Alaska senator calls for hearing on pipeline leak

Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) is calling on lawmakers to hold a hearing on a leak discovered earlier this month in the Trans Alaska Pipeline System that caused major oil companies to cut output.

Flow of oil through the Trans Alaska Pipeline System, which carries about 15 percent of domestically produced oil, was halted Jan. 8 after a small leak was found. After a new piece of pipe was installed this past weekend, the pipeline was restarted Monday.

The leak spooked lawmakers, who subsequently raised concerns about the aging pipeline and a future leak’s impact on production and oil prices.

In a letter to Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) last week, Begich requested that the panel hold a hearing on how best to ensure the stability of the pipeline, which is 33 years old.

“We all have a stake in how this key piece of national infrastructure will fare with reduced throughput and the need for increased funds for maintenance and operations,” Begich said in the letter. “With annual and inevitable production declines, we need to focus on how we keep this vital piece of infrastructure healthy, whole and an economic asset.”