# RICHMOND, CITY OF — Warning Letter

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** CPF 120130004W
- **title:** RICHMOND, CITY OF — Warning Letter
- **source type:** enforcement
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** historical
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2013-09-06
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** CLOSED warning letter citing 192.605(a).
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120130004w.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120130004w.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120130004w
- **source url:** https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/120130004W
**body:**

Warning Letter involving RICHMOND, CITY OF. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 192.605(a). The case was opened on 2013-09-06 and is reported as closed as of 2013-09-06. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.

Official case documents:

120130004W_Warning Letter_09062013.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120130004W/120130004W_Warning%20Letter_09062013.pdf

120130004W_Warning Letter_09062013_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120130004W/120130004W_Warning%20Letter_09062013_text.pdf

120130004W_Warning Letter_09062013_text.pdf

U.S. Department Of Transportation Pipeline and 609.989.2171
Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
820 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 103
West Trenton, NJ 08628
WARNING LETTER
EXPRESS OVERNIGHT MAIL
September 06, 2013
Robert Steidel, Director
City of Richmond, DPU
730 East Broad Street,
Richmond, VA 23219
CPF 1-2013-0004W
Dear Mr. Steidel:
On April 17, 2012, an inspector from the Virginia State Corporation Commission (VA SCC) acting as
Agent for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) pursuant to Chapter 601
of 49 United States Code inspected the City of Richmond’s (City) pipeline facilities in Richmond, VA.
As a result of the inspection, it appears that you have committed a probable violation of the Pipeline
Safety Regulations, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. The items inspected and the probable
violation is:
1. § 192.605 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies.
(a) General. Each operator shall prepare and follow for each pipeline, a manual of written
procedures for conducting operations and maintenance activities and for emergency response. For
transmission lines, the manual must also include procedures for handling abnormal
operations. This manual must be reviewed and updated by the operator at intervals not exceeding
15 months, but at least once each calendar year. This manual must be prepared before operations
of a pipeline system commence. Appropriate parts of the manual must be kept at locations where
operations and maintenance activities are conducted.
The City failed to follow for each pipeline, a manual of written procedures for conducting operations and
maintenance activities. Specifically, the City failed on 12 occasions to follow its Procedure Manual
Volume II, Chapter 7, Section IX, developed to comply with §192.617, by not performing an adequate
failure investigation.



1-2013-0004W
On twelve occasions in 2011, the Material/Failure Report Forms were inaccurate and / or incomplete as
noted below:
1. 2. The City failed to determine the cause of the failure to minimize the possibility of recurrence.
The investigations had findings inconsistent with failed pipe section or were incomplete as a
result of the failed sample not being returned for analysis.
The VA SCC followed up on this finding with the City by letter, and received a City response dated July
9, 2012.
Under 49 United States Code, § 60122, you are subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $200,000 per
violation per day the violation persists up to a maximum of $2,000,000 for a related series of violations.
For violations occurring prior to January 4, 2012, the maximum penalty may not exceed $100,000 per
violation per day, with a maximum penalty not to exceed $1,000,000 for a related series of violations.
We have reviewed the circumstances and supporting documents involved in this case, and have decided
not to conduct additional enforcement action or penalty assessment proceedings at this time. We advise
you to correct the item identified in this letter. Failure to do so will result in The City of Richmond being
subject to additional enforcement action.
No reply to this letter is required. If you choose to reply, in your correspondence please refer to CPF 1-
2013-0004W, and for each document you submit, please provide a copy in electronic format whenever
possible, and please whenever possible provide a signed PDF copy in electronic format. Smaller files may
be emailed to Byron.Coy@dot.gov. Larger files should be sent on a CD accompanied by the original
paper copy to the Eastern Region Office.
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).
Sincerely,
Byron Coy, PE
Director, Eastern Region
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Cc: James Hotinger, VA SCC
120130004W_WL_09062013 Page 2 of 2
- **truncated:** false
- **body characters:** 4926
