Natural gas pipeline operators would be required to remove some of the most dangerous pipes in Texas under a bill headed to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk that was spurred by the death of a Dallas 12-year-old last year.
House Bill 866 by Dallas Democrat Rafael Anchia would require pipeline operators to remove all cast iron pipes from their systems by Dec. 31, 2021.
Safety experts have warned that this material was used in the oldest energy pipelines constructed in the country and is more prone to leaks as a result of its age. The bill would also require operators to increase from 5% to 8% the amount of the riskiest pipes they replace in their systems annually. That constitutes a 60% increase in the replacement of riskiest pipe statewide, Anchia's office said.
