Mountain State Times

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito has joined a group of Republican Senate colleagues to introduce the Safe and Secure Transportation of American Energy Act. The legislation, led by U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy, aims to address legal loopholes in current federal law that eco-terrorists and radical environmental activists exploit when targeting energy infrastructure.

The proposed bill seeks to expand the scope of criminal penalties related to pipeline damage. Current laws impose penalties for "knowingly and willfully damaging or destroying" pipelines, but the new act intends to cover actions such as "vandalizing, tampering with, disrupting the operation or construction of, or preventing the operation or construction of" pipelines.

Senator Capito emphasized the importance of this legislation for energy-producing states like West Virginia: “West Virginia is an energy producing state and pipelines are essential. This bill makes sure that there will be clear penalties for those criminals that vandalize and disrupt a pipeline’s operation. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure this bill is included in a pipeline safety authorization bill this year.”

The need for clarification arose from incidents like one in 2018 when climate activists turned emergency shut-off valves on pipelines in Minnesota. Although operators had to shut down the pipelines to prevent damage, a judge ruled that prosecutors did not prove damage resulted from these actions.

The legislation aims not only to hold perpetrators accountable but also serve as a deterrent against future attacks on critical American energy infrastructure by sending "a strong signal that brazen assaults...will not be tolerated."