# COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC — Notice of Amendment

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** CPF 120111002M
- **title:** COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC — Notice of Amendment
- **source type:** enforcement
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** historical
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2011-03-22
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** CLOSED notice of amendment citing 192.605(b)(8), 192.615(b)(2).
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- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120111002m.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120111002m
- **source url:** https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/120111002M
**body:**

Notice of Amendment involving COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulations as 192.605(b)(8),  192.615(b)(2). The case was opened on 2011-03-22 and is reported as closed as of 2011-05-31. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.

Official case documents:

120111002M_Closure Letter_05312011.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120111002M/120111002M_Closure%20Letter_05312011.pdf

120111002M_Closure Letter_05312011_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120111002M/120111002M_Closure%20Letter_05312011_text.pdf

120111002M_Notice of Amendment_03222011.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120111002M/120111002M_Notice%20of%20Amendment_03222011.pdf

120111002M_Notice of Amendment_03222011_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120111002M/120111002M_Notice%20of%20Amendment_03222011_text.pdf

120111002M_Operator Response to NOA_04152011.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120111002M/120111002M_Operator%20Response%20to%20NOA_04152011.pdf

120111002M_Closure Letter_05312011_text.pdf

U.S. Department 820 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 103
Of Transportation West Trenton, NJ 08628
Pipeline and 609.989.2171
Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
UPS OVERNIGHT DELIVERY
May 31, 2011
Mr. Victor Gaglio
Sr. Vice President of Operations & Engineering
NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage
1700 MacCorkle Avenue SE
Charleston, WV 25314
CPF 1-2011-1002M
Dear Mr. Gaglio:
From September 21 through 24, 2009, representatives of New York State Department of Public
Service (NYSDPS), acting as agents for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration (PHMSA) pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code, inspected Columbia
Gas Transmission Corporation’s facility (CGT), which is a subsidiary of NiSource Gas
Transmission & Storage, in Binghamton, New York. As a result of the inspection, CGT was issued
a Notice of Amendment on March 22, 2011, which proposed amendment of your procedures.
CGT submitted its amended procedures on April 15, 2011. My staff reviewed the amended
procedures, and it appears that the inadequacies outlined in this Notice of Amendment have been
corrected.
This letter is to inform you no further action is necessary and this case is now closed. Thank you
for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Byron Coy, PE
Director, Eastern Region
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Cc: NYSDPS- Mr. Gavin Nicoletta

120111002M_Notice of Amendment_03222011_text.pdf

U.S. Department 820 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 103
Of Transportation West Trenton, NJ 08628
Pipeline and 609.989.2171
Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
NOTICE OF AMENDMENT
OVERNIGHT EXPRESS MAIL
March 22, 2011
Mr. Victor Gaglio
Sr. Vice President of Operations & Engineering
NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage
1700 MacCorkle Avenue SE
Charleston, WV 25314
CPF 1-2011-1002M
Dear Mr. Gaglio:
From September 21 through 24, 2009, representatives of New York Public Service Commission
(NY PSC) acting as agents for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA) pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code, inspected Columbia Gas
Transmission Corp’s facility (CGT), which is a subsidiary of NiSource Gas Transmission &
Storage, in Binghamton, New York.
On the basis of the inspection, PHMSA has identified the apparent inadequacies found within
CGT’s plans or procedures, as described below:
1. §192.605 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies.
(b) Maintenance and normal operations. The manual required by paragraph (a) of
this section must include procedures for the following, if applicable, to provide
safety during maintenance and operations.
(8) Periodically reviewing the work done by operator personnel to determine the
effectiveness and adequacy of the procedures used in normal operation and
maintenance and modifying the procedure when deficiencies are found.



CPF 1-2011-1002M
At the time of the inspection, CGT did not have specific written procedures for periodically
reviewing the work done by operator personnel.
In reviewing CGT’s Operation and Maintenance manual, procedures for periodically reviewing
the work done by operator personnel were not found. CGT explained it had an internal process
by which, annually, each team leader is sent from corporate to evaluate a single procedure, then
the results were sent back to be reviewed by a committee. At the time of the inspection, this
internal process was not documented.
CGT’s procedures need to specify the process for reviewing work performed by operator
personnel.
2. §192.615 Emergency plans.
(b) Each operator shall:
(2) Train the appropriate operating personnel to assure that they are
knowledgeable of the emergency procedures and verify that the training is effective.
CGT’s Emergency Plan procedures were inadequate because the plans did not completely
address training of appropriate personnel to assure that they were knowledgeable of the
emergency procedures and verified that the training was effective.
CGT’s procedures do not provide a method to review performance, make appropriate changes,
and verify that training was effective. CGT’s electronic database that tracks the emergency
training, Learning Management System (LMS), documents that training was completed.
CGT’s Emergency Plan must clearly describe what actions must be taken to meet the
requirement of section 192.615(b)(2).
Response to this Notice
This Notice is provided pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60108(a) and 49 C.F.R. § 190.237. Enclosed as
part of this Notice is a document entitled Response Options for Pipeline Operators in
Compliance Proceedings. Please refer to this document and note the response options. 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). If you do not respond within 30 days
of receipt of this Notice, this constitutes a waiver of your right to contest the allegations in this
Notice and authorizes the Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety to find facts as alleged in
this Notice without further notice to you and to issue a Final Order.
120111002M_Notice of Amendment_03222011 Page 2 of 3



CPF 1-2011-1002M
If, after opportunity for a hearing, your plans or procedures are found inadequate as alleged in
this Notice, you may be ordered to amend your plans or procedures to correct the inadequacies
(49 C.F.R. § 190.237). If you are not contesting this Notice, we propose that you submit your
amended procedures to my office within 30 days of receipt of this Notice. This period may be
extended by written request for good cause. Once the inadequacies identified herein have been
addressed in your amended procedures, this enforcement action will be closed.
It is requested (not mandated) that Columbia maintain documentation of the safety improvement
costs associated with fulfilling this Notice of Amendment (preparation/revision of plans,
procedures) and submit the total to Byron Coy, PE, Director, Eastern Region, Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, 820 Bear Tavern Rd, West Trenton, NJ 08628. In
correspondence concerning this matter, please refer to CPF 1-2011-1002M and, for each
document you submit, please provide a copy in electronic format whenever possible.
Sincerely,
Byron E. Coy
Director, Eastern Region
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Enclosure: Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Compliance Proceedings
120111002M_Notice of Amendment_03222011 Page 3 of 3
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