# VALERO PARTNERS OPERATING CO. LLC — Warning Letter

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** CPF 42020019WL
- **title:** VALERO PARTNERS OPERATING CO. LLC — Warning Letter
- **source type:** enforcement
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** historical
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2020-12-10
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** CLOSED warning letter citing 195.49.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42020019wl.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42020019wl.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42020019wl
- **source url:** https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/42020019WL
**body:**

Warning Letter involving VALERO PARTNERS OPERATING CO. LLC. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 195.49. The case was opened on 2020-12-10 and is reported as closed as of 2020-12-10. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.

Official case documents:

42020019WL_Warning Letter_12102020_(20-182839).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42020019WL/42020019WL_Warning%20Letter_12102020_(20-182839).pdf

42020019WL_Warning Letter_12102020_(20-182839)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42020019WL/42020019WL_Warning%20Letter_12102020_(20-182839)_text.pdf

42020019WL_Warning Letter_12102020_(20-182839)_text.pdf

WARNING LETTER
ELECTRONIC MAIL
December 10, 2020
Fred Hampton
Vice President
Valero Partners Operating Company, LLC
One Valero Way
San Antonio, Texas 78249
CPF 4-2020-019-WL
Dear Mr. Hampton:
On August 20, 2020, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration (PHMSA) pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code (U.S.C.) inspected
your Lucas Terminal facility in Beaumont, Texas.
As a result of the inspection, it is alleged that you have committed a probable violation of the
Pipeline Safety Regulations, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The item inspected and
the probable violation is:
1. §195.49 Annual report
Each operator must annually complete and submit DOT Form PHMSA F 7000-1.1
for each type of hazardous liquid pipeline facility operated at the end of the previous
year. An operator must submit the annual report by June 15 each year, except that
for the 2010 reporting year the report must be submitted by August 15, 2011. A
separate report is required for crude oil, HVL (including anhydrous ammonia),
petroleum products, carbon dioxide pipelines, and fuel grade ethanol pipelines. For
each state a pipeline traverses, an operator must separately complete those sections
on the form requiring information to be reported for each state.
Valero Partners Operating, LLC (Valero) failed to determine the correct regulatory authority for
its Lucas Terminal facility and file the correct PHMSA annual report PHMSA F 7000-1.1. Valero
listed the Lucas Terminal facility as an intrastate asset under the intrastate regulatory authority of
the Railroad Commission of Texas for 2017, 2018, and 2019.



2
PHMSA has determined that the Lucas Terminal facility is an interstate pipeline facility subject to
the regulatory authority of PHMSA as described in § 195.1. More specifically, this facility is used
as surge relief from an interstate pipeline, as well as receiving and delivering commodity to
interstate pipeline facilities.
Under 49 U.S.C. § 60122 and 49 CFR § 190.223, you are subject to a civil penalty not to exceed
$218,647 per violation per day the violation persists, up to a maximum of $2,186,465 for a related
series of violations. For violation occurring on or after November 27, 2018 and before July 31,
2019, the maximum penalty may not exceed $213,268 per violation per day, with a maximum
penalty not to exceed $2,132,679. For violation occurring on or after November 2, 2015 and before
November 27, 2018, the maximum penalty may not exceed $209,002 per violation per day, with a
maximum penalty not to exceed $2,090,022. For violations occurring prior to November 2, 2015,
the maximum penalty may not exceed $200,000 per violation per day, with a maximum penalty
not to exceed $2,000,000 for a related series of violations. We have reviewed the circumstances
and supporting documents involved in this case, and have decided not to conduct additional
enforcement action or penalty assessment proceedings at this time. We advise you to correct the
item identified in this letter. Failure to do so will result in Valero Partners Operating Company,
LLC being subject to additional enforcement action.
No reply to this letter is required. If you choose to reply, in your correspondence please refer to
CPF 4-2020-019-WL. 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).
Sincerely,
Mary L. McDaniel, P.E.
Director, Southwest, Office of Pipeline Safety
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
cc: James Trevino, Manager Regulatory Compliance, Valero, james.trevino@valero.com
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