Chapter 420, § 7: Documentation and Reporting Requirements

A.Filings with MPUC.#

1.All plans, specifications, procedures, and other documents filed with the MPUC which pertain to the integrity of natural gas pipelines must bear the signature and seal of a Maine-licensed Professional Engineer when required by regulations adopted by the Maine Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers that apply to filings made with State agencies.#

2.A copy of any report filed with PHMSA must also be provided to the MPUC. ~~~~#

B.Preservation of Records#

1.Except as expressly provided to the contrary, all records required by this Chapter and federal regulations must be preserved by the operator for the life of the system.#

2.Operators must make such records available to the MPUC or the Gas Safety Staff upon request at the operators' Maine office.#

C.Participation in the Plastic Pipe Data Collection and Sharing Initiative. Operators must participate in the Plastic Pipe Data Collection and Sharing Initiative and report each discovered incident of plastic pipe failure as prescribed in the Initiative to the MPUC Gas Safety Manager, and the American Gas Association Plastic Pipe Ad Hoc Committee.#

D.Annual Submission of Operation Plans#

1.Operators must annually file electronically with the MPUC Gas Safety Manager current copies of the following written plans for each pipeline system operated within the State of Maine:#

a. Pipeline Operating & Maintenance Plan (O&M Plan)#

b. Construction Standards#

c. Pipeline Emergency Plan (may be combined with O&M Plan)#

d. Operator Qualification Plan#

e. Damage Prevention Plan#

f. Public Awareness Plan#

g. Transmission and/or Distribution Integrity Management Program (when required by 49 C.F.R. Part 192)#

h. Quality Assurance / Quality Control Plan#

i. Control Room Management Plan#

2.Operators must underline the most recent revisions to each plan.#

3.Operators must make their annual filings no later than the 1st day of May or no later than two weeks prior to the start of pipeline operations by an operator of a new or newly acquired pipeline system.#

4.Acceptable electronic formats for the plans may have the following file name extensions:.doc or.pdf, or other formats that are approved in advance of the filing deadline by the MPUC Gas Safety Manager.#

5.Operators must designate a person or persons responsible for coordination of the plans listed above, and who will be responsible for on-going evaluation of the effectiveness of each plan and identifying changes needed due to changes in technology, code requirements, or improved procedures.#

E.Coordination of Written Operation & Maintenance (O&M), Emergency, and Operator Qualification (OQ) Plans.#

Operators must:#

1.Annually review their O&M Plans to verify that they meet the requirements of 49 C.F.R. §192.605, and that their Emergency Plans meet the requirements of 49 C.F.R. §192.615;#

2.Identify the specifications, procedures and/or any applicable manufacturer instructions that apply to the operations described in their pipeline O&M and Emergency Plans and to the identified covered tasks listed in their OQ Plans;#

3.Clearly indicate within each plan the operators' specification, procedure, and/or manufacturer instructions that persons performing the operation or task must apply or follow by tabbing, footnoting, end-noting, indexing, linking or by other method(s) that will provide all required information to personnel in the field, as well as to operator managers and supervisors, and to the MPUC Gas Safety Manager.#

F.Logging and Analysis of Responses to Gas Odor and Leak Reports#

1.Operators must record each gas leak or odor report it receives.#

2.Operators must keep and maintain a log recording the receipt and handling of each such report and the log must contain the following information:#

a. Incoming date#

b. Incoming time#

c. Address, town and state#

d. Work order number#

e. Dispatcher name or employee identification number#

f. Technician name or employee identification number#

g. Time assigned to technician#

h. Time accepted by technician#

i. Time on route#

j. Time arrived on site#

k. Total time work order held in dispatch#

l. Total travel time#

m. Total response time#

n. Time condition was made safe#

o. Response time classification (30, 45, 60)#

3.Operators must submit monthly reports of leak and gas odor calls to which they responded. The reports must include the lapsed time for each call, from receipt of the initial call to the arrival of a qualified responder, and a summary of the total calls responded to#

a. Within 30 minutes;#

b. Within 45 minutes;#

c. Within 60 minutes; and#

d. In excess of 60 minutes.#

4.For any response time in excess of 60 minutes, operators must report the amount of time it took to arrive at the location of the report of a leak or gas odor, and provide a detailed written explanation for its failure to respond to the location within 60 minutes or less.#

5.For each report of a gas leak or gas odor received by an operator, the operator must report to the MPUC the amount of time that lapsed time from initial notice until the leak(s) have been made safe by eliminating leaking gas.#

G.Monthly Leak Report#

1.Operators must provide, on or before the 20th of every month, a monthly leak report containing a description of the status of any leak on their systems, the source of leak identification (customer report or leak survey identification), along with classification of the leak as Grade 1, 2 or 3. The monthly leak report must include the municipality and street location for identified leaks. Operators must identify and describe the status of the leaks as follows:#

a. Those leaks reported in previous months awaiting repair and/or where no action has been taken to date on the previously reported leaks;#

b. Those reported during the month; and#

c. Any actions, including repair, taken during the current month to address leaks reported during the current or previous months.#

H.Odorization Records and Reporting#

1.Operators must:#

a. Conduct periodic sampling of combustible gases using an instrument capable of determining the percentage of gas in air at which the odor becomes readily detectable;#

b. Select sampling sites utilizing sound engineering judgment to ensure that all gas within the entire piping system contains the required odorant concentration.#

2.Operators must record and retain the following information in the operators' files:#

a. Odorizer location;#

b. Brand name and model of the odorizer;#

c. Million cubic feet (MMcf) of gas odorized during the month/quarter; and#

d. Injection rate of gas odorant per MMcf, or the following:#

1.Quantity of gas odorant and the beginning of the month/quarter;#

2.Amount of gas odorant added during the month/quarter; and#

3.Quantity of gas odorant at the end of month/quarter (indicating adjustments for new quantity received during the month/quarter)#

3.Operators must provide, on or before the 20th of every month, reports to the MPUC Gas Safety Manager of the odorant level measured at the sampling sites.#

I.Construction Work Reporting#

Operators must send to the MPUC, by e-mail or other electronic means acceptable to the MPUC, weekly reports of scheduled construction and repair activities. Reports must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the scheduled work and must include both the operators' and contractors' construction activities and any scheduled repair activities. Operators must break down report information by individual crews and the scheduled work must be listed by day and address, as much as practical.#

J.Pipeline Up-Rating Study and Notice Requirements.#

In addition to the requirements of 49 C.F.R. 192, Subpart K, operators, 30 days prior to up-rating the MAOP of any pipeline segment, must:#

1.Complete a study of the pipeline segment(s) proposed for up-rating utilizing proper inspection, testing, and engineering practices that demonstrates:#

a. the integrity of each affected pipeline segment and all its appurtenances, and#

b. the safety of operating each affected pipeline segment after the proposed up-rating.#

2.Submit the up-rating study to the MPUC.#

K.Drug and Alcohol Program Documentation. When operators are required to file a copy of a Drug and Alcohol Testing Management Information System (MIS) Data Collection Form with PHMSA, operators must simultaneously submit a copy of the form to the MPUC.#