TITLE 49 - TRANSPORTATION
SUBTITLE VIII - PIPELINES
CHAPTER 601 - SAFETY
HEAD
Sec. 60123. Criminal penalties
STATUTE
(a) General Penalty. - A person knowingly and willfully violating
section 60114(b), 60118(a), or 60128 of this title or a regulation
prescribed or order issued under this chapter shall be fined under
title 18, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.
(b) Penalty for Damaging or Destroying Facility. - A person
knowingly and willfully damaging or destroying an interstate gas
pipeline facility, an interstate hazardous liquid pipeline
facility, or either an intrastate gas pipeline facility or
intrastate hazardous liquid pipeline facility that is used in
interstate or foreign commerce or in any activity affecting
interstate or foreign commerce, or attempting or conspiring to do
such an act, shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more
than 20 years, or both, and, if death results to any person, shall
be imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
(c) Penalty for Damaging or Destroying Sign. - A person knowingly
and willfully defacing, damaging, removing, or destroying a
pipeline sign or right-of-way marker required by a law or
regulation of the United States shall be fined under title 18,
imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
(d) Penalty for Not Using One-Call Notification System or Not
Heeding Location Information or Markings. - A person shall be fined
under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both, if
the person -
(1) knowingly and willfully engages in an excavation activity -
(A) without first using an available one-call notification
system to establish the location of underground facilities in
the excavation area; or
(B) without paying attention to appropriate location
information or markings the operator of a pipeline facility
establishes; and
(2) subsequently damages -
(A) a pipeline facility that results in death, serious bodily
harm, or actual damage to property of more than $50,000;
(B) a pipeline facility, and knows or has reason to know of
the damage, but does not report the damage promptly to the
operator of the pipeline facility and to other appropriate
authorities; or
(C) a hazardous liquid pipeline facility that results in the
release of more than 50 barrels of product.
Penalties under this subsection may be reduced in the case of a
violation that is promptly reported by the violator.
SOURCE
(Pub. L. 103-272, Sec. 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1325; Pub. L.
104-304, Secs. 14, 18(b)(1), Oct. 12, 1996, 110 Stat. 3803, 3804;
Pub. L. 107-56, title VIII, Secs. 810(h), 811(k), Oct. 26, 2001,
115 Stat. 381, 382; Pub. L. 107-355, Secs. 3(c), 8(c), 21(4), Dec.
17, 2002, 116 Stat. 2986, 2994, 3010.)
HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES --------------------------------------------------------------------
Revised Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large)
Section
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60123(a) 49 App.:1679a(c)(1). Aug. 12, 1968, Pub. L.
90-481, 82 Stat. 720, Sec.
11(c)(1); added Nov. 30,
1979, Pub. L. 96-129, Sec.
104(b), 93 Stat. 992; Oct.
24, 1992, Pub. L. 102-508,
Sec. 304(b), 106 Stat. 3308.
49 App.:2007(c)(1). Nov. 30, 1979, Pub. L.
96-129, Sec. 208(c)(1), (2),
93 Stat. 1010.
60123(b) 49 App.:1679a(c)(2). Aug. 12, 1968, Pub. L.
90-481, 82 Stat. 720, Sec.
11(c)(2); added Nov. 30,
1979, Pub. L. 96-129, Sec.
104(b), 93 Stat. 992.
49 App.:2007(c)(2).
60123(c) 49 App.:1679a(c)(3). Aug. 12, 1968, Pub. L.
90-481, 82 Stat. 720, Sec.
11(c)(3); added Oct. 31,
1988, Pub. L. 100-561, Sec.
107, 102 Stat. 2807.
49 App.:2007(c)(3). Nov. 30, 1979, Pub. L.
96-129, 93 Stat. 989, Sec.
208(c)(3); added Oct. 31,
1988, Pub. L. 100-561, Sec.
206, 102 Stat. 2811.
60123(d) 49 App.:1687(g). Aug. 12, 1968, Pub. L.
90-481, 82 Stat. 720, Sec.
20(g); added Oct. 24, 1992,
Pub. L. 102-508, Sec.
304(a), 106 Stat. 3307.
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In this section, the words "upon conviction . . . subject, for
each offense, to" and "a term" are omitted as surplus.
In subsections (a)-(c), the words "fined under title 18" are
substituted for "a fine of not more than $25,000" and "a fine of
not more than $5,000" for consistency with title 18.
In subsection (a), the word "prescribed" is added for consistency
in the revised title and with other titles of the United States
Code. The words "including any order issued under section 1677(b)
and 1679b(b) of this Appendix" in 49 App.:1679a(c)(1) and
"including any order issued under section 2006(b) or 2008(b) of the
Appendix" in 49 App.:2007(c)(1) are omitted as surplus.
In subsection (b), the word "damaging" is substituted for
"injures", and the word "damage" is substituted for "injure", for
clarity.
AMENDMENTS
2002 - Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107-355, Sec. 21(4), substituted
"60114(b)" for "60114(c)".
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107-355, Sec. 8(c), substituted "gas
pipeline facility, an" for "gas pipeline facility or" and inserted
", or either an intrastate gas pipeline facility or intrastate
hazardous liquid pipeline facility that is used in interstate or
foreign commerce or in any activity affecting interstate or foreign
commerce" after "liquid pipeline facility".
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 107-355, Sec. 3(c)(1), (4), struck out
"knowingly and willfully" after "if the person" in introductory
provisions and inserted concluding provisions.
Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 107-355, Sec. 3(c)(2), inserted
"knowingly and willfully" before "engages".
Subsec. (d)(2)(B). Pub. L. 107-355, Sec. 3(c)(3), added subpar.
(B) and struck out former subpar. (B) which read as follows: "a
pipeline facility that does not report the damage promptly to the
operator of the pipeline facility and to other appropriate
authorities; or".
2001 - Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107-56 struck out ", or attempting to
damage or destroy," before "an interstate gas pipeline facility",
inserted ", or attempting or conspiring to do such an act," before
"shall be fined under title 18," and substituted "20 years, or
both, and, if death results to any person, shall be imprisoned for
any term of years or for life." for "15 years, or both."
1996 - Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104-304, Sec. 18(b)(1), substituted
", 60118(a), or 60128" for "or 60118(a)".
Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 104-304, Sec. 14, added subpar. (B) and
redesignated former subpar. (B) as (C).
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