Luján Secures Senate Passage of Amendment to Strengthen Public Safety During Extreme Weather Events

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, secured the passage of an amendment to enhance public safety by protecting natural gas pipeline infrastructure from extreme weather events as part of the PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025, which was unanimously passed by the Senate.

"I am proud that my amendment to boost pipeline safety and protect Americans was passed unanimously in the Senate as part of the PIPELINE Safety Act," said Senator Luján. "My amendment will ensure that our nation's pipelines are reliable and safe during extreme weather and help prevent pipeline failures like we saw with Winter Storm Uri. The PIPELINE Safety Act is critical to boost pipeline safety, and I urge the House to swiftly pass the legislation."

As a part of the PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025, Senator Luján secured an amendment to ensure that owners and operators of natural gas pipelines are protecting their infrastructure against the effects of extreme weather events to ensure public safety. The amendment directs the Secretary of Transportation to complete a study on extreme weather events, including Winter Storm Uri that impacted New Mexico in February 2021 to determine how pipeline failures can be prevented in extreme cold. The Secretary will then be required to review Distribution Implementation Management Plans to ensure pipeline operators are protecting their infrastructure from failures in extreme cold. Winter Storm Uri in 2021 caused widespread natural gas wellhead freeze-offs and supply failures across Texas, New Mexico, and the Southwest, leading to massive power outages, skyrocketing energy prices, and contributing to over 200 deaths from cold exposure and related causes.

The PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025, a bipartisan pipeline safety reauthorization bill, reauthorizes the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) pipeline safety program and helps prevent accidents before they occur.

Senator Luján's remarks on his amendment to the PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025 are available here.

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