# TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE COMPANY — Notice of Probable Violation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** CPF 120181007
- **title:** TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE COMPANY — Notice of Probable Violation
- **source type:** enforcement
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** historical
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2018-04-02
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** CLOSED notice of probable violation citing 192.243(b)(1).
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- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-120181007
- **source url:** https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/120181007
**body:**

Notice of Probable Violation involving TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE COMPANY. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 192.243(b)(1). The case was opened on 2018-04-02 and is reported as closed as of 2018-12-20. Proposed civil penalty: $33,700. Assessed civil penalty: $33,700. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.

Official case documents:

120181007_Final Order_12202018.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120181007/120181007_Final%20Order_12202018.pdf

120181007_Final Order_12202018_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120181007/120181007_Final%20Order_12202018_text.pdf

120181007_NOPV-PCP_04022018.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120181007/120181007_NOPV-PCP_04022018.pdf

120181007_NOPV-PCP_04022018_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120181007/120181007_NOPV-PCP_04022018_text.pdf

120181007_Operator Response to Notice_06072018.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/120181007/120181007_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_06072018.pdf

120181007_Final Order_12202018_text.pdf

December 20, 2018
Mr. Alan S. Armstrong
President and Chief Executive Officer
Williams Partners, LP
One Williams Center
Tulsa, OK 74172
Re: CPF No. 1-2018-1007
Dear Mr. Armstrong:
Enclosed please find the Final Order issued in the above-referenced case to your subsidiary,
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC. It makes one finding of violation and assesses a
civil penalty of $33,700. This is to acknowledge receipt of payment of the full penalty amount
by wire transfer, dated June 15, 2018. This enforcement action is now closed. Service of the
Final Order by certified mail is effective as provided under 49 C.F.R. § 190.5.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Sincerely,
Alan K. Mayberry
Associate Administrator
for Pipeline Safety
Enclosure
cc: Mr. Robert Burrough, Director, Eastern Region, Office of Pipeline Safety, PHMSA
Mr. Clint Ratke, Manager, Pipeline Safety, Williams, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line
Company, LLC, 2800 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX 77056
CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED



U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590
___________________________________________
)
In the Matter of )
)
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC, ) CPF No. 1-2018-1007
a subsidiary of Williams Partners, LP, )
)
Respondent. )
___________________________________________)
FINAL ORDER
From February 9 through 13, 2015, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60117, a representative of the
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety
(OPS), conducted an on-site pipeline safety inspection of the facilities and records of
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco or Respondent), in South Boston,
Virginia. Transco, a subsidiary of Williams Partners, LP, operates a 10,200-mile interstate
transmission pipeline system extending from South Texas to New York City.1
As a result of the inspection, the Director, Eastern Region, OPS (Director), issued to Respondent,
by letter dated April 2, 2018, a Notice of Probable Violation and Proposed Civil Penalty
(Notice). In accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 190.207, the Notice proposed finding that Transco had
violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.243, and proposed assessing a civil penalty of $33,700 for the alleged
violation.
Transco responded to the Notice by letter dated June 7, 2018 (Response). The company did not
contest the allegation of violation and paid the proposed civil penalty of $33,700 by wire
transfer, dated June 15, 2018. In accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 190.208(a)(1), such payment
authorizes the Associate Administrator to make a finding of violation and to issue this Final
Order without further proceedings.
FINDING OF VIOLATION
In its Response, Respondent did not contest the allegation in the Notice that it violated 49 C.F.R.
Part 192, as follows:
1 The Williams Companies website, available at https://co.williams.com/operations-2/atlantic-gulf-operating-
area/transco/ (last accessed Nov. 6, 2018).



CPF No. 1-2018-1007
Page 2
Item 1: The Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.243(b), which states:
§ 192.243 Nondestructive testing.
(a) Nondestructive testing of welds must be performed by any process,
other than trepanning, that will clearly indicate defects that may affect the
integrity of the weld.. . . .
(b) Nondestructive testing of welds must be performed:
(1) In accordance with written procedures: …
The Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.243(b) by failing to perform
nondestructive testing of welds in accordance with written procedures. Specifically, the Notice
alleged that Respondent failed to follow its own written procedure regarding the nondestructive
testing of four welds made during construction of Transco’s Virginia Southside Lateral
Expansion Project. When performing radiographic nondestructive testing, Transco’s procedure
required its personnel to identify station markers no greater than 12 inches apart for welds made
on pipe greater than or equal to 10 inches in diameter. Radiographic inspection reports reviewed
by PHMSA during the inspection indicated station markers that exceeded the 12-inch minimum
interval on four separate welds made during the construction project.
Respondent did not contest this allegation of violation. Accordingly, based upon a review of all
of the evidence, I find that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.243(b) by failing to perform
nondestructive testing of welds in accordance with written procedures.
This finding of violation will be considered a prior offense in any subsequent enforcement action
taken against Respondent.
ASSESSMENT OF PENALTY
Under 49 U.S.C. § 60122, Respondent is subject to an administrative civil penalty not to exceed
$200,000 per violation for each day of the violation, up to a maximum of $2,000,000 for any
related series of violations.2 In determining the amount of a civil penalty under 49 U.S.C.
§ 60122 and 49 C.F.R. § 190.225, I must consider the following criteria: the nature,
circumstances, and gravity of the violation, including adverse impact on the environment; the
degree of Respondent’s culpability; the history of Respondent’s prior offenses; any effect that
the penalty may have on its ability to continue doing business; and the good faith of Respondent
in attempting to comply with the pipeline safety regulations. In addition, I may consider the
economic benefit gained from the violation without any reduction because of subsequent
damages, and such other matters as justice may require. The Notice proposed a total civil
penalty of $33,700 for the violation cited above.
Item 1: The Notice proposed a civil penalty of $33,700 for Respondent’s violation of 49 C.F.R.
§ 192.243(b), for failing to perform nondestructive testing of welds in accordance with written
2 These amounts are adjusted annually for inflation. See, e.g., Pipeline Safety: Inflation Adjustment of Maximum
Civil Penalties, 82 Fed. Reg. 19325 (April 27, 2017).



CPF No. 1-2018-1007
Page 3
procedures. Transco neither contested the allegation nor presented any evidence or argument
justifying a reduction in the proposed penalty. Accordingly, having reviewed the record and
considered the assessment criteria, I assess Respondent a civil penalty of $33,700, which amount
was paid in full by Respondent on June 15, 2018.
This enforcement action is now closed. The terms and conditions of this Final Order are
effective upon service in accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 190.5.
December 20, 2018
___________________________________ _________________________
Alan K. Mayberry Date Issued
Associate Administrator
for Pipeline Safety
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