BELLINGHAM, WA – This week, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) awarded a $1 million grant to the Pipeline Safety Trust to support its pipeline safety work. The award was part of the Biden-Harris administration’s announcement of more than $41 million in grants to states, territories, tribes, unions and nonprofits to support first responders and help enhance pipeline and hazardous materials safety initiatives at the community level.

Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Pipeline Safety Trust Executive Director Bill Caram celebrated the award and what the funding means for pipeline safety in Northwest Washington.

“Improving pipeline safety means investing in pipeline safety. This funding is a critical investment in the Pipeline Safety Trust’s ongoing work to educate and engage Northwest Washington and communities nationwide about pipeline safety. I will continue to support the important work the Trust does to reduce the risk of incidents, promote transparency of safety information for local communities and increase accountability for pipeline operators,” said Larsen, who serves as the lead Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.

“This grant will allow Pipeline Safety Trust to continue offering technical assistance to community members who live alongside pipelines. An educated and engaged public is a safer public and this grant will help us keep communities both educated and engaged,” said Caram.

In addition to the Pipeline Safety Trust grant, PHMSA awarded $379,000 to the Washington Emergency Management Division to train emergency responders and enable emergency responders to develop emergency response plans and nearly $47,000 to the Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission for its OneCall initiative to help pay for a state excavation damage prevention investigator.

Larsen Has Long Supported Pipeline Safety

Larsen has prioritized pipeline safety throughout his time in Congress:

• In August 2021, Larsen, Caram and PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown visited Whatcom Falls Park in Bellingham to discuss the tragic 1999 Olympic Pipeline explosion, which killed three people. The tragedy led to significant pipeline safety reforms through the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002, which included increased fines for negligent pipeline operators, improved pipeline testing timelines, protection for whistleblowers and state oversight of pipeline safety.
• In December 2023, Larsen co-authored the Committee-passed PIPES Act, a bipartisan bill to reauthorize PHMSA’s pipeline safety programs for the next four years and provide an efficient and effective framework to advance the safety of energy infrastructure across the United States.
• In May, Larsen co-chaired a bipartisan hearing on critical pipeline safety issues at PHMSA and how reauthorization legislation can address those concerns.

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