{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 12026024NOA","title":"TUSCARORA GAS TRANSMISSION COMPANY — Notice of Amendment","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2026-03-16","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of amendment citing 192.605(b)(1).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-12026024noa.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-12026024noa.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-12026024noa","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/12026024NOA","body":"Notice of Amendment involving TUSCARORA GAS TRANSMISSION COMPANY. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 192.605(b)(1). The case was opened on 2026-03-16 and is reported as closed as of 2026-07-07. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n12026024NOA_Closure Letter_07072026_(24-296052).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026024NOA/12026024NOA_Closure%20Letter_07072026_(24-296052).pdf\n\n12026024NOA_Closure Letter_07072026_(24-296052)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026024NOA/12026024NOA_Closure%20Letter_07072026_(24-296052)_text.pdf\n\n12026024NOA_Notice of Amendment_03162026_(24-296052).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026024NOA/12026024NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_03162026_(24-296052).pdf\n\n12026024NOA_Notice of Amendment_03162026_(24-296052)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026024NOA/12026024NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_03162026_(24-296052)_text.pdf\n\n12026024NOA_Operator Response to Notice_04142026_(24-296052).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026024NOA/12026024NOA_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_04142026_(24-296052).pdf\n\n12026024NOA_Notice of Amendment_03162026_(24-296052)_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: david_brast@tcenergy.com\nMarch 16, 2026\nDavid Brast\nPresident/Chief Executive Officer\nTuscarora Gas Transmission Company\n700 Louisiana St.\nHouston, TX 77002\nCPF 1-2026-024-NOA\nDear Mr. Brast:\nFrom April 1 through December 2, 2024, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS), Eastern Region, pursuant to\nChapter 601 of 49 United States Code (U.S.C.) inspected Tuscarora Gas Transmission Company’s\n(Tuscarora or Respondent) procedures.1\nAs a result of the inspection, Eastern Region has identified an apparent inadequacy in Tuscarora’s\nplans or procedures. The alleged inadequacy and proposed revision are described below:\n1. § 192.605 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies.\n(a) …\n(b) Maintenance and normal operations. The manual required by\nparagraph (a) of this section must include procedures for the following,\nif applicable, to provide safety during maintenance and operations.\n(1) Operating, maintaining, and repairing the pipeline in\naccordance with each of the requirements of this subpart and subpart\nM of this part.\n1 Tuscarora is a subsidiary of TC Energy.\n\n\n\nCPF 1-2026-024-NOA\nTuscarora’s procedures for maintenance and normal operations were inadequate to assure safe\noperation of a pipeline facility in accordance with section 192.605(b)(1). Specifically, Tuscarora’s\nprocedure, Valve and Valve Actuator Inspection and Servicing, Rev. 03 (04/01/2024) (Valve\nServicing Procedure), failed to include sufficient details regarding valve maintenance.\nDuring the inspection, the Eastern Region inspector determined that Tuscarora’s Valve Servicing\nProcedure (designated for US use) improperly referenced a “Canada-only” document—the\nCanada Gas Valve Sealant and Sealant Guns Procedure (CAN), Rev.-01, (Approved Lubricant\nProcedure)—for its approved list of valve lubricants. Furthermore, Tuscarora admitted that field\ntechnicians in practice rely on an unreferenced, laminated “Approved Lubricant Card” to perform\nthis work. Tuscarora confirmed this card is an uncontrolled document containing no official title,\nrevision history, or date, demonstrating a failure to adhere to established document control and\nprocedural guidelines.\nFinally, the Valve Servicing Procedure in section 1.2.6 directs Tuscarora to “re-energize a stem\nseal with a small amount of grease” and refers the reader to use “OEM specifications” to select the\ncorrect grease. However, the procedure failed to provide guidance on where to obtain OEM\nspecifications.\nTherefore, Tuscarora’s procedures for maintenance and normal operations were inadequate to\nassure safe operation of a pipeline facility in accordance with section 192.605(b)(1). Eastern\nRegion proposes that Tuscarora revise its procedures to address the above inadequacies.\nResponse to this Notice\nThis Notice is provided pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60108(a) and 49 CFR § 190.206. Respondent must\nrespond as set forth below.\nPlease review the enclosed Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Enforcement Proceedings.\nRespondent must respond to this Notice within 30 days of receipt. The Region Director may extend\nthis period upon receipt of a timely written request demonstrating good cause. Failure to respond\nwithin 30 days (or by the extended deadline) constitutes a waiver of the right to contest the\nallegations in the Notice and authorizes the Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety, without\nfurther notice to the Respondent, to find the facts as alleged in the Notice and to issue an Order\nDirecting Amendment. If Respondent’s plans or procedures are found inadequate as alleged in this\nNotice, Respondent will be ordered to amend its plans or procedures to correct the inadequacies.\nOnce the inadequacies identified herein have been addressed in amended procedures, this\nenforcement action will be closed.\nAll material submitted in response to this enforcement action may be made publicly available. If\nRespondent believes that any portion of the responsive material qualifies for confidential treatment\nunder 5 U.S.C. § 552(b), along with the complete original document, it must provide a second\ncopy of the document with the portions that may qualify for confidential treatment redacted and\nan explanation of why the redacted information may qualify for confidential treatment under 5\nU.S.C. § 552(b).\nPage 2 of 3\n\n\n\nCPF 1-2026-024-NOA\nPHMSA requests that Respondent maintain documentation of the safety improvement costs\nassociated with fulfilling this Notice (preparation/revision of plans and procedures) and submit the\ntotal to the Region Director.\nIn correspondence on this matter, please refer to CPF 1-2026-024-NOA.\nSincerely,\nRobert Burrough\nDirector, Eastern Region, Office of Pipeline Safety\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\ncc: Dan Cerkoney, Sr. Manager, Regulatory Compliance, dan_cerkoney@tcenergy.com\nAmy Willis, Director, Regulatory Compliance, amy_willis@tcenergy.com\nEnclosure: Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Enforcement Proceedings\nPage 3 of 3\n\n12026024NOA_Closure Letter_07072026_(24-296052)_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: david_brast@tcenergy.com\nJuly 7, 2026\nDavid Brast\nPresident/Chief Executive Officer\nTuscarora Gas Transmission Company\n700 Louisiana St.\nHouston, TX 77002\nCPF 1-2026-024-NOA\nDear Mr. Brast:\nFrom April 1 through December 2, 2024, 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 Tuscarora Gas Transmission Company’s\n(Tuscarora) procedures in Houston, Texas. As a result of the inspection, PHMSA issued Tuscarora\nwas issued a Notice of Amendment (NOA) on March 16, 2026, proposing modifications to your\nprocedures.\nTuscarora responded with proposed amendments on April 14, 2026 and submitted its amended\nprocedures on July 1, 2026. My staff has reviewed the amended procedures and determined that\nthe inadequacies outlined in this NOA have been corrected.\nThis letter is to inform you that no further action is necessary and this case is now closed. Thank\nyou for your cooperation.\nSincerely,\nRobert Burrough\nDirector, Eastern Region, Office of Pipeline Safety\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\n\n\n\ncc: Dan Cerkoney, Sr. Manager, Regulatory Compliance, dan_cerkoney@tcenergy.com\nAmy Willis, Director, Regulatory Compliance, amy)willis@tcenergy.com\n5.9 Sample NOA Closure Letter (7/5/95)","truncated":false,"body_characters":8164}