{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 120091004W","title":"TEXAS EASTERN TRANSMISSION, LP (SPECTRA ENERGY PARTNERS, LP) — Warning Letter","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2009-05-14","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED warning letter citing 192.467(c), 192.727(c), 192.727(g).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120091004w.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120091004w.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120091004w","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/120091004W","body":"Warning Letter involving TEXAS EASTERN TRANSMISSION, LP (SPECTRA ENERGY PARTNERS, LP). PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulations as 192.467(c),  192.727(c),  192.727(g). The case was opened on 2009-05-14 and is reported as closed as of 2009-05-14. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n120091004W_operator response to notice letter_07212009.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120091004W/120091004W_operator%20response%20to%20notice%20letter_07212009.pdf\n\n120091004W_warning letter_05142009.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120091004W/120091004W_warning%20letter_05142009.pdf\n\n120091004W_warning letter_05142009_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120091004W/120091004W_warning%20letter_05142009_text.pdf\n\n120091004W_warning letter_05142009_text.pdf\n\nU.S. Department 820 Bear Tavern RD\nof Transportation Suite 306\nWest Trenton, NJ 08628\nPipeline and\nHazardous Materials\nSafety Administration\nWARNING LETTER\nCERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED\nMay 14, 2009\nMr. Greg Bilinski\nVice President, Operations\nSpectra Energy Transmission, LLC\n5400 Westheimer\nHouston, Texas 77056\nCPF 1-2009-1004W\nDear Mr. Bilinski:\nDuring May 2008, representatives of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety\nAdministration (PHMSA) and the New York Public Service Commission, pursuant to Chapter\n601 of 49 United States Code inspected your Texas Eastern Transmission, LP (TETCO) facilities\nin Hanover, New Jersey and Staten Island, New York.\nAs a result of the inspection, it appears that you have committed probable violations of the\nPipeline Safety Regulations, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. The items inspected and the\nprobable violations are:\n\n\n\n1. §192.467 External corrosion control: Electrical isolation.\n(c) Except for unprotected copper inserted in a ferrous pipe, each pipeline must be\nelectrically isolated from metallic casings that are a part of the underground system.\nHowever, if isolation is not achieved because it is impractical, other measures must\nbe taken to minimize corrosion of the pipeline inside the casing.\nTETCO has a shorted casing in Linden, NJ. (MP 1469.7 to 1473.8) in a Class 3 area. TETCO’s\nwritten procedures require that the shorted casing be leak surveyed quarterly, not to exceed 4\nmonths. TETCO twice exceeded the 4-month interval: July 25 to December 1, 2006 and\nDecember 1, 2006 to April 3, 2007.\nThe probable violation is based on TETCO’s Pipeline Patrol and Leak Survey Reports for the\nspecified time periods.\n2. §192.727 Abandonment or deactivation of facilities.\n(c) Except for service lines, each inactive pipeline that is not being maintained\nunder this part must be disconnected from all sources and supplies of gas;\npurged of gas; in the case of offshore pipelines, filled with water or inert\nmaterials; and sealed at the ends. However, the pipeline need not be purged\nwhen the volume of gas is so small that there is no potential hazard.\nAt the Hanover, New Jersey compressor station, there are two Pratt and Whitney compressor\nunits which TETCO has not operated since 2002. It is our understanding that TETCO is\nplanning to remove these compressors from service and has not performed valve maintenance on\nthe suction and discharge valves associated with these compressor units since 2002 due to the\npending abandonment of these facilities. Since these pipeline facilities have been inactive and\nnot maintained since 2002, TETCO should have disconnected the compressor units from all\nsources and supplies of gas, purged the inactive facilities, and sealed at the ends.\nThis probable violation is based upon the valve/regulator testing sheets for the years 2006 and\n2007.\n3. §192.727 Abandonment or deactivation of facilities.\n(g) For each abandoned offshore pipeline facility or each abandoned onshore\npipeline facility that crosses over, under or through a commercially navigable\nwaterway, the last operator of that facility must file a report upon abandonment of\nthat facility…\n2\n\n\n\nThe information in the report must contain all reasonably available information\nrelated to the facility, including information in the possession of a third party. The\nreport must contain the location, size, date, method of abandonment, and a\ncertification that the facility has been abandoned in accordance with all applicable\nlaws.\nBetween July 15 and July 19, 2002, TETCO abandoned a pipeline underlying the navigable\nwaterway, Arthur Kill, in the states of New Jersey and New York. The pipeline was Line 1R, a\ntransmission line 0.46 miles in length. This abandoned pipeline was not reported to PHMSA as\nrequired by the regulation.\nThe evidence for the probable violation is the operator’s Pipeline Deactivation Report.\nUnder 49 United States Code, § 60122, you are subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $100,000\nfor each violation for each day the violation persists up to a maximum of $1,000,000 for any\nrelated series of violations. We have reviewed the circumstances and supporting documents\ninvolved in this case, and have decided not to conduct additional enforcement action or penalty\nassessment proceedings at this time. We advise you to correct the items identified in this letter.\nFailure to do so will result in TETCO being subject to additional enforcement action.\nNo reply to this letter is required. If you choose to reply, in your correspondence please refer to\nCPF 1-2009-1004W. Be advised that all material you submit in response to this enforcement\naction is subject to being made publicly available. If you believe that any portion of your\nresponsive material qualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C. 552(b), along with the\ncomplete original document you must provide a second copy of the document with the portions\nyou believe qualify for confidential treatment redacted and an explanation of why you believe\nthe redacted information qualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C. 552(b).\nSincerely,\nByron E. Coy, P.E.\nDirector, Eastern Region\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\n3","truncated":false,"body_characters":6127}