Lawmakers renew push in Congress for gas safety bill

BOSTON — Private citizens would be empowered to file lawsuits against federal regulators if they fail to enforce natural gas regulations under a bill filed by members of the state’s congressional delegation.

Presented by Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Lori Trahan, the Pipeline Accountability Act introduced Tuesday would require the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to update safety standards for pipelines and require that such lines be rapidly isolated in the event of catastrophic failures. A similar bill has been filed and failed previously.