{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 320115001","title":"DAKOTA GASIFICATION COMPANY — Notice of Probable Violation","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2011-03-03","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of probable violation citing 195.420(b).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-320115001.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-320115001.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-320115001","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/320115001","body":"Notice of Probable Violation involving DAKOTA GASIFICATION COMPANY. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 195.420(b). The case was opened on 2011-03-03 and is reported as closed as of 2011-12-19. Proposed civil penalty: $19,300. Assessed civil penalty: $19,300. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n320115001_Final Order_12192011.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/320115001/320115001_Final%20Order_12192011.pdf\n\n320115001_Final Order_12192011_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/320115001/320115001_Final%20Order_12192011_text.pdf\n\n320115001_NOPV PCP_03032011.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/320115001/320115001_NOPV%20PCP_03032011.pdf\n\n320115001_NOPV PCP_03032011_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/320115001/320115001_NOPV%20PCP_03032011_text.pdf\n\n320115001_Operator_Response_to_Notice_03172011.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/320115001/320115001_Operator_Response_to_Notice_03172011.pdf\n\n320115001_Final Order_12192011_text.pdf\n\nDEC 19 2011\nMr. Gary G. Loop\nChief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President\nDakota Gasification Company\nP.O. Box 5540\nBismarck, ND 58506-5540\nRe: CPF No. 3-2011-5001\nDear Mr. Loop:\nEnclosed please find the Final Order issued in the above-referenced case. It makes a finding of\nviolation and assesses a civil penalty of $19,300. This is to acknowledge receipt of payment of\nthe full penalty amount, by wire transfer, dated March 11, 2011. This enforcement action is now\nclosed. Service of the Final Order by certified mail is deemed effective upon the date of mailing,\nor as otherwise provided under 49 C.F.R. § 190.5.\nThank you for your cooperation in this matter.\nSincerely,\nJeffrey D. Wiese\nAssociate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety\nEnclosure\ncc: Mr. David Barrett, Director, Central Region, PHMSA\nMr. Alan Mayberry, Deputy Associate Administrator for Field Operations, Pipeline Safety,\nPHMSA\nCERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED [ 71791000164202997584 ]\n\n\n\nU.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION\nPIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION\nOFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY\nWASHINGTON, D.C. 20590\n____________________________________\n)\nIn the Matter of )\n)\nDakota Gasification Company, ) CPF No. 3-2011-5001\n)\nRespondent. )\n____________________________________)\nFINAL ORDER\nOn June 21-25, 2010, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60117, a representative of the Pipeline and\nHazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS),\nconducted an on-site pipeline safety inspection of the facilities and records of Dakota\nGasification Company (Dakota or Respondent) in Beulah, North Dakota. Dakota’s pipeline\nsystem consists of 168 miles of 12-inch and 14-inch pipe, and transports carbon dioxide from the\nDakota Gasification plant in Beulah to the Canadian border in Divide County, North Dakota.1\nAs a result of the inspection, the Director, Central Region, OPS (Director), issued to Respondent,\nby letter dated March 3, 2011, a Notice of Probable Violation and Proposed Civil Penalty\n(Notice). In accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 190.207, the Notice proposed finding that Dakota had\nviolated 49 C.F.R. § 195.420(b) and proposed assessing a civil penalty of $19,300 for the alleged\nviolation.\nDakota responded to the Notice by letter dated March 17, 2011 (Response). The company did\nnot contest the allegation of violation and paid the proposed civil penalty of $19,300, as provided\nin 49 C.F.R. § 190.227. Payment of the penalty serves to close the case with prejudice to\nRespondent.\nFINDING OF VIOLATION\nIn its Response, Dakota did not contest the allegation in the Notice that it violated 49 C.F.R. Part\n195, as follows:\nItem 1: The Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 195.420(b), which states:\n1 See Violation Report, CPF 3-2011-5001, at 1.\n\n\n\n2\n§ 195.420 Valve maintenance.\n(a) . . .\n(b) Each operator shall, at intervals not exceeding 7½ months, but at\nleast twice each calendar year, inspect each mainline valve to determine\nthat it is functioning properly.\nThe Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 195.420(b) by failing to inspect each\nmainline valve along its pipeline at the required interval in 2007. Specifically, the Notice alleged\nthat Dakota had failed to inspect mainline block valves 4, 5, 6, and 7 within 7½ months of the\nprevious inspection. In addition, the Notice stated that Dakota had previously been cited for\nnon-compliance with this same regulation in a Warning Letter (CPF #3-2006-5040W).\nRespondent did not contest this allegation of violation. Accordingly, based upon a review of all\nof the evidence, I find that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 195.420(b) by failing to inspect each\nmainline valve at the required interval.\nThis finding of violation will be considered a prior offense in any subsequent enforcement action\ntaken against Respondent.\nThe terms and conditions of this Final Order are effective upon service in accordance with\n49 C.F.R. § 190.5.\n___________________________________ __________________________\nJeffrey D. Wiese Date Issued\nAssociate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety","truncated":false,"body_characters":5223}