Keystone Energy Forum

The bill, passed unanimously by the House and Senate in mid-December, reauthorizes an existing law through 2015. And it makes important changes in response to recent pipeline breaks, such as the fatal gas explosion in California that destroyed 100 homes and the July oil leak into the Yellowstone River between Laurel and Billings.

"Pipelines aren't perfect, but with this sort of bill, we can make them as safe and clean as anything else out there," Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., said in a written statement after the House passed HR 2845. Rehberg's press release noted that the bill "provides regulatory certainty for pipeline owners and operators to plan infrastructure investments and create jobs."

Montana's senators, Jon Tester and Max Baucus, pointed to safety provisions in the bill they had proposed last summer to address safety and oversight gaps that became apparent with the Yellowstone River spill: