# VIKING GAS TRANSMISSION CO — Notice of Amendment - **operation:** document - **citation:** CPF 320201004M - **title:** VIKING GAS TRANSMISSION CO — Notice of Amendment - **source type:** enforcement - **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration - **status:** historical - **official:** true - **published on:** 2020-09-30 - **effective on:** Not available - **summary:** CLOSED notice of amendment citing 192.605(b)(1), 192.735(a). - **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-320201004m.json - **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-320201004m.md - **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-320201004m - **source url:** https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/320201004M **body:** Notice of Amendment involving VIKING GAS TRANSMISSION CO. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulations as 192.605(b)(1), 192.735(a). The case was opened on 2020-09-30 and is reported as closed as of 2021-03-02. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status. Official case documents: 320201004M_Closure Letter_03022021.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/320201004M/320201004M_Closure%20Letter_03022021.pdf 320201004M_Closure Letter_03022021_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/320201004M/320201004M_Closure%20Letter_03022021_text.pdf 320201004M_Notice of Amendment_09302020.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/320201004M/320201004M_Notice%20of%20Amendment_09302020.pdf 320201004M_Notice of Amendment_09302020_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/320201004M/320201004M_Notice%20of%20Amendment_09302020_text.pdf 320201004M_Operator Response to Notice_10282020.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/320201004M/320201004M_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_10282020.pdf 320201004M_Closure Letter_03022021_text.pdf VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO: terry.spencer@oneok.com, roger.thorpe@oneok.com, gary.numedahl@oneok.com, and kevin.burdick@oneok.com March 2, 2021 Mr. Terry Spencer Chief Executive Officer Viking Gas Transmission Company 100 West Fifth Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 Re: CPF 3-2020-1004M Dear Mr. Spencer: During July and August 2018, representatives of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code, inspected your subsidiary’s, Viking Gas Transmission Company (Viking), procedures near Ada, Minnesota, regarding compressor stations. As a result of the inspection, Viking Gas Transmission was issued a Notice of Amendment on September 30, 2020, which proposed amendment of your procedures. Viking Gas Transmission submitted its amended procedures on December 7, 2020. 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, Gregory A. Ochs Director, Central Region Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Cc: Mr. Roger Thorpe, Vice President Gas Pipeline Operations, Viking Gas Transmission Company, roger.thorpe@oneok.com; Mr. Gary Numedahl, Director – DOT Compliance, ONEOK, Inc., gary.numedahl@oneok.com; Mr. Kevin Burdick, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, ONEOK, Inc., kevin.burdick@oneok.com 320201004M_Notice of Amendment_09302020_text.pdf NOTICE OF AMENDMENT VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO: Kevin.Burdick@ONEOK.com and Roger.Thorpe@ONEOK.com September 30, 2020 Mr. Kevin Burdick Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer ONEOK Inc. 100 West Fifth Street, Tulsa, OK 74103 Kevin.burdick@ONEOK.com CPF 3-2020-1004M Dear Mr. Burdick: During July and August 2018, representatives of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code, inspected your subsidiary’s, Viking Gas Transmission Company (Viking), procedures near Ada, Minnesota, regarding compressor stations. On the basis of the inspection, PHMSA has identified the apparent inadequacies found within Viking’s plans or procedures, as described below: 1. § 192.605 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies. (a) . . . (b) Maintenance and normal operations. The manual required by paragraph (a) of this section must include procedures for the following, if applicable, to provide safety during maintenance and operations. (1) Operating, maintaining, and repairing the pipeline in accordance with each of the requirements of this subpart and subpart M of this part. §192.735 Compressor stations: Storage of combustible materials. (a) Flammable or combustible materials in quantities beyond those required for everyday use, or other than those normally used in compressor buildings, must be stored a safe distance from the compressor building. Viking’s Procedure NGPsaf3.340 "Flammable and Combustible Material" (rev 6-13-13) is inadequate because it does not describe common materials that could be flammable or combustible (such as cardboard boxes, wooden pallets, paper products) in quantities beyond those required for everyday use to ensure that those materials are stored a safe distance from the compressor building, and not inside the compressor building. The procedure mentions “Class A combustibles,” but does not define what Class A combustible materials are. The procedure also discusses limiting flammable and combustible materials storage in the compressor buildings, and warehousing flammable and combustible materials a safe distance from compressor buildings, however, there is not enough information for a person on staff to know what quantities are required for everyday use, or materials or quantities normally used in the compressor buildings. Therefore, Viking must amend its procedures to define what Class A combustible materials are, and address the quantities of flammable or combustible materials beyond what is required for everyday use. Response to this Notice This Notice is provided pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60108(a) and 49 C.F.R. § 190.206. Enclosed as part of this Notice is a document entitled Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Compliance 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 §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 C.F.R. § 190.206). If you are not contesting this Notice, we propose that you submit your amended procedures to my office within 45 days of 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 Viking Gas Transmission Company maintain documentation of the safety improvement costs associated with fulfilling this Notice of 2 Amendment (preparation/revision of plans, procedures) and submit the total to Mr. Allan Beshore, Director, Central Region, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. In correspondence concerning this matter, please refer to CPF 3-2020-1004M and, for each document you submit, please provide a copy in electronic format whenever possible. Sincerely, Gregory A, Ochs, Director, Central Region, OPS Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Enclosure: Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Compliance Proceedings CC: Mr. Roger Thorpe, Vice President Gas Pipeline Operations, Viking Gas Transmission Company, 100 West Fifth Street, Tulsa, OK 74103 Roger.Thorpe@ONEOK.com 3 - **truncated:** false - **body characters:** 7968