# VALERO NATURAL GAS PIPELINE — Warning Letter

**Citation:** CPF 120081001W  
**Type / status:** enforcement / historical  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2008-01-11

CLOSED warning letter citing 192.465.

## Document text

Warning Letter involving VALERO NATURAL GAS PIPELINE. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 192.465. The case was opened on 2008-01-11 and is reported as closed as of 2008-01-11. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.

Official case documents:

120081001W_Warning Letter_01112008.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120081001W/120081001W_Warning%20Letter_01112008.pdf

120081001w_warning letter_01112008_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120081001W/120081001w_warning%20letter_01112008_text.pdf

120081001w_warning letter_01112008_text.pdf

U. S. Department
of Transportation
Eastern Region-PHP-100
Office of Pipeline Safety
4093" St SW
SUite 300
Washington, D C 20024
Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
WARNING LETTER
CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT RE UESTED
January 11, 2008
John Pickering
Vice President and General Manager
Valero Energy Corporation
One Valero Way
San Antonio, TX 78249-1616
CPF 1-2008-1001W
Dear Mr. Pickering:
During the week of May 29, 2007, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration (PHMSA) pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code inspected
your natural gas transmission pipeline in Paulsboro, New Jersey.
As a result of the inspection, it appears that you have committed a probable violation of the
Pipeline Safety Regulations, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. The items inspected and the
probable violation is:
1. $192. 465 External corrosion control: Monitoring.
(a) Each pipeline that is under cathodic protection must be tested at least once each
calendar year, but with intervals not exceeding 15 months, to determine whether the
cathodic protection meets the requirements of $192. 463.
Review of Valero Natural Gas Pipehne Company's (Valero) 2005 electrical survey records and
the 2006 Close Interval Survey indicate that Valero failed to take annual corrosion control



readings at two test stations, one underlying the Philadelphia, PA Airport taxiway in 2005 and
the other at the Paulsboro, NJ Refinery in 2006.
Under 49 United States Code, $ 60122, you are subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $100, 000
for each violation for each day the violation persists up to a maximum of $1, 000, 000 for any
related series of violations. We have reviewed the circumstances and supporting documents
involved in this case, and have decided not to conduct additional enforcement action or penalty
assessment proceedings at this time. We advise you to correct the item identified in this letter.
Failure to do so will result in Valero being subject to additional enforcement action.
No reply to this letter is required. If you choose to reply, in your correspondence please refer to
CPF 1-2008-1001W. Be advised that all material you submit in response to this enforcement
action is subject to being made publicly available. If you believe that any portion of your
responsive material qualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U. S. C. 552(b), along with the
complete original document you must provide a second copy of the document with the portions
you believe qualify for confidential treatment redacted and an explanation of why you believe
the redacted information qualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U. S. C. 552(b).
Sincerely,
f~
Byron E. Coy, PE
Director, Eastern Region
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/120081001W>
- Source ID: `phmsa-enforcement`
- SHA-256: `8b9c80bd7589c7c33fb1d8e1c7736fe82fc0577dc07e65a88256a2a5766617c8`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:44:44.458Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T11:55:15.658Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-enforcement-120081001w`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "cpf": "120081001W",
  "operator": "VALERO NATURAL GAS PIPELINE",
  "region": "Eastern",
  "pipelineType": "GAS INTERSTATE ONSHORE",
  "caseStatus": "CLOSED",
  "citedSections": [
    "192.465"
  ],
  "dataAsOf": "08/04/2026 12PM",
  "caseDataAsOf": "2026-08-04",
  "attachmentCount": 2,
  "attachments": [
    {
      "name": "120081001W_Warning Letter_01112008.pdf",
      "url": "https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120081001W/120081001W_Warning%20Letter_01112008.pdf",
      "bytes": 58866,
      "category": "agency_document"
    },
    {
      "name": "120081001w_warning letter_01112008_text.pdf",
      "url": "https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120081001W/120081001w_warning%20letter_01112008_text.pdf",
      "bytes": 75374,
      "category": "agency_document"
    }
  ],
  "extractedAgencyDocumentCount": 1,
  "attachmentPolicy": "Official attachment links are retained. Agency-issued documents may also include a verified local PDF and page-level text representation.",
  "jurisdiction": "US",
  "operatorName": "VALERO NATURAL GAS PIPELINE"
}
```