{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 42024055NOA","title":"SINCLAIR TRANSPORTATION COMPANY — Notice of Amendment","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2024-12-03","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of amendment citing 195.402(c)(3), 195.417(a), 195.419(a), 195.420(a).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42024055noa.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42024055noa.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42024055noa","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/42024055NOA","body":"Notice of Amendment involving SINCLAIR TRANSPORTATION COMPANY. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulations as 195.402(c)(3),  195.417(a),  195.419(a),  195.420(a). The case was opened on 2024-12-03 and is reported as closed as of 2025-11-25. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n42024055NOA_Closure Letter_11252025_(23-266712).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024055NOA/42024055NOA_Closure%20Letter_11252025_(23-266712).pdf\n\n42024055NOA_Closure Letter_11252025_(23-266712)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024055NOA/42024055NOA_Closure%20Letter_11252025_(23-266712)_text.pdf\n\n42024055NOA_Notice of Amendment_12032024_(23-266712).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024055NOA/42024055NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_12032024_(23-266712).pdf\n\n42024055NOA_Notice of Amendment_12032024_(23-266712)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024055NOA/42024055NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_12032024_(23-266712)_text.pdf\n\n42024055NOA_Operator Response to Notice_12052024_(23-266712).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42024055NOA/42024055NOA_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_12052024_(23-266712).pdf\n\n42024055NOA_Notice of Amendment_12032024_(23-266712)_text.pdf\n\nNOTICE OF AMENDMENT\nVIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO: steve.ledbetter@hfsinclair.com\nDecember 3, 2024\nSteven Ledbetter\nExecutive Vice President, Commercial\nHF Sinclair Corporation\n2828 N. Harwood St, Suite 1300\nDallas, TX 75201\nCPF 4-2024-055-NOA\nDear Mr. Ledbetter:\nFrom February 27 to May 11, 2023, of the onsite inspection, a representative of the Pipeline and\nHazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States\nCode (U.S.C.) inspected Sinclair Transportation Company, LLC’s1 (Sinclair) procedures for its\nhazardous liquid pipeline facilities in Sinclair, Wyoming.\nAs a result of the inspection, PHMSA has identified the apparent inadequacies found within\nSinclair’s plans or procedures. The items inspected and the inadequacies are described below:\n1. § 195.402 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies.\n(a) . . . .\n(c) Maintenance and normal operations. The manual required by\nparagraph (a) of this section must include procedures for the following\nto provide safety during maintenance and normal operations:\n(1) . . . .\n(2) . . . .\n(3) Operating, maintaining, and repairing the pipeline system in\naccordance with each of the requirements of this subpart and subpart\nH of this part.\n§ 195.417 Notification of potential rupture.\n(a) As used in this part, a notification of potential rupture means\nthe notification to, or observation by, an operator (e.g., by or to its\ncontroller(s) in a control room, field personnel, nearby pipeline or\n1 Sinclair Transportation Company, LLC, is a subsidiary of HF Sinclair Corporation.\n\n\n\nutility personnel, the public, local responders, or public authorities) of\none or more of the below indicia of a potential unintentional or\nuncontrolled release of a large volume of hazardous liquids from a\npipeline:\n(1) An unanticipated or unexplained pressure loss outside of the\npipeline's normal operating pressures, as defined in the operator's\nwritten procedures. The operator must establish in its written\nprocedures that an unanticipated or unplanned pressure loss is outside\nof the pipeline's normal operating pressures when there is a pressure\nloss greater than 10 percent occurring within a time interval of 15\nminutes or less, unless the operator has documented in its written\nprocedures the operational need for a greater pressure-change\nthreshold due to pipeline flow dynamics (including changes in\noperating pressure, flow rate, or volume), that are caused by\nfluctuations in product demand, receipts, or deliveries;\n(2) An unanticipated or unexplained flow rate change, pressure\nchange, equipment function, or other pipeline instrumentation\nindication at the upstream or downstream station that may be\nrepresentative of an event meeting paragraph (a)(1) of this section; or\n(3) Any unanticipated or unexplained rapid release of a large\nvolume of hazardous liquid, a fire, or an explosion, in the immediate\nvicinity of the pipeline.\nSinclair’s written procedures for conducting operations and maintenance activities were\ninadequate to provide for safe operation of a pipeline facility in accordance with § 195.402(c)(3).\nSpecifically, Sinclair’s Operations and Maintenance Manual, revised July 21, 2021, failed to\ncontain provisions for operator personnel to identify a notification of potential rupture in\naccordance with § 195.417.\nSinclair must revise its written procedures to include provisions for operator personnel to identify\na potential rupture and instructions on notification of a potential rupture in accordance with §\n195.417(a).\n2. § 195.402 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies.\n(a) . . . .\n(c) Maintenance and normal operations. The manual required by\nparagraph (a) of this section must include procedures for the following\nto provide safety during maintenance and normal operations:\n(1) . . . .\n(2) . . . .\n(3) Operating, maintaining, and repairing the pipeline system in\naccordance with each of the requirements of this subpart and subpart\nH of this part.\n\n\n\n§ 195.419 Valve capabilities.\n(a) Scope. The requirements in this section apply to rupture-\nmitigation valves (RMV), as defined in § 195.2, or alternative\nequivalent technology, installed pursuant to §§ 195.258 and 195.418. (b)\nRupture identification and valve shut-off time.\nSinclair’s written procedures for conducting operations and maintenance activities were\ninadequate to provide for safe operation of a pipeline facility in accordance with § 195.402(c)(3).\nSpecifically, Sinclair’s Operations and Maintenance Manual, revised July 21, 2021, failed to\ninclude the provisions of § 195.419(a)-(h).\nTherefore, Sinclair Transportation company must amend its written procedures to include the\nprovisions of § 195.419(a)-(h).\n3. § 195.402 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies.\n(a) . . . .\n(c) Maintenance and normal operations. The manual required by\nparagraph (a) of this section must include procedures for the following\nto provide safety during maintenance and normal operations:\n(1) . . . .\n(2) . . . .\n(3) Operating, maintaining, and repairing the pipeline system in\naccordance with each of the requirements of this subpart and subpart\nH of this part.\n§ 195.420 Valve maintenance.\n(a) . . . .\n(f) Each operator must implement remedial measures as follows to\ncorrect any valve installed on an onshore pipeline in accordance with §\n195.258(c), or an RMV or alternative equivalent technology installed in\naccordance with § 195.418, that is indicated to be inoperable or unable\nto maintain effective shut-off:\n(1) Repair or replace the valve as soon as practicable but no later\nthan 12 months after finding that the valve is inoperable or unable to\nmaintain shut-off. An operator may request an extension of the\ncompliance deadline requirements of this section if it can demonstrate\nto PHMSA, in accordance with the notification procedures in § 195.18,\nthat repairing or replacing a valve within 12 months would be\neconomically, technically, or operationally infeasible; and\n(2) Designate an alternative compliant valve within 7 calendar days\nof the finding while repairs are being made and document an interim\nresponse plan to maintain safety. Alternative compliant valves are not\nrequired to comply with valve spacing requirements of this part.\n\n\n\nSinclair’s written procedures for conducting operations and maintenance activities were\ninadequate to provide for safe operation of a pipeline facility in accordance with § 195.402(c)(3).\nSpecifically, Sinclair’s Operations and Maintenance Manual, revised July 21, 2021, failed to\ninclude procedures for repairing or replacing a valve as soon as practicable but no later than 12\nmonths after finding that the valve is inoperable or unable to maintain shut-off, and designate an\nalternative compliant valve within 7 calendar days of the finding while repairs are being made and\ndocument an interim response plan to maintain safety in accordance with § 195.420(f)(1) and (2),\nrespectively.\nTherefore, Sinclair must amend its written procedures to include procedures for the remediation\nof valves in accordance with the requirements of § 195.420(f).\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 90 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 Sinclair Transportation Company maintain documentation of\nthe safety improvement costs associated with fulfilling this Notice of Amendment\n(preparation/revision of plans, procedures) and submit the total to Bryan Lethcoe, Director,\nSouthwest Region, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. In correspondence\nconcerning this matter, please refer to CPF 4-2024-055-NOA and, for each document you submit,\nplease provide a copy in electronic format whenever possible.\n\n\n\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: Jessica Franklin, Compliance Auditor, Lead, - Pipeline Regulatory,\nJessica.Franklin@HFSinclair.com\nBridgette Taylor, Manager, Pipeline Regulatory - Regulatory Compliance,\nbridgette.taylor@hfsinclair.com\n\n42024055NOA_Closure Letter_11252025_(23-266712)_text.pdf\n\nU.S. Department of Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration 8701 S. Gessner, Suite 630\nHouston TX 77074\nVIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO: steve.ledbetter@hfsinclair.com\nNovember 25, 2025\nSteven Ledbetter\nExecutive Vice President, Commercial\nHF Sinclair Corporation\n2828 N. Harwood St, Suite 1300\nDallas, TX 75201\nCPF 4-2024-055-NOA\nDear Mr. Ledbetter:\nFrom February 27, 2023 to May 11, 2023, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration (PHMSA) pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code (U.S.C.)\ninspected Sinclair Transportation Company, LLC’s1 (Sinclair) procedures for its hazardous liquid\npipeline facilities in Sinclair, Wyoming.\nHF Sinclair Corporation submitted its amended procedures on September 8, 2025. PHMSA staff\nreviewed these procedures, and it appears that the inadequacies outlined in this Notice of\nAmendment have been corrected.\nThis letter is to inform you that no further action is necessary, and this case is now closed. Thank\nyou for your cooperation.\nSincerely,\nBryan Lethcoe\nDirector, Southwest Region\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\ncc: Jessica Franklin, Compliance Auditor, Lead, - Pipeline Regulatory, HF Sinclair\nCorporation, Jessica.Franklin@HFSinclair.com\nBridgette Taylor, Manager, Pipeline Regulatory - Regulatory Compliance, HF Sinclair\nCorporation, bridgette.taylor@hfsinclair.com\nCharles Curl, Director, Pipeline Excellence & Compliance | Midstream, HF Sinclair\nCorporation, Charles.Curl@hfsinclair.com\n1 Sinclair Transportation Company, LLC, is a subsidiary of HF Sinclair Corporation.","truncated":false,"body_characters":12897}