{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 42024022NOPV","title":"CHENIERE CREOLE TRAIL PIPELINE, L.P. — Notice of Probable Violation","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2024-03-20","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of probable violation citing 192.179(a)(4), 192.469.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42024022nopv.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42024022nopv.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42024022nopv","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/42024022NOPV","body":"Notice of Probable Violation involving CHENIERE CREOLE TRAIL PIPELINE, L.P.. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulations as 192.179(a)(4),  192.469. The case was opened on 2024-03-20 and is reported as closed as of 2025-08-06. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n42024022NOPV_Final Order_08062025_(23-264818).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024022NOPV/42024022NOPV_Final%20Order_08062025_(23-264818).pdf\n\n42024022NOPV_Final Order_08062025_(23-264818)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024022NOPV/42024022NOPV_Final%20Order_08062025_(23-264818)_text.pdf\n\n42024022NOPV_Operator Response to Notice and Request for Informal Meeting_09172024_(23-264818).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024022NOPV/42024022NOPV_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice%20and%20Request%20for%20Informal%20Meeting_09172024_(23-264818).pdf\n\n42024022NOPV_PCO_03202024_(23-264818).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024022NOPV/42024022NOPV_PCO_03202024_(23-264818).pdf\n\n42024022NOPV_PCO_03202024_(23-264818)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024022NOPV/42024022NOPV_PCO_03202024_(23-264818)_text.pdf\n\n42024022NOPV_Final Order_08062025_(23-264818)_text.pdf\n\nAugust 6, 2025\nVIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO: jack.fusco@cheniere.com\nJack Fusco\nPresident and Chief Executive Officer\nCheniere Energy, Inc.\n700 Milam Street, Suite 1900\nHouston, Texas 77002\nRe: CPF No. 4-2024-022-NOPV\nDear Mr. Fusco:\nEnclosed please find the Final Order issued in the above-referenced case. It makes a finding of\nviolation and finds that Cheniere Energy, Inc. has completed the actions necessary to comply\nwith the pipeline safety regulations. Therefore, this case is now closed. Service of the Final\nOrder by e-mail is effective upon the date of transmission and acknowledgement of receipt as\nprovided under 49 C.F.R. § 190.5. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.\nSincerely,\nLinda Daugherty\nActing Associate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety\nEnclosure\ncc: Bryan Lethcoe, Director, Southwest Region, Office of Pipeline Safety, PHMSA\nCorey Grindal, EVP and Chief Operating Officer, cory.grindal@cheniere.com\nChris Williams, Vice President, Pipeline Operations, chris.williams@cheniere.com\nPaul Falgout, Pipeline Regulatory Compliance Manager, paul.falgout@cheniere.com\nCONFIRMATION OF RECEIPT REQUESTED\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 )\n)\n)\nCheniere Creole Trail Pipeline, )\na subsidiary of Cheniere Energy, Inc., )\nRespondent. )\n____________________________________)\n) CPF No. 4-2024-022-NOPV\nFINAL ORDER\nFrom February 21 through July 21, 2023, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60117, a representative of the\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety\n(OPS), conducted an on-site pipeline safety inspection of the Cheniere Creole Trail Pipeline,\nLP’s 42-inch pipeline that transports natural gas from Gillis, Louisiana, to the Sabine Pass\nliquefied natural gas facility in Louisiana. Cheniere Creole Trail Pipeline, LP, is a subsidiary of\nCheniere Energy, Inc. (Cheniere or Respondent).\nAs a result of the inspection, the Director, Southwest Region, OPS (Director), issued to\nRespondent, by letter dated March 20, 2024, a Notice of Probable Violation and Proposed\nCompliance Order (Notice). In accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 190.207, the Notice proposed\nfinding that Cheniere had committed one violation of 49 C.F.R. Part 192 and proposed ordering\nRespondent to take certain measures to correct the alleged violation. The Notice also included\none additional warning item pursuant to 49 C.F.R. § 190.205, which warned Respondent to\ncorrect the probable violation or face possible future enforcement action.\nAfter requesting and receiving an extension of time to respond, Cheniere Energy, Inc. responded\nto the Notice on behalf of Cheniere Creole Trail Pipeline by letter dated September 17, 2024\n(Response). The company did not contest the allegation of violation but provided information\nconcerning the corrective actions it had taken. Respondent did not request a hearing and\ntherefore has waived its right to one.\nFINDING OF VIOLATION\nIn its Response, Cheniere did not contest the allegation in the Notice that it violated 49 C.F.R.\nPart 192, as follows:\n\n\n\nItem 1: The Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.179(a)(4), which states:\n§ 192.179 Transmission line valves.\n(a) Each transmission line, other than offshore segments, must\nhave sectionalizing block valves spaced as follows, unless in a particular\ncase the Administrator finds that alternative spacing would provide an\nequivalent level of safety:\n(1) . . . .\n(4) Each point on the pipeline in a Class 1 location must be within\n10 miles (16 kilometers) of a valve.\nThe Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.179(a)(4) by failing to have\nsectionalizing block valves spaced within 10 miles of a block valve in a Class 1 location.\nSpecifically, the Notice alleged that Cheniere installed a segment of 42-inch natural gas pipeline\nin a Class 1 location with a separation of 23.64 miles between sectionalizing block valves across\nCalcasieu Lake.\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. § 192.179(a)(4) by failing to have\nsectionalizing block valves spaced within 10 miles of a block valve in a Class 1 location.\nThis finding of violation will be considered a prior offense in any subsequent enforcement action\ntaken against Respondent.\nCOMPLIANCE ORDER\nThe Notice proposed a compliance order with respect to Item 1 in the Notice for violation of 49\nC.F.R. § 192.179(a)(4). Under 49 U.S.C. § 60118(a), each person who engages in the\ntransportation of gas or who owns or operates a pipeline facility is required to comply with the\napplicable safety standards established under chapter 601. The Director indicates that\nRespondent has taken the following alternative actions:\nWith respect to the violation of § 192.179(a)(4) (Item 1), Respondent submitted a Petition for\nEquivalency Finding for alternative valve spacing beneath Calcasieu Lake on July 18, 2024,\npursuant to 49 C.F.R §§ 190.9 and 192.179(a). On November 26, 2024, PHMSA issued to\nCheniere an approval of its Petition for Equivalency Finding. Accordingly, I find that\ncompliance has been achieved with respect to this violation. Therefore, the compliance terms\nproposed in the Notice are not included in this Order.\nWARNING ITEM\nWith respect to Item 2 the Notice alleged a probable violation of Part 192, but identified it as a\nwarning item pursuant to § 190.205. The warning was for:\n\n\n\n49 C.F.R. § 192.469 (Item 2) ─ Respondent’s alleged failure to maintain\nsufficient test stations or contact points on its pipeline for electrical measurement\nto determine the adequacy of cathodic protection.\nIf OPS finds a violation of this provision in a subsequent inspection, Respondent may be subject\nto future enforcement action.\nUnder 49 C.F.R. § 190.243, Respondent may submit a Petition for Reconsideration of this Final\nOrder to the Associate Administrator, Office of Pipeline Safety, PHMSA, 1200 New Jersey\nAvenue, SE, East Building, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20590, with a copy sent to the Office of\nChief Counsel, PHMSA, at the same address. The written petition must be received no later than\n20 days after receipt of the Final Order by Respondent. Any petition submitted must contain a\nstatement of the issue(s) and meet all other requirements of 49 C.F.R. § 190.243. The terms of\nthe order, including corrective action, remain in effect unless the Associate Administrator, upon\nrequest, grants a stay. The terms and conditions of this Final Order are effective upon service in\naccordance with 49 C.F.R. § 190.5.\n___________________________________ __________________________\nLinda Daugherty Date Issued\nActing Associate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety","truncated":false,"body_characters":8187}