{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 12026011NOA","title":"EAST TENNESSEE NATURAL GAS, LLC — Notice of Amendment","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2026-04-29","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of amendment citing 192.631(c)(3).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-12026011noa.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-12026011noa.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-12026011noa","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/12026011NOA","body":"Notice of Amendment involving EAST TENNESSEE NATURAL GAS, LLC. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 192.631(c)(3). The case was opened on 2026-04-29 and is reported as closed as of 2026-06-26. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n12026011NOA_Closure Letter_06262026_(25-329586).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026011NOA/12026011NOA_Closure%20Letter_06262026_(25-329586).pdf\n\n12026011NOA_Closure Letter_06262026_(25-329586)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026011NOA/12026011NOA_Closure%20Letter_06262026_(25-329586)_text.pdf\n\n12026011NOA_Notice of Amendment_04292026_(25-329586).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026011NOA/12026011NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_04292026_(25-329586).pdf\n\n12026011NOA_Notice of Amendment_04292026_(25-329586)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026011NOA/12026011NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_04292026_(25-329586)_text.pdf\n\n12026011NOA_Operator Response to Notice_05292026_(25-329586).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026011NOA/12026011NOA_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_05292026_(25-329586).pdf\n\n12026011NOA_Notice of Amendment_04292026_(25-329586)_text.pdf\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and\nHazardous Materials\nSafety Administration\n840 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 300\nWest Trenton, NJ 08628\n609.771.7800\nNOTICE OF AMENDMENT\nVIA EMAIL TO: matthew.akman@enbridge.com\nApril 29, 2026\nMatthew Akman\nEVP & President GTM\nEast Tennessee Natural Gas LLC\n915 North Eldridge Parkway\nHouston, Texas 77079\nCPF 1-2026-011-NOA\nDear Mr. Akman:\nFrom March 31 through December 11, 2025, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS), Eastern Region,\npursuant to Chapter 601 of Title 49 United States Code (U.S.C.), inspected East Tennessee Natural\nGas LLC’s (ETNG or Respondent) plans, procedures, records, and facilities in Georgia, North\nCarolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia.\nAs a result of the inspection, Eastern Region has identified an apparent inadequacy found within\nETNG’s plans or procedures. The alleged inadequacy and proposed revision are described below:\n1. § 192.631 Control room management.\n(a) …\n(c) Provide adequate information. Each operator must provide its\ncontrollers with the information, tools, processes and procedures\nnecessary for the controllers to carry out the roles and responsibilities\nthe operator has defined by performing each of the following:\n(1) …\n(3) Test and verify an internal communication plan to provide\nadequate means for manual operation of the pipeline safely, at least\nonce each calendar year, but at intervals not to exceed 15 months;\n\n\n\nCPF 1-2026-011-NOA\nETNG’s written control room management procedures were inadequate to ensure safe operation\nof a pipeline facility. Specifically, ETNG’s internal communications procedure, CRM-08.2011 V\n2.0 (02/11/2025) (Internal Communication Plan or ICP), failed to provide adequate information to\ntest and verify an internal communication plan to provide adequate means for manual operation of\nthe pipeline safely, at least once each calendar year, but at intervals not to exceed 15 months, in\naccordance with section 192.631(c)(3).\nDuring the inspection, the Eastern Region inspector reviewed ETNG’s Internal Communication\nPlan. Section 6.10.4 in the ICP stated, \"[t]he ICP Log in the Gas Control Applications will be used\nto document and retain annual testing.\" However, the ICP Log was not defined in the procedure.\nDiscussions with ETNG representatives confirmed that depending on the scenario, both digital and\npaper records were utilized during annual testing. It was unclear whether the ICP Log mentioned\nin the procedure included paper forms, or just the ICP digital application. The absence of a\nconsistent form or definition for ICP Log within the procedure precludes consistent documentation\nand retention of annual testing.\nTherefore, ETNG’s written control room management procedures were inadequate to ensure safe\noperation of a pipeline facility. Eastern Region proposes that ETNG revise its procedures to\naddress the above deficiency.\nResponse to this Notice\nThis Notice is provided pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60108(a) and 49 CFR § 190.206. Enclosed as part\nof this Notice is a document entitled Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Enforcement\nProceedings.\nPlease refer to this document and note the response options. Be advised that all material you submit\nin response to this enforcement action is subject to being made publicly available. If you believe\nthat any portion of your responsive material qualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C.\n§ 552(b), along with the complete original document you must provide a second copy of the\ndocument with the portions you believe qualify for confidential treatment redacted and an\nexplanation of why you believe the redacted information qualifies for confidential treatment under\n5 U.S.C. § 552(b).\nFollowing the receipt of this Notice, you have 30 days to submit written comments, revised\nprocedures, or a request for a hearing under 49 CFR § 190.211. If you do not respond within 30\ndays of receipt of this Notice, this constitutes a waiver of your right to contest the allegations in\nthis Notice and authorizes the Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety to find facts as alleged\nin this Notice without further notice to you and to issue an Order Directing Amendment. If your\nplans or procedures are found inadequate as alleged in this Notice, you may be ordered to amend\nyour plans or procedures to correct the inadequacies (49 CFR § 190.206). If you are not contesting\nthis Notice, we propose that you submit your amended procedures to my office within 30 days of\nPage 2 of 3\n\n\n\nCPF 1-2026-011-NOA\nreceipt of this Notice. This period may be extended by written request for good cause. Once the\ninadequacies identified herein have been addressed in your amended procedures, this enforcement\naction will be closed.\nIt is requested (not mandated) that ETNG maintain documentation of the safety improvement costs\nassociated with fulfilling this Notice of Amendment (preparation/revision of plans, procedures)\nand submit the total to the Director, Eastern Region, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety\nAdministration, Office of Pipeline Safety. In correspondence concerning this matter, please refer\nto CPF 1-2026-011-NOA and, for each document you submit, please provide a copy in electronic\nformat whenever possible.\nSincerely,\nRobert Burrough\nDirector, Eastern Region, Office of Pipeline Safety\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\ncc: Michael Koby, SVP & CEO, GTM, ETNG, michael.koby@enbridge.com\nPeter Seydewitz, Dir., Operational Excellence, ETNG, peter.seydewitz@enbridge.com\nEnclosure: Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Enforcement Proceedings\nPage 3 of 3\n\n12026011NOA_Closure Letter_06262026_(25-329586)_text.pdf\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and\nHazardous Materials\nSafety Administration\n840 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 300\nWest Trenton, New Jersey 08628\n609.771.7800\nVIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO: matthew.akman@enbridge.com\nJune 26, 2026\nMatthew Akman\nEVP & President GTM\nEast Tennessee Natural Gas LLC\n915 North Eldridge Parkway\nHouston, Texas 77079\nCPF 1-2026-011-NOA\nDear Mr. Akman:\nOn March 31 through December 11, 2025, a representative from the Pipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to chapter 601 of 49 United States Code,\nconducted an on-site pipeline safety inspection of East Tennessee Natural Gas LLC (ETNG)\nprocedures in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia. As a result of the\ninspection, East Tennessee Natural Gas LLC (ETNG) was issued a Notice of Amendment on April\n29, 2026, which proposed amendment of your procedures.\nETNG submitted its amended procedures on May 29, 2026. My staff reviewed the amended\nprocedures, and it appears that the inadequacies outlined in this Notice of Amendment have been\ncorrected.\nThis letter is to inform you no further action is necessary and this case is now closed. Thank you\nfor your cooperation.\nSincerely,\nRobert Burrough\nDirector, Eastern Region, Office of Pipeline Safety\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\ncc: Michael Koby, SVP & CEO, GTM, ETNG, michael.koby@enbridge.com\nPeter Seydewitz, Dir., Operational Excellence, ETNG, peter.seydewitz@enbridge.com","truncated":false,"body_characters":8530}