Federal · Title 49 — Transportation

49 U.S.C. § 60123: Criminal penalties

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

Federal law imposes criminal penalties for knowingly and willfully violating pipeline safety regulations, damaging pipeline facilities, or failing to report pipeline damage. Penalties range from fines and up to 20 years imprisonment, or life imprisonment if death results.

Read the full statutory text
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. 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. 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. without first using an available one-call notification system to establish the location of underground facilities in the excavation area; or without paying attention to appropriate location information or markings the operator of a pipeline facility establishes; and a pipeline facility that results in death, serious bodily harm, or actual damage to property of more than $50,000; 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 a hazardous liquid pipeline facility that results in the release of more than 50 barrels of product.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.