) regarding
maintenance of customer-owned natural gas service lines.''
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 60102 of this title.
