We are called to care for one another. The health and safety of our neighbors, wherever they live, is very important. Analysis shows that U.S. natural gas pipelines leak as much as 2.7 million tons of methane into our atmosphere each year. That’s the same impact as roughly 50 million passenger cars!

This is a waste of resources and puts children, families and communities at risk. But it’s also a problem we can fix. The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has a proposal that will help find and fix more leaks — but we need your help to get it across the finish line!

This Spring, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has the opportunity to lead and deliver on this win for climate and safety by directing his agency to finalize the rule as soon as possible. Communities need and deserve these protections now, and there is no time for further delay.

Sign our “Plug the Pipeline” petition that we will send to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to finalize Advanced Leak Detection & Repair Rule this spring. Please sign by March 26, 2024.

Background: In May 2023, the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) proposed a draft Advanced Leak Detection and Repair Rule for pipelines and infrastructure that would protect our climate and the health and safety of our communities.

Unfortunately, while the bipartisan PIPES Act of 2020 directed PHMSA to finalize these standards by December 2021, the Fall 2023 Unified Regulatory Agenda and December 2023 Edition of the PIPES Act Web Chart do not provide a timeline for when the agency intends to finalize this rulemaking. Despite this, the White House has named this rulemaking as a priority both in its 2021 Methane Action Plan and 2023 Methane Plan Update.

Letter

Dear Secretary Buttigieg,

We are writing as faith leaders and people of faith and conscience who know how important it is to care for one another. The health and safety of our neighbors, wherever they live, is a moral responsibility. Insuring that we have clean air and that the public is not concerned about safety and accidents is part of our commitment to care for the Common Good and Creation.

Analysis shows that U.S. natural gas pipelines leak as much as 2.7 million tons of methane into our atmosphere each year. That’s the same impact as roughly 50 million passenger cars. In addition, methane contributes to growing health concerns and clean air quality, especially for our children for whom we have a responsibility to ensure good health and a future.

This is a waste of resources and puts children, families and communities at risk. But it’s also a problem we can fix. The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has worked hard on rules to address this issue.  Now is the time to get these rules passed and implemented to help our communities.

Please move forward to finalize the Advanced Leak Detection & Repair Rule this summer. Please accept the below signers who are people of faith and or conscience and faith leaders who would like to see this action completed.