{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 42024028NOA","title":"COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC — Notice of Amendment","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2024-08-26","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of amendment citing 191.5(a).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42024028noa.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42024028noa.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42024028noa","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/42024028NOA","body":"Notice of Amendment involving COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION, LLC. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 191.5(a). The case was opened on 2024-08-26 and is reported as closed as of 2024-10-22. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n42024028NOA_Closure Letter_10222024_(24-299840).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024028NOA/42024028NOA_Closure%20Letter_10222024_(24-299840).pdf\n\n42024028NOA_Closure Letter_10222024_(24-299840)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024028NOA/42024028NOA_Closure%20Letter_10222024_(24-299840)_text.pdf\n\n42024028NOA_Notice of Amendment_08262024_(24-299840).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024028NOA/42024028NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_08262024_(24-299840).pdf\n\n42024028NOA_Notice of Amendment_08262024_(24-299840)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024028NOA/42024028NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_08262024_(24-299840)_text.pdf\n\n42024028NOA_Operator Response to Notice_09232024_(24-299840).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024028NOA/42024028NOA_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_09232024_(24-299840).pdf\n\n42024028NOA_Notice of Amendment_08262024_(24-299840)_text.pdf\n\nNOTICE OF AMENDMENT\nVIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO: Tina faraca@tcenergy.com\nAugust 26, 2024\nTina Faraca\nExecutive Vice President & President\nColumbia Gas Transmission LLC\n700 Louisiana Street, Suite 700\nHouston, Texas 77002\nCPF 4-2024-028-NOA\nDear Ms. Faraca:\nFrom March 11 through March 15, 2024, of the on-site inspection, a representative of the Pipeline\nand Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United\nStates Code (U.S.C.) inspected Columbia Gas Transmission LLC’s (Columbia Gas) procedures\nfor operations and maintenance in Chesapeake, Virginia.\nAs a result of the inspection, PHMSA has identified an apparent inadequacy found within\nColumbia Gas’s plans or procedures. The item inspected and the inadequacy is described below:\n1. § 191.5 Immediate notice of certain incidents.\n(a) At the earliest practicable moment following discovery, but no\nlater than one hour after confirmed discovery, each operator must give\nnotice in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section of each incident\nas defined in § 191.3.\nColumbia Gas’s written procedures for conducting operations and maintenance activities were\ninadequate to assure safe operation of a pipeline facility in accordance with § 191.5(a).\nSpecifically, Columbia Gas’s LNG Operations and Maintenance (O&M): 191.05 Immediate\nNotice of Certain Incidents (US) (Rev. 4; 12/1/23), section 4.0, failed to specify that certain\nincidents must be immediately reported, no later than one hour after confirmed discovery, in\naccordance with § 191.5(a). Columbia Gas must revise its procedure to clarify that certain\nincidents must be immediately reported no later than one hour after confirmed discovery in\naccordance with § 191.5(a).\n\n\n\nResponse to this Notice\nThis Notice is provided pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60108(a) and 49 C.F.R. § 190.206. Enclosed as\npart of this Notice is a document entitled Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Enforcement\nProceedings.\nPlease refer to this document and note the response options. Be advised that all material you\nsubmit in response to this enforcement action is subject to being made publicly available. If you\nbelieve that any portion of your responsive material qualifies for confidential treatment under 5\nU.S.C. § 552(b), along with the complete original document you must provide a second copy of\nthe document with the portions you believe qualify for confidential treatment redacted and an\nexplanation of why you believe the redacted information qualifies for confidential treatment under\n5 U.S.C. § 552(b).\nFollowing the receipt of this Notice, you have 30 days to submit written comments, revised\nprocedures, or a request for a hearing under § 190.211. If you do not respond within 30 days of\nreceipt of this Notice, this constitutes a waiver of your right to contest the allegations in this Notice\nand authorizes the Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety to find facts as alleged in this Notice\nwithout further notice to you and to issue an Order Directing Amendment. If your plans or\nprocedures are found inadequate as alleged in this Notice, you may be ordered to amend your plans\nor procedures to correct the inadequacies (49 C.F.R. § 190.206). If you are not contesting this\nNotice, we propose that you submit your amended procedures to my office within 30 days of\nreceipt of this Notice. This period may be extended by written request for good cause. Once the\ninadequacies identified herein have been addressed in your amended procedures, this enforcement\naction will be closed.\nIt is requested (not mandated) that Columbia Gas maintain documentation of the safety\nimprovement costs associated with fulfilling this Notice of Amendment (preparation/revision of\nplans, procedures) and submit the total to Bryan Lethcoe, Director, Southwest Region, Pipeline\nand Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. In correspondence concerning this matter, please\nrefer to CPF 4-2024-028-NOA and, for each document you submit, please provide a copy in\nelectronic format whenever possible.\nSincerely,\nBryan Lethcoe\nDirector, Southwest Region, Office of Pipeline Safety\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nEnclosure: Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Enforcement Proceedings\ncc: Dan Cerkoney, Sr. Manager, Regulatory Compliance, dan_cerkoney@tcenergy.com\n\n42024028NOA_Closure Letter_10222024_(24-299840)_text.pdf\n\nVIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO: tina faraca@tcenergy.com\nOctober 22, 2024\nTina Faraca\nExecutive Vice President & President\nColumbia Gas Transmission, LLC\n700 Louisiana Street, Suite 700\nHouston, Texas 77002\nCPF 4-2024-028-NOA\nDear Ms. Faraca:\nFrom March 11 through March 15, 2024, a representative from the Pipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to chapter 601 of 49 United States Code,\nconducted an on-site pipeline safety inspection of Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC’s (Columbia\nGas) procedures in Chesapeake, Virginia. As a result of the inspection, Columbia Gas was issued\na Notice of Amendment on August 26, 2024, proposing amendment of Columbia Gas’ operations\nand maintenance procedures.\nColumbia Gas, through its parent company TC Energy, submitted its amended procedures on\nSeptember 23, 2024. PHMSA has reviewed the amended procedure, and it appears that the\ninadequacy outlined in this Notice of Amendment has been corrected.\nThis letter is to inform you no further action is necessary and this case is now closed. Thank you\nfor your cooperation.\nSincerely,\nBryan Lethcoe\nDirector, Southwest Region, Office of Pipeline Safety\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\ncc: Dan Cerkoney, Sr. Manager, Regulatory Compliance, dan_cerkoney@tcenergy.com","truncated":false,"body_characters":6989}