# State of Alaska Department of Labor — Pipeline Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** PI-96-016  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 1996-07-22

PI-96-016 response to State of Alaska Department of Labor concerning 195.1.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

July 22. 1996
Mr. Tom Cashen
Commissioner
State of Alaska
Department of Labor
P.O. Box 21149
Juneau, Alaska 99802
Dear Mr. Cashen:
Thank you for your letter requesting clarification on preemption and jurisdictional issues
between the U.S. Department of Transportation’ s Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) and the
Alaska Occupational Safety and Health Program (AKOSH) over certain worker safety issues on
the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline System (TAPS).
In your letter you stated that some of the pump stations have topping units that produce turbine
fuel from the crude oil flowing through the pipeline and that this fuel is used to operate pump
station pumping systems. Although the topping units are located within the fenceline of TAPS
pumping stations and are an essential part of the pipeline facility as configured by the owners of
TAPS, the hazardous liquid pipeline safety regulations in 49 C.F.R. 195 do not address the
safety issues inherent in refinery processes such as topping units. Therefore, the regulations of
AKOSH as they apply to these topping units and the associated vapor recovery units and fuel
storage tanks do not conflict with and are not preempted by the federal pipeline safety
regulations.
In addition, the federal pipeline safety regulations do not preempt the AKOSH regulations on
worker safety issues, including noise levels, crane operations, and protection on open-sided
platform as referred to in your letter.
If you have any questions, please contact Jon Strawn, OPS’ Alaska representative, at 907-271-
4373 or L.E. Herrick, OPS headquarters, at 202-366-5523.
Sincerely,
Richard D. Huriaux, P.E.
Director, Technology & Regulations
R. Herrick:brw-(202)366-4395-07/10/96
CC: DPS-11,10,20,2,1
Region Mailing, State Mailing
[b:\akosh.int]

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/Pipeline/1996/PI96016.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `0f35b2f2764a4ee78a852fa194e70c9c7e97038f50a51049b5e8280e4e28bf8e`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-23T05:52:07.763Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-pi-96-016`

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```