04 Mar Pipeline Safety Authorization Act Can Help Prevent Billions in Damage to Critical Underground Infrastructure
DPAC letter highlights bipartisan legislation’s focus on damage prevention, enforcement and protecting critical underground infrastructure
March 4, 2026; Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce held an Energy Subcommittee hearing on the safety of America’s pipelines and energy infrastructure, including discussion of the Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026.
Ahead of today’s hearing, the Damage Prevention Action Center (DPAC) submitted a letter to Committee leadership expressing strong support for this legislation. The bill will strengthen damage prevention programs and reduce excavation damages to America’s infrastructure and critical underground utilities.
Buried utilities are damaged nearly 200,000 times each year by digging. Yesterday, a home in Jefferson County, Missouri was destroyed following an excavation-related damage. While the specific causes of this incident are not yet clear, impactful events like these underscore the need for strong damage prevention legislation.
The letter, addressed to Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Subcommittee on Energy Chairman Bob Latta (R-OH), and Ranking Member Kathy Castor (D-FL), reads in part:
“According to the Common Ground Alliance’s Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) Report, the annual rate of damages to buried infrastructure in the U.S. has remained stagnant for most of the last decade and costs our communities a staggering $30 billion every year. Each of the hundreds of thousands of dig-ins to underground utilities disrupts businesses and communities, cuts off critical utility service, and can result in injuries and fatalities. As America’s infrastructure continues to expand, it is crucial that Congress pass the Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026 to safeguard our critical buried utilities and pipelines.”
DPAC Executive Director Sarah K. Magruder Lyle authored the letter highlighting key provisions in the legislation, including criteria for federal grant funding that directs states to adopt leading damage prevention practices and require effective enforcement of state one-call laws.
On DPAC’s support for the legislation, Sarah K. Magruder Lyle offered the following statement:
“The Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026 takes a comprehensive approach to addressing a problem that has plagued our industry for too long—the stubborn persistence of damage to America’s critical underground utilities. This legislation recognizes that federal grant dollars should incentivize meaningful progress, not just maintain the status quo. By requiring states to demonstrate adoption of leading practices and effective enforcement mechanisms, Congress is sending a clear message: Protecting our critical infrastructure requires action, not just intention. With nearly 200,000 damage incidents each year creating a $30 billion annual cost to U.S. taxpayers, we can’t afford to wait. Just yesterday, another excavation damage to a natural gas line in Missouri led to the destruction of a home and damaged others nearby. By passing the Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026, we can help finally move the needle on damage prevention, and we urge Congress to pass it swiftly.”
PHMSA reauthorization legislation garnered bipartisan support last year from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee. The Pipeline Safety Authorization Act of 2026 would similarly advance the safety and integrity of America’s energy infrastructure by reauthorizing and strengthening PHMSA’s pipeline safety program and improving state one call damage prevention programs to protect buried utilities.
About DPAC: The Damage Prevention Action Center advocates for public policies and industry practices that protect our Nation’s critical underground utility infrastructure and those who work and live near these important assets. DPAC focuses on educating policymakers at the federal, state and local levels on the importance of updating and enacting laws and regulations to meet the needs of today by implementing effective damage prevention policies, as well as understanding the significant economic, environmental, safety and social impacts of dig-ins on communities.