# EAST TENNESSEE NATURAL GAS, LLC — Notice of Amendment - **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:** Not available - **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. Official case documents: 12026011NOA_Closure Letter_06262026_(25-329586).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026011NOA/12026011NOA_Closure%20Letter_06262026_(25-329586).pdf 12026011NOA_Closure Letter_06262026_(25-329586)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026011NOA/12026011NOA_Closure%20Letter_06262026_(25-329586)_text.pdf 12026011NOA_Notice of Amendment_04292026_(25-329586).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026011NOA/12026011NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_04292026_(25-329586).pdf 12026011NOA_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 12026011NOA_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 12026011NOA_Notice of Amendment_04292026_(25-329586)_text.pdf U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration 840 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 300 West Trenton, NJ 08628 609.771.7800 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT VIA EMAIL TO: matthew.akman@enbridge.com April 29, 2026 Matthew Akman EVP & President GTM East Tennessee Natural Gas LLC 915 North Eldridge Parkway Houston, Texas 77079 CPF 1-2026-011-NOA Dear Mr. Akman: From March 31 through December 11, 2025, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS), Eastern Region, pursuant to Chapter 601 of Title 49 United States Code (U.S.C.), inspected East Tennessee Natural Gas LLC’s (ETNG or Respondent) plans, procedures, records, and facilities in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia. As a result of the inspection, Eastern Region has identified an apparent inadequacy found within ETNG’s plans or procedures. The alleged inadequacy and proposed revision are described below: 1. § 192.631 Control room management. (a) … (c) Provide adequate information. Each operator must provide its controllers with the information, tools, processes and procedures necessary for the controllers to carry out the roles and responsibilities the operator has defined by performing each of the following: (1) … (3) Test and verify an internal communication plan to provide adequate means for manual operation of the pipeline safely, at least once each calendar year, but at intervals not to exceed 15 months; CPF 1-2026-011-NOA ETNG’s written control room management procedures were inadequate to ensure safe operation of a pipeline facility. Specifically, ETNG’s internal communications procedure, CRM-08.2011 V 2.0 (02/11/2025) (Internal Communication Plan or ICP), failed to provide adequate information to test and verify an internal communication plan to provide adequate means for manual operation of the pipeline safely, at least once each calendar year, but at intervals not to exceed 15 months, in accordance with section 192.631(c)(3). During the inspection, the Eastern Region inspector reviewed ETNG’s Internal Communication Plan. Section 6.10.4 in the ICP stated, "[t]he ICP Log in the Gas Control Applications will be used to document and retain annual testing." However, the ICP Log was not defined in the procedure. Discussions with ETNG representatives confirmed that depending on the scenario, both digital and paper records were utilized during annual testing. It was unclear whether the ICP Log mentioned in the procedure included paper forms, or just the ICP digital application. The absence of a consistent form or definition for ICP Log within the procedure precludes consistent documentation and retention of annual testing. Therefore, ETNG’s written control room management procedures were inadequate to ensure safe operation of a pipeline facility. Eastern Region proposes that ETNG revise its procedures to address the above deficiency. Response to this Notice This Notice is provided pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60108(a) and 49 CFR § 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 49 CFR § 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 CFR § 190.206). If you are not contesting this Notice, we propose that you submit your amended procedures to my office within 30 days of Page 2 of 3 CPF 1-2026-011-NOA 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 ETNG maintain documentation of the safety improvement costs associated with fulfilling this Notice of Amendment (preparation/revision of plans, procedures) and submit the total to the Director, Eastern Region, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Office of Pipeline Safety. In correspondence concerning this matter, please refer to CPF 1-2026-011-NOA and, for each document you submit, please provide a copy in electronic format whenever possible. Sincerely, Robert Burrough Director, Eastern Region, Office of Pipeline Safety Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration cc: Michael Koby, SVP & CEO, GTM, ETNG, michael.koby@enbridge.com Peter Seydewitz, Dir., Operational Excellence, ETNG, peter.seydewitz@enbridge.com Enclosure: Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Enforcement Proceedings Page 3 of 3 12026011NOA_Closure Letter_06262026_(25-329586)_text.pdf U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration 840 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 300 West Trenton, New Jersey 08628 609.771.7800 VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO: matthew.akman@enbridge.com June 26, 2026 Matthew Akman EVP & President GTM East Tennessee Natural Gas LLC 915 North Eldridge Parkway Houston, Texas 77079 CPF 1-2026-011-NOA Dear Mr. Akman: On March 31 through December 11, 2025, a representative from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to chapter 601 of 49 United States Code, conducted an on-site pipeline safety inspection of East Tennessee Natural Gas LLC (ETNG) procedures in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia. As a result of the inspection, East Tennessee Natural Gas LLC (ETNG) was issued a Notice of Amendment on April 29, 2026, which proposed amendment of your procedures. ETNG submitted its amended procedures on May 29, 2026. 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, Office of Pipeline Safety Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration cc: Michael Koby, SVP & CEO, GTM, ETNG, michael.koby@enbridge.com Peter Seydewitz, Dir., Operational Excellence, ETNG, peter.seydewitz@enbridge.com - **truncated:** false - **body characters:** 8530