PLANT CITY, Fla. (14 April) - U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Management, Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee, today announced a field hearing at the City Hall in Plant City on April 19 to examine pipeline security. Bilirakis will be joined by the Chairman of the Subcommittee, U.S. Rep Chris Carney (D-Pa.). Officials from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Transportation (DOT) and Hillsborough County will be among the witnesses testifying.
The Tampa Bay area is home to hundreds of miles of pipelines carrying oil, gas, jet fuel and other chemicals. Over the past several years, there have been multiple instances of individuals rupturing pipelines in the area. In November 2007, a 30-mile-long anhydrous ammonia pipeline in Riverview, Florida, was vandalized which led to the release of a poisonous chemical cloud, forcing hundreds of local residents to evacuate.
Last June, a Bilirakis-authored provision to clarify federal pipeline safety and security procedures and determine whether additional measures are necessary to protect our nation’s critical pipelines passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
The event is free and open to the public. Members of the media are asked to RSVP to:
David Peluso - (202) 225-5755 or
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WHO: U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and Chris Carney (D-Pa.)
WHAT: Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Management, Investigations and Oversight field hearing: “Unclogging Pipeline Security: Are the Lines of Responsibility Clear?”
WHEN: 10 A.M., Monday, April 19
WHERE: Plant City City Hall, 302 West Reynolds Street, Plant City, FL 33563
WITNESSES:
Panel 1
Jack Fox
General Manager, Pipeline
Transportation Security Administration
Jeff Wiese
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety
Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Department of Transportation
Gary L. Forman
Chair
Pipeline Sector Coordinating Council
Paul W. Parfomak
Specialist in Energy and Infrastructure Policy
Congressional Research Service
Panel 2
Larry Gispert
Director
Hillsborough County Emergency Management
Ron Rogers
Assistant Chief - Administration
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue
Ed Duncan
Colonel
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
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