# WBI ENERGY TRANSMISSION, INC. — Notice of Amendment

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** CPF 12023006NOA
- **title:** WBI ENERGY TRANSMISSION, INC. — Notice of Amendment
- **source type:** enforcement
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** historical
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2023-02-02
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** CLOSED notice of amendment citing 192.12(d)(4).
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-12023006noa.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-12023006noa.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-12023006noa
- **source url:** https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/12023006NOA
**body:**

Notice of Amendment involving WBI ENERGY TRANSMISSION, INC.. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 192.12(d)(4). The case was opened on 2023-02-02 and is reported as closed as of 2023-02-16. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.

Official case documents:

12023006NOA_Closure Letter_02162023_(22-233253).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12023006NOA/12023006NOA_Closure%20Letter_02162023_(22-233253).pdf

12023006NOA_Closure Letter_02162023_(22-233253)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12023006NOA/12023006NOA_Closure%20Letter_02162023_(22-233253)_text.pdf

12023006NOA_Notice of Amendment_02022023_(22-233253).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12023006NOA/12023006NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_02022023_(22-233253).pdf

12023006NOA_Notice of Amendment_02022023_(22-233253)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12023006NOA/12023006NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_02022023_(22-233253)_text.pdf

12023006NOA_Operator Response to Notice_02082023_(22-233253).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12023006NOA/12023006NOA_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_02082023_(22-233253).pdf

12023006NOA_Notice of Amendment_02022023_(22-233253)_text.pdf

NOTICE OF AMENDMENT
OVERNIGHT EXPRESS DELIVERY
February 2, 2023
Mr. Trevor Hastings
President and Chief Executive Officer
WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.
1250 W Century Ave.
Bismark, North Dakota 58503
CPF 1-2023-006-NOA
Dear Mr. Hastings:
From August 16, 2022, through August 18, 2022, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code
inspected WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.’s (WBI) procedures for its Elk Basin Storage Field in
Park County, Wyoming.
On the basis of the inspection, PHMSA has identified the apparent inadequacy found within WBI’s
plans or procedures, as described below:
1. 49 C.F.R. § 192.12 Underground natural gas storage facilities.
(a) …
(d) Integrity management program -
(1) …
(4) Integrity management procedures and recordkeeping. Each
UNGSF operator must establish and follow written procedures to carry
out its integrity management program under API RP 1171
(incorporated by reference, see § 192.7), section 8 ("Risk Management
for Gas Storage Operations"), and this paragraph (d). The operator
must also maintain, for the useful life of the UNGSF, records that
demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this paragraph (d).
This includes records developed and used in support of any
identification, calculation, amendment, modification, justification,



deviation, and determination made, and any action taken to
implement and evaluate any integrity management program element.
WBI’s written procedures for carrying out its integrity management program were inadequate to
ensure safe operation of a pipeline facility. Specifically, WBI’s Underground Natural Gas Storage
(UNGS) Risk Management Plan for Storage Operations (RMP), Section 2.20, Data Collection, did
not include a process to assess threat and hazard interactions in accordance with API RP 1171,
Section 8.3.2 (Section 8.3.2).
Section 8.3.2 states, in part:
The operator shall use available information such as performance data collected through
the field history, operations, and maintenance (O&M) activities, geotechnical data such
as well logs, engineering data, and completion reports to determine susceptibility to threat
and hazard-related events and to assess threat and hazard interaction.
During the inspection, PHMSA reviewed WBI’s RMP and found that Section 2.20 did not include
a process to assess interactions of threats and hazards specific to its UNGS facilities.
Therefore, WBI’s written procedures required by § 192.12(d)(4) were inadequate. WBI must
revise its procedure to address the deficiency outlined above.
Response to this Notice\
This Notice is provided pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60108(a) and 49 C.F.R. § 190.206. Enclosed as
part of this Notice is a document entitled Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Enforcement
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).
Following the receipt of this Notice, you have 30 days to submit written comments, revised
procedures, or a request for a hearing under § 190.211. 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 an Order Directing Amendment. If 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. § 190.206). 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 WBI maintain documentation of the safety improvement costs
associated with fulfilling this Notice of Amendment (preparation/revision of plans, procedures)
and submit the total to Robert Burrough, Director, Eastern Region, Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration, 840 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 300, West Trenton, NJ 08628. In
correspondence concerning this matter, please refer to CPF 1-2023-006-NOA and, for each
document you submit, please provide a copy in electronic format whenever possible. Smaller files
may be emailed to robert.burrough@dot.gov. Larger files should be sent on USB flash drive
accompanied by the original paper copy to the Eastern Region Office.
Sincerely,
Robert Burrough
Director, Eastern Region
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Enclosure: Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Enforcement Proceedings

12023006NOA_Closure Letter_02162023_(22-233253)_text.pdf

OVERNIGHT EXPRESS DELIVERY
February 16, 2023
Mr. Trevor Hastings
President and Chief Executive Officer
WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.
1250 W Century Ave.
Bismark, North Dakota 58503
CPF 1-2023-006-NOA
Dear Mr. Hastings:
From August 16 , 2022 through August 18, 2022, representatives from the Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code,
conducted an underground natural gas storage inspection of WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.’s
(WBI) procedures for its Elk Basin Storage Field in Park County, Wyoming. As a result of the
inspection, WBI was issued a Notice of Amendment on February 2, 2023, which proposed
amendment of your procedures.
WBI submitted its amended procedures on February 8, 2023. 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,
Robert Burrough
Director, Eastern Region
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
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