{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 120151018","title":"EQUITRANS MIDSTREAM CORPORATION — Notice of Probable Violation","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2015-08-06","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of probable violation citing 192.163(d).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120151018.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120151018.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120151018","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/120151018","body":"Notice of Probable Violation involving EQUITRANS MIDSTREAM CORPORATION. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 192.163(d). The case was opened on 2015-08-06 and is reported as closed as of 2016-01-13. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n120151018_Final Order_01132016.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120151018/120151018_Final%20Order_01132016.pdf\n\n120151018_Final Order_01132016_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120151018/120151018_Final%20Order_01132016_text.pdf\n\n120151018_NOPV_PCO_08062015.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120151018/120151018_NOPV_PCO_08062015.pdf\n\n120151018_NOPV_PCO_08062015_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120151018/120151018_NOPV_PCO_08062015_text.pdf\n\n120151018_Operator Response to Notice_09222015.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120151018/120151018_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_09222015.pdf\n\n120151018_Final Order_01132016_text.pdf\n\nJanuary 13, 2016\nMr. David L. Porges\nChairman & CEO\nEQT Midstream\n625 Liberty Avenue\nSuite 1700\nPittsburgh, PA 15222\nRe: CPF No. 1-2015-1018\nDear Mr. Porges:\nEnclosed please find the Final Order issued in the above-referenced case. It makes one finding\nof violation and finds that EQT Midstream, a subsidiary of EQT Corporation, has completed the\nactions specified in the Notice to comply with the pipeline safety regulations. Therefore, this\ncase is now closed. Service of the Final Order by certified mail is deemed effective upon the\ndate 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, P.E., Director, Eastern Region, PHMSA, OPS\nMr. Robert Cooper, Vice President of Engineering, EQT Midstream\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)\nEQT Midstream, ) CPF No. 1-2015-1018\na subsidiary of EQT Corporation, )\n)\nRespondent. )\n____________________________________)\nFINAL ORDER\nOn July 17, 2014, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60117, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS), conducted an on-\nsite pipeline safety inspection of the facilities and records of EQT Midstream (EQT or\nRespondent), a subsidiary of EQT Corporation, in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. Respondent\nprovides natural gas gathering, transmission, and storage services to EQT Production and other\nindependent third-parties.\n1 Respondent operates approximately 123 miles of gathering lines and\n935 miles of transmission pipeline throughout Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.2\nAs a result of the inspection, the Director, Eastern Region, OPS (Director), issued to Respondent,\nby letter dated August 6, 2015, a Notice of Probable Violation and Proposed Compliance Order\n(Notice). In accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 190.207, the Notice proposed finding that EQT had\nviolated 49 C.F.R. § 192.163 and ordering Respondent to take certain measures to correct the\nalleged violation.\nEQT responded to the Notice by letter dated September 22, 2015 (Response). The company did\nnot contest the allegation of violation but provided information and photographs concerning the\ncorrective actions it had taken. Respondent did not request a hearing and therefore has waived\nits right to one.\nFINDING OF VIOLATION\nIn its Response, EQT did not contest the allegation in the Notice that it violated 49 C.F.R.\n1 EQT Corporation, website, available at https://www.eqt.com/our-business/midstream (last accessed December 15,\n2015).\n2 Pipeline Safety Violation Report (Violation Report), (May 1, 2015) (on file with PHMSA), at 1.\n\n\n\nCPF No. 1-2015-1018\nPage 2\nPart 192, as follows:\nItem 1: The Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.163(d), which states:\n§ 192.163 Compressor stations: Design and construction.\n(a) . . .\n(d) Fenced areas. Each fence around a compressor station must have\nat least two gates located so as to provide a convenient opportunity for\nescape to a place of safety, or have other facilities affording a similarly\nconvenient exit from the area. Each gate located within 200 feet (61\nmeters) of any compressor plant building must open outward and, when\noccupied, must be openable from the inside without a key.\nThe Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.163(d) by failing to have a fence\naround each compressor station, with at least two gates so as to provide a convenient opportunity\nfor escape to a place of safety. Specifically, the Notice alleged that Respondent’s Wall\nCompressor Station fence had one escape gate on the west side, one escape gate on the south\nside, one locked vehicle gate on the west side, and one locked vehicle gate on the east side.\nHowever, the south-side escape gate opened out onto a narrow landing, approximately four feet\nwide, with a pathway that was heavily overgrown and 1bordered by a steep decline into a creek.\nUnder such conditions, the south-side gate allegedly did not provide a convenient opportunity for\nescape.\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. § 192.163(d) by failing to have at least\ntwo gates located so as to provide a convenient opportunity to escape to a place of safety.\nThis finding of violation will be considered a prior offense in any subsequent enforcement action\ntaken against Respondent.\nCOMPLIANCE ORDER\nThe Notice proposed a compliance order with respect to Item 1 in the Notice for violation of\n49 C.F.R. § 192.163(d). Under 49 U.S.C. § 60118(a), each person who engages in the\ntransportation of gas or who owns or operates a pipeline facility is required to comply with the\napplicable safety standards established under chapter 601. The Director indicates that\nRespondent has taken the following actions specified in the proposed compliance order:\n1. With respect to the violation of § 192.163(d) (Item 1), Respondent has:\nA. Provided at least two gates at the Wall Compressor Station in Elizabeth,\nPennsylvania that provide a convenient opportunity for escape to a place\nof safety; and\nB. Completed and provided documentation that supports compliance with the\n\n\n\nCPF No. 1-2015-1018\nPage 3\naction stipulated in the above item within 120 days after receipt of a Final\nOrder.\nTherefore, the compliance terms proposed in the Notice are not included in this Order.\nIn addition, pursuant to the authority of 49 U.S.C. § 60118(b) and 49 C.F.R. § 190.217,\nRespondent is requested (not mandated) to take the following action:\nEQT should maintain documentation of the safety improvement costs associated with\nfulfilling this Compliance Order and submit the total to Mr. Byron Coy, P.E.,\nDirector, Eastern Region, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. It\nis requested that these costs be reported in two categories: 1) total cost associated\nwith preparation/revision of plans, procedures, studies and analyses; and 2) total cost\nassociated with replacements, additions and other changes to pipeline infrastructure.\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":7675}