{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 120111006","title":"COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC — Notice of Probable Violation","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2011-05-09","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of probable violation citing 192.736(b)(1).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120111006.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120111006.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120111006","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/120111006","body":"Notice of Probable Violation involving COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 192.736(b)(1). The case was opened on 2011-05-09 and is reported as closed as of 2012-04-23. Proposed civil penalty: $67,800. Assessed civil penalty: $67,800. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n120111006_Final Order_04232012.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120111006/120111006_Final%20Order_04232012.pdf\n\n120111006_Final Order_04232012_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120111006/120111006_Final%20Order_04232012_text.pdf\n\n120111006_NOPV PCP_05092011.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120111006/120111006_NOPV%20PCP_05092011.pdf\n\n120111006_NOPV PCP_05092011_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120111006/120111006_NOPV%20PCP_05092011_text.pdf\n\n120111006_Operator Response_06082011.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120111006/120111006_Operator%20Response_06082011.pdf\n\n120111006_Final Order_04232012_text.pdf\n\nAPR 23 2012\nMr. Jimmy D. Staton\nExecutive Vice President & CEO\nNiSource Gas Transmission & Storage\n801 E. 86th Ave\nMerrillville, IN 46410\nRe: CPF No. 1-2011-1006\nDear Mr. Staton:\nEnclosed please find the Final Order issued in the above-referenced case. It makes a finding\nof violation and assesses a civil penalty of $67,800. This is to acknowledge receipt of\npayment of the full penalty amount, by wire transfer, dated June 6, 2011. This enforcement\naction is now closed. Service of the Final Order by certified mail is deemed effective upon\nthe date of mailing, or as otherwise provided under 49 C.F.R. § 190.5.\nThank you for your cooperation in this matter.\nSincerely,\nJeffrey D. Wiese\nAssociate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety\nEnclosure\ncc: Mr. Byron Coy, Director, Eastern Region, OPS\nMr. Alan Mayberry, Deputy Associate Administrator for Field Operations, OPS\nMr. Joe Shields, Chief Operating Officer, NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage, 5151\nSan Felipe, Suite 2500, Houston, Texas 77056\nCERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED\n\n\n\nU.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION\nPIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION\nOFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY\nWASHINGTON, D.C. 20590\n___________________________________\n)\nIn the Matter of )\n)\nColumbia Gas Transmission Company, ) CPF No. 1-2011-1006\nLLC, )\n)\nRespondent. )\n___________________________________ )\nFINAL ORDER\nOn May 18 to 22, 2009, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60117, a representative of the Pipeline and\nHazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS),\nconducted an on-site pipeline safety inspection of the facilities and records of Columbia Gas\nTransmission Company, LLC (Columbia GTC or Respondent). Columbia GTC is the operator\nof a 12,000-mile gas pipeline system that includes more than three dozen storage fields in four\nstates.\n1 The particular focus of the May 2009 OPS inspection was the Donegal Gas Storage\nField, an interstate natural gas storage field located in Washington County, Pennsylvania.2\nAs a result of the inspection, the Director, Eastern Region, OPS (Director), issued to Respondent,\nby letter dated May 9, 2011, a Notice of Probable Violation and Proposed Civil Penalty (Notice).\nIn accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 190.207, the Notice proposed finding that Columbia GTC had\nviolated 49 C.F.R. § 192.736(b)(1) and proposed assessing a civil penalty of $67,800 for the\nalleged violation.\nColumbia GTC responded to the Notice by letter dated June 8, 2011 (Response). The company\ndid not contest the allegation of violation and paid the proposed civil penalty of $67,800, as\nprovided in 49 C.F.R. § 190.227. Payment of the penalty serves to close the case with prejudice\nto Respondent.\nFINDING OF VIOLATION\nIn its Response, Columbia GTC did not contest the allegation in the Notice that it violated\n49 C.F.R. Part 192, as follows:\n1 http://www.ngts.com/en/about-us/our-companies.aspx (last accessed Jan. 9, 2012).\n2 http://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas.asp (last accessed Jan. 9, 2012) (providing list of interstate natural gas storage\nfields by owner and location).\n\n\n\n2\nItem 1: The Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.736(b)(1), which states:\n§ 192.736 Compressor stations: Gas detection.\n(a) Not later than September 16, 1996, each compressor building in a\ncompressor station must have a fixed gas detection and alarm system . . . .\n(b) Except when shutdown of the system is necessary for maintenance\nunder paragraph (c) of this section, each gas detection and alarm system\nrequired by this section must—\n(1) Continuously monitor the compressor building for a concentration\nof gas in air of not more than 25 percent of the lower explosive limit;. . . .\nThe Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.736(b)(1) by failing to\ncontinuously monitor the company’s Claysville Compressor Station for a concentration of gas in\nair of not more than 25 % of the lower explosive limit (LEL). Specifically, the Notice alleged\nthat in November 2006, Columbia GTC had updated its written procedures to require that gas\ndetectors be set at 25% LEL monitoring level, but that a review of its records showed that from\nJanuary 9, 2007, to October 3, 2008, the gas detectors at the Claysville Compressor Station had\nbeen set at 50% LEL level.\nRespondent did not contest this allegation of violation. Accordingly, based upon a review of all\nof the evidence, I find that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.736(b)(1) by failing to\ncontinuously monitor the Claysville Compressor Station for a concentration of gas in air of not\nmore than 25 % of the LEL.\nThis finding of violation will be considered a prior offense in any subsequent enforcement action\ntaken against Respondent.\nThe terms and conditions of this Final Order are effective upon service in accordance with\n49 C.F.R. § 190.5.\n___________________________________ __________________________\nJeffrey D. Wiese Date Issued\nAssociate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety","truncated":false,"body_characters":6083}