{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 420131016H","title":"NORTHERN NATURAL GAS CO — Corrective Action Order","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2013-10-11","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED corrective action order.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-420131016h.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-420131016h.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-420131016h","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/420131016H","body":"Corrective Action Order involving NORTHERN NATURAL GAS CO. The dataset does not identify a cited regulation for this case. The case was opened on 2013-10-11 and is reported as closed as of 2015-10-13. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n420131016H_Closure Letter_10132015.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/420131016H/420131016H_Closure%20Letter_10132015.pdf\n\n420131016H_Closure Letter_10132015_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/420131016H/420131016H_Closure%20Letter_10132015_text.pdf\n\n420131016H_Corrective Action Order_10112013.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/420131016H/420131016H_Corrective%20Action%20Order_10112013.pdf\n\n420131016H_Corrective Action Order_10112013_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/420131016H/420131016H_Corrective%20Action%20Order_10112013_text.pdf\n\n420131016H_Closure Letter_10132015_text.pdf\n\nCERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED\nOctober 13, 2015\nMr. Mark Hewett\nPresident\nNorthern Natural Gas Company\n1111 South 103rd Street\nOmaha, Nebraska 68124\nCPF No. 4-2013-1016H\nDear Mr. Hewett:\nOn October 8, 2013 at approximately 10:40p.m., a rupture and fire occurred on the Northern\nNatural Gas Company (NNG) – M680 Line C natural gas pipeline segment located approximately\nfour (4) miles south of Englewood, Kansas and ten (10) miles north of Rosston, (Harper County)\nOklahoma. As a result of the incident, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\n(PHMSA) issued a Corrective Action Order (CAO), 4-2013-1016H, dated October 11, 2013,\nrequiring NNG to take corrective actions with respect to its pipeline system.\nThe cause of the failure was determined to be external corrosion on the pipeline. NNG has placed\nthe Class 1 pipeline segment in their Integrity Management Plan and has established a five-year\nassessment interval on the affected pipeline system for identification of corrective measures\ndesigned to prevent additional in-service failures. The next assessment will be completed prior to\nNovember 21, 2019. PHMSA monitored the actions taken within the integrity verification process\nand reviewed records submitted by NNG. PHMSA has determined that NNG has substantially\ncompleted the requirements of the CAO.\nConsequently, PHMSA has closed the CAO, CPF 4-2013-1016H.\nSincerely,\nR. M. Seeley\nDirector, Southwest Region\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\n\n420131016H_Corrective Action Order_10112013_text.pdf\n\nVIA ELECTRONIC SERVICE AND FAX TO: [402-398-7119]\nMr. Mark Hewett President of Operations\nNorthern Natural Gas Company\n1111 South 103rd Street\nOmaha, Nebraska 68124\nOCTOBER 11, 2013\nRe: CPF No. 4-2013-1016H\nDear Mr. Hewett:\nEnclosed is a Corrective Action Order issued in the above-referenced case. It requires Northern\nNatural Gas Company (Northern) to take certain corrective actions with respect to Northern’s\n“Line C” that ruptured on October 8, 2013 in the Ditch Valley Community of Oklahoma\n(approximately 4 miles south of Englewood, Kansas and 10 miles north of Rosston, Oklahoma).\nService is being made by electronic service and facsimile. Your receipt of this Corrective Action\nOrder constitutes service of that document under 49 C.F.R. § 190.5. The terms and conditions of\nthis Order are effective upon receipt.\nThank you for your cooperation in this matter.\nSincerely,\nJeffrey D. Wiese\nAssociate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety\nEnclosure\ncc: Linda Daugherty, Deputy Associate Administrator for Field Operations, OPS\nRod Seeley, Director, Southwest Region, OPS\nRoyce Ramsay, Vice President, Northern Natural Gas CO., Fax: (402) 398-7118\nThomas Correll, Director, Northern Natural Gas Co., Pipeline Safety and Integrity (via\nemail to Thomas.Correll@NNGCO.com)\n\n\n\nU.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION\nPIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION\nOFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY\nWASHINGTON, D.C. 20590\n____________________________________\nIn the Matter of )\nNorthern Natural Gas Company, ) CPF No. 4-2013-1016H\n)\n)\n)\nRespondent. )\n____________________________________)\nCORRECTIVE ACTION ORDER\nPurpose and Background\nThis Corrective Action Order (Order) is being issued, under the authority of 49 U.S.C. § 60112,\nto require Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern or Respondent) to take necessary corrective\naction to protect the public, property, and the environment from potential hazards associated with\nthe recent failure on the natural gas transmission pipeline known as “Line C.”\nOn October 8, 2013, an incident occurred on Northern’s “Line C,” resulting in a full bore rupture\nand ignition of the escaping natural gas (Failure), necessitating the evacuation of four homes and\nthe closure of U.S. Hwy 283. “Line C” is a 30-inch diameter, .344-inch wall pipeline that\ntransports natural gas from Texas to the upper Midwest. The affected segment of “Line C” runs\nfrom the Beaver Compressor Station in Beaver County, Oklahoma to the Mullinville Compressor\nStation in Kiowa County, Kansas. The rupture occurred at approximate Mile Post (MP) 34.22\nand approximately 220 feet of pipe was ejected from the ground. The cause of the Failure has\nnot yet been determined. Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60117, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS), has initiated an investigation\nof the accident. The preliminary findings of the ongoing investigation are as follows.\nPreliminary Findings\n• The pipeline in question is owned by Northern Natural Gas Company of Omaha,\nNebraska.\n• PHMSA’s Inspection Unit 2984 Amarillo Region-Spearman District includes part of\nNorthern Natural Gas Company’s Field Area which is in the southern portion of\nNorthern’ s 14,900 mile pipeline system located south of Clifton, Kansas.\n• The Field Area consists of a vast network of transmission facilities that connect to\ngathering systems in major production basins in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and\n\n\n\n2\nKansas to serve its market area which lies to the north of Clifton, Kansas and on up to the\nupper Midwest.\n• At 10:40 pm CDT, on October 8, 2013, a rupture occurred on the “Line C” at\napproximately MP 34.22 which resulted in the release of natural gas. Subsequently, the\ngas ignited and four (4) homes were evacuated within a two (2) mile radius of the\nincident. Oklahoma Highway 283 was closed for several hours until the fire was\ndetermined to be under control and safe.\n• This failure occurred in the Field Area of Northern’ s system near the Oklahoma-Kansas\nborder on “Line C”, one line in a parallel series of three natural gas pipelines. This\nincident occurred approximately four (4) miles south of Englewood, Kansas and ten (10)\nmiles north of Rosston, Oklahoma in what is known as the Ditch Valley Community in\nNorthwestern Oklahoma.\n• The failure in question was located in an open field where the pipeline was buried with\napproximately five (5) feet of cover. The pipeline was manufactured by Republic Steel\nand installed in 1954. It is 30-inch diameter, .344-inch wall; Grade X52, DSAW seamed\npipe manufactured to API 5L. The ruptured segment was approximately 220 feet long\nand was ejected from the ditch.\n• This incident did not cause any known injuries or fatalities.\n• The maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) of the pipeline at the failure site is\n860 psig which was established in 1970 under §192.619(a)(3). At the time of the failure,\nthe actual operating pressure of the pipeline was 810 psig at the Beaver Compressor\nStation Discharge to “Line C.”\n• Various state (Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas), county, and federal agencies responded to\nthe scene, including PHMSA, and local emergency responders.\n• “Line C” from MLV 2 (MP 19.39) to MLV 4 (MP 34.99) was shut down following the\nincident and currently remains out of service.\n• The cause of the failure is still undetermined and the investigation is ongoing.\nDetermination of Necessity for Corrective Action Order and Right to Hearing\nSection 60112 of Title 49, United States Code, provides for the issuance of a Corrective Action\nOrder, after reasonable notice and the opportunity for a hearing, requiring corrective action,\nwhich may include the suspended or restricted use of a pipeline facility, physical inspection,\ntesting, repair, replacement, or other action, as appropriate. The basis for making the\ndetermination that a pipeline facility is hazardous, requiring corrective action, is set forth both in\nthe above-referenced statute and 49 C.F.R. § 190.233.\nSection 60112 and the regulations promulgated thereunder provide for the issuance of a\nCorrective Action Order without prior opportunity for notice and hearing upon a finding that\nfailure to issue the Order expeditiously will likely result in serious harm to life, property, or the\nenvironment. In such cases, an opportunity for a hearing will be provided as soon as practicable\nafter the issuance of the Order.\n\n\n\n3\nAfter evaluating the foregoing preliminary findings of fact, I find that operation of Northern’s\n“Line C” without corrective measures would be hazardous to life, property, and the environment.\nAdditionally, having considered the uncertainties as to the cause of the Failure; the age of the\npipeline; the location of the failure site as to the proximity to other pipelines, state highways, and\ncounty roads; and the proximity of the pipeline to navigable waterways, environmentally\nsensitive areas and populated areas, I find that a failure to issue this Order expeditiously to\nrequire immediate corrective action would result in the likelihood of serious harm to life,\nproperty, or the environment.\nAccordingly, this Corrective Action Order mandating immediate corrective action is issued\nwithout prior notice and opportunity for a hearing. The terms and conditions of this Order are\neffective upon receipt.\nWithin 10 days of receipt of this Order, Respondent may request a hearing, to be held as soon as\npracticable, by notifying the Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety in writing, with a copy\nto the Director, Southwest Region, PHMSA (Director). If a hearing is requested, it will be held\ntelephonically or in-person in Houston, Texas, or Washington, D.C.\nAfter receiving and analyzing additional data in the course of this investigation, PHMSA may\nidentify other corrective measures that need to be taken. In that event, Respondent will be\nnotified of any additional measures required and amendment of this Order will be considered.\nTo the extent consistent with safety, Respondent will be afforded notice and an opportunity for a\nhearing prior to the imposition of any additional corrective measures.\nRequired Corrective Actions\nPursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60112, I hereby order Northern to immediately take the following\ncorrective actions on its “Line C” Pipeline (Affected Pipeline):\n1. Affected Segment Pressure Restriction. After restart, the “Line C” Affected Segment\nfrom Beaver Compressor Station (MP 0) to Mullinville Compressor Station (MP 90.1) is\nnot to exceed 80% of the actual operating pressure just prior to the failure. The actual\noperating pressure was determined to be 810 psig, and 80% of that pressure is 648 psig.\nThis restriction shall remain in place until written approval; pursuant to item 4 is obtained\nfrom the PHMSA Region Director, Southwest Region (Director).\n2. Metallurgical Analysis and Testing. Northern shall conduct a detailed metallurgical\nanalysis of the pipe that failed on October 8, 2013, to determine the cause and\ncontributing factors for the failure as follows:\nDocument the chain-of-custody when handling and transporting the failed pipe\nsection and other evidence from the failure site;\nB. Within 10 days of receipt of this Order, submit to the Director a proposed\nselection of the testing laboratory and proposed metallurgical testing protocol for\nprior approval.\nA.\n\n\n\n4\nC. Prior to commencing the mechanical and metallurgical testing, provide the\nDirector with the scheduled date, time, and location of the testing to allow a\nPHMSA representative to witness the testing; and\nD. Ensure that the testing laboratory distributes all resulting reports in their entirety\n(including all media); whether draft or final, to the Director at the same time as\nthey are made available to Northern.\n3. Restart Plan. Within 10 days of the receipt of this Order, Northern shall develop and\nsubmit a written plan detailing the actions to be taken prior to restarting the Affected\nSegment including planned repairs, inspections and returning the Affected Segment to\nservice (returning to service means purging and filling the pipeline with natural gas up to\nbut not above the Pressure Restriction specified in Item 1).\nA. The restart plan must provide for adequate patrolling of the Affected Segment\nduring the restart process and must include an incremental start-up, with each\nincrement to be held for at least two hours.\nB. The plan must include sufficient surveillance of each increment to ensure that\nno leaks are present when operation of the line resumes.\nC. The restart plan must specify a daylight restart and advance communications\nwith local emergency response officials.\n4. Integrity Verification Plan. Northern shall submit a written plan, to verify the integrity of\nthe Affected Segment based upon the results of Item 2. The plan must provide integrity\ntesting that addresses all known or suspected factors in the failure.\n5. Removal of Pressure Restriction. Northern may request approval from the Director, to\nremove or modify the pressure restriction of the Affected Segment based on\ndemonstrating that the hazard has been abated or that a higher pressure is justified based\non an analysis showing that the pressure increase is safe considering all known defects,\nanomalies and operating parameters of the pipeline. The request should include an\nadditional return to service plan with the final results of all testing and activities\nconducted pursuant to items 2 through 4 above. The Director’s determination will be\nbased on satisfactory completion of these requirements and evidence that mitigative\nactions taken by the operator provide for the safe operation of the pipeline.\n6. Reporting. Northern shall submit quarterly reports to the Director that: (1) include all\navailable data and results of the testing and evaluations conducted pursuant to this Order;\nand (2) describe the progress of the repairs or other remedial actions being undertaken.\nThe first quarterly report is due on January 15, 2013. The Director may change the\ninterval for the submission of these reports.\n7. Documentation of the Costs. It is requested but not required that Northern maintain\ndocumentation of the costs associated with implementation of this Corrective Action\nOrder. Include in each monthly report submitted, the to-date total costs associated with:\n(1) preparation and revision of procedures, studies and analyses; (2) physical changes to\n\n\n\n5\npipeline facilities, including repairs, replacements and other modifications; and (3)\nenvironmental remediation, if applicable.\n8. Approvals. With respect to each submission that under this Order requires the approval\nof the Director, the Director may: (a) approve, in whole or part, the submission; (b)\napprove the submission on specified conditions; (c) modify the submission to cure any\ndeficiencies; (d) disapprove in whole or in part, the submission, directing that Northern\nmodify the submission, or (e) any combination of the above. In the event of approval,\napproval upon conditions, or modification by the Director, Northern shall proceed to take\nall action required by the submission as approved or modified by the Director. If the\nDirector disapproves all or any portion of the submission, Northern must correct all\ndeficiencies within the time specified by the Director, and resubmit it for approval.\n9. Extensions of Time. The Director may grant an extension of time for compliance with\nany of the terms of this Order upon a written request timely submitted demonstrating\ngood cause for an extension.\nThe actions required by this Corrective Action Order are in addition to and do not waive any\nrequirements that apply to Respondent’s pipeline system under 49 C.F.R. Part 192, under any\nother order issued to Respondent under authority of 49 U.S.C. § 60101 et seq., or under any other\nprovision of Federal or State law.\nRespondent may appeal any decision of the Director to the Associate Administrator for Pipeline\nSafety. Decisions of the Associate Administrator shall be final.\nBe advised that all material you submit in response to this enforcement action is subject to being\nmade publicly available. If you believe that any portion of your responsive material qualifies for\nconfidential treatment under 5 U.S.C. 552(b), along with the complete original document you\nmust provide a second copy of the document with the portions you believe qualify for\nconfidential treatment redacted and an explanation of why you believe the redacted information\nqualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C. 552(b).\nFailure to comply with this Order may result in the assessment of civil penalties and in referral to\nthe Attorney General for appropriate relief in United States District Court pursuant to 49 U.S.C.\n§ 60120.\nIn your correspondence on this matter, please refer to CPF No. 4-2013-1016H and for each\ndocument you submit, please provide a copy in electronic format whenever possible.\nThe terms and conditions of this Corrective Action Order are effective upon receipt.\n__________________________________ __________________\nJeffrey D. Wiese Date Issued\nAssociate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety","truncated":false,"body_characters":17662}