{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 12026051NOA","title":"BUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP — Notice of Amendment","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2026-05-04","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of amendment citing 195.440(a), 195.440(g).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-12026051noa.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-12026051noa.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-12026051noa","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/12026051NOA","body":"Notice of Amendment involving BUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulations as 195.440(a),  195.440(g). The case was opened on 2026-05-04 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\n12026051NOA_Closure Letter_06262026_(25-332203).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026051NOA/12026051NOA_Closure%20Letter_06262026_(25-332203).pdf\n\n12026051NOA_Closure Letter_06262026_(25-332203)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026051NOA/12026051NOA_Closure%20Letter_06262026_(25-332203)_text.pdf\n\n12026051NOA_Notice of Amendment_05042026_(25-332203).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026051NOA/12026051NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_05042026_(25-332203).pdf\n\n12026051NOA_Notice of Amendment_05042026_(25-332203)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026051NOA/12026051NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_05042026_(25-332203)_text.pdf\n\n12026051NOA_Operator Response to Notice_05292026_(25-332203).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/12026051NOA/12026051NOA_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_05292026_(25-332203).pdf\n\n12026051NOA_Closure Letter_06262026_(25-332203)_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 EMAIL TO: trusso@buckeye.com\nJune 26, 2026\nTodd Russo\nPresident and Chief Executive Officer\nBuckeye Partners, LP\n4200 Westheimer Road #975\nHouston, Texas 77027\nRE: CPF 1-2026-051-NOA\nDear Mr. Russo:\nFrom March 17 through November 13, 2025, representatives 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.), conducted an integrated\ninspection of Buckeye Partners, LP’s (Buckeye) plans and procedures for maintenance and normal\noperations in Allentown, Pennsylvania. As a result of the inspection, PHMSA issued a Notice of\nAmendment on May 4, 2026, which proposed amendments to Buckeye’s procedures.\nBuckeye 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\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\ncc: Mark Copeland, Manager, Pipeline Safety & DOT Compliance, mcopeland@buckeye.com\nRobert Osika, Director, DOT Compliance, rosika@buckeye.com@buckeye.com\n\n12026051NOA_Notice of Amendment_05042026_(25-332203)_text.pdf\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportati on\nPipeline and\nHazardous Materials\nSafety Administration\n840 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 300\nWest Trenton, New Jersey 08628\n609.771.7800\nNOTICE OF AMENDMENT\nVIA EMAIL TO: trusso@buckeye.com\nMay 4, 2026\nTodd Russo\nPresident and Chief Executive Officer\nBuckeye Partners, LP\n4200 Westheimer Road #975\nHouston, Texas 77027\nCPF 1-2026-051-NOA\nDear Mr. Russo:\nFrom March 17 through November 13, 2025, representatives 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.), conducted an integrated\ninspection of Buckeye Partners, LP’s (Buckeye) plans and procedures for maintenance and normal\noperations in Allentown, Pennsylvania.\nAs a result of the inspection, Eastern Region has identified an inadequacy found within Buckeye’s\nplans or procedures. The alleged inadequacy and proposed revision is described below:\n1. § 195.440 Public awareness.\n(a) Each pipeline operator must develop and implement a written\ncontinuing public education program that follows the guidance\nprovided in the American Petroleum Institute's (API) Recommended\nPractice (RP) 1162 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3).\n(b) …\n(g) The program must be conducted in English and in other\nlanguages commonly understood by a significant number and\n\n\n\nCPF 1-2026-051-NOA\nconcentration of the non-English speaking population in the operator’s\narea.\nBuckeye’s written public awareness procedural manual was inadequate to ensure safe operation of\na pipeline facility. Specifically, Buckeye’s Public Awareness Manual, Section F - Message Type\nand Content, Revision 11 (04/18/25) (Public Awareness Manual), failed to provide sufficient\ndetails regarding its processes to ensure compliance with the requirements of section 195.440(g).\nThe table of contents of the Public Awareness Manual cited section 4 as the section covering the\nprocedure for addressing message type and content. However, section 4 was identified as not\napplicable within the document.\nSection 1.4.2 in the Public Awareness Manual, regarding message content for each audience group,\nonly identified Spanish as commonly used by a significant concentration of the non-English\nspeaking population, and noted that Buckeye has developed certain materials in Spanish in\naddition to English. However, the manual failed to provide details regarding how to address areas\nwhere languages other than Spanish are commonly understood by a significant number and\nconcentration of the non-English speaking population along the pipeline.\nIn addition, the Public Awareness Manual failed to include a procedure to determine the number\nand concentration of the non-English speaking population in the operator’s area. The information\nin Exhibit A in the manual lacked detail as to which languages, other than English or Spanish, are\nmost spoken, particularly for certain counties including Boone, IN, where a significant portion of\nthe non-English speaking population speaks a language that is different than Spanish.\nTherefore, Buckeye’s written public awareness procedural manual was inadequate to ensure safe\noperation of a pipeline facility. Eastern Region proposes that Buckeye 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\npart of 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\nsubmit in response to this enforcement action is subject to being made publicly available. If you\nbelieve that any portion of your responsive material qualifies for confidential treatment under\n5 U.S.C. § 552(b), along with the complete original document you must provide a second copy of\nthe document 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 § 190.211. If you do not respond within 30 days of\nreceipt of this Notice, this constitutes a waiver of your right to contest the allegations in this Notice\nand authorizes the Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety to find facts as alleged in this Notice\nPage 2 of 3\n\n\n\nCPF 1-2026-051-NOA\nwithout further notice to you and to issue an Order Directing Amendment. If your plans or\nprocedures are found inadequate as alleged in this Notice, you may be ordered to amend your plans\nor procedures to correct the inadequacies (49 CFR § 190.206). If you are not contesting this\nNotice, we propose that you submit your amended procedures to my office within 30 days of\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 Buckeye maintain documentation of the safety improvement\ncosts associated with fulfilling this Notice of Amendment (preparation/revision of plans,\nprocedures) and submit the total to Robert Burrough, Director, Eastern Region, Pipeline and\nHazardous Materials Safety Administration. In correspondence concerning this matter, please refer\nto CPF 1-2026-051-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\nEnclosure: Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Enforcement Proceedings\ncc: Mark Copeland, Manager, Pipeline Safety & DOT Compliance,\nmcopeland@buckeye.com\nRobert Osika, Director, DOT Compliance, rosika@buckeye.com@buckeye.com\nPage 3 of 3","truncated":false,"body_characters":8870}