{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 42025041NOA","title":"NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP — Notice of Amendment","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2025-08-29","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of amendment citing 193.2509(b)(3).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42025041noa.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42025041noa.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-42025041noa","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/42025041NOA","body":"Notice of Amendment involving NIAGARA MOHAWK POWER CORP. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 193.2509(b)(3). The case was opened on 2025-08-29 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\n42025041NOA_Closure Letter 11252025_(24-308458).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42025041NOA/42025041NOA_Closure%20Letter%2011252025_(24-308458).pdf\n\n42025041NOA_Closure Letter 11252025_(24-308458)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42025041NOA/42025041NOA_Closure%20Letter%2011252025_(24-308458)_text.pdf\n\n42025041NOA_Notice of Amendment_08292025_(24-308458).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42025041NOA/42025041NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_08292025_(24-308458).pdf\n\n42025041NOA_Notice of Amendment_08292025_(24-308458)_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42025041NOA/42025041NOA_Notice%20of%20Amendment_08292025_(24-308458)_text.pdf\n\n42025041NOA_Operator Response to Notice_09262025_(24-308458).pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/42025041NOA/42025041NOA_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_09262025_(24-308458).pdf\n\n42025041NOA_Closure Letter 11252025_(24-308458)_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: ross.turrini@nationalgrid.com\nNovember 25, 2025\nRoss Turrini\nChief Operating Officer, NY Gas Business\nNational Grid USA\n25 Hub Drive\nMelville, NY 11747\nRE: CPF 4-2025-041-NOA\nDear Mr. Turrini:\nFrom August 13 to 15, 2024 of the on-site inspection, a representative of the Pipeline and\nHazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United\nStates Code (U.S.C.), inspected Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation’sa (Niagara) procedures for\noperations and maintenance of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Providence, Rhode Island.\nAs a result of the inspection, Niagar was issued a Notice of Amendement on August 29, 2025,\nwhich proposed amendement of your procedures. Niagara submitted its amended procedures on\nSeptember 29, 2025. My staff has reviewed the amended procedures, and it appears that the\ninadequacies outlined in this Notice of Amendment have 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: Keith Costa, LNG Compliance & Training Engineer, National Grid USA\nkeith.costa@nationalgrid.com\nAndrew Kohout, Director, Division of LNG Facility Reviews and Inspections , Office of\nEnergy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, andrew.Kohout@ferc.gov\naNiagara Mohawk Power Corporation is a subsidiary of National Grid USA.\n\n42025041NOA_Notice of Amendment_08292025_(24-308458)_text.pdf\n\nNOTICE OF AMENDMENT\nVIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO: ross.turrini@nationalgrid.com\nAugust 29, 2025\nRoss Turrini\nChief Operating Officer, NY Gas Business\nNational Grid USA\n25 Hub Drive\nMelville, NY 11747\nCPF 4-2025-041-NOA\nDear Mr. Turrini,\nFrom August 13 through 15, 2024 of the on-site inspection, a representative of the Pipeline and\nHazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United\nStates Code (U.S.C.) inspected Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation’s1 (Niagara) procedures for\noperations and maintenance for its liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Providence, Rhode\nIsland.\nAs a result of the inspection, PHMSA has identified an apparent inadequacy found within\nNiagara’s plans or procedures. The item inspected and the inadequacy is described below:\n1. §193.2509 Emergency procedures.\n(a) . . . .\n(b) To adequately handle each type of emergency identified under\nparagraph (a) of this section and each fire emergency, each operator\nmust follow one or more manuals of written procedures. The\nprocedures must provide for the following:\n(1) . . . .\n(3) Coordinating with appropriate local officials in preparation of\nan emergency evacuation plan, which sets forth the steps required to\nprotect the public in the event of an emergency, including\ncatastrophic failure of an LNG storage tank.\n1 Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation is a subsidiary of National Grid USA.\n\n\n\nNiagara’s manual of written emergency procedures for its Providence, Rhode Island, LNG facility\nwas inadequate to handle each type of emergency identified under paragraph (a) of § 193.2509\nand each fire emergency in accordance with §193.2509(b)(3). Specifically, Niagara's Facility\nResponse Plan, FRP-4 SP 7.0 failed to contain instructions on coordinating with the appropriate\nlocal officials to prepare its emergency evacuation plan.\nNiagara’s response plan did not include information or steps required to protect the public, such\nas: which local authorities to contact in the event of an incident; requirements to host or participate\nin emergency drills designed to prepare Niagara's personnel and local authorities to respond to\nfacility emergencies and foster cooperative relationships; guidance on how to coordinate with local\nauthorities during emergencies that require evacuation of the facility and community; or\nrequirements for records of drills or discussions with local authorities to be retained.\nTherefore, PHMSA proposes that Niagara must update its manual of written emergency\nprocedures to include requirements to coordinate with local officials in preparation of an\nemergency evaluation plan, which sets forth the steps required to protect the public in the event of\nan emergency, including catastrophic failure of an LNG tank, in accordance with §193.2509(b)(3).\nResponse to this Notice\nThis Notice is provided pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60108(a) and 49 CFR § 190.206. Enclosed as part\nof 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 CFR § 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.\n\n\n\nIt is requested (not mandated) that Niagara maintain documentation of the safety improvement\ncosts associated with fulfilling this Notice of Amendment (preparation/revision of plans,\nprocedures) and submit the total to Bryan Lethcoe, Director, Southwest Region, Office of Pipeline\nSafety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. In correspondence concerning\nthis matter, please refer to CPF 4-2025-041-NOA and, for each document you submit, please\nprovide a copy in electronic format whenever possible.\nSincerely,\nBryan Lethcoe\nDirector, Southwest Region, Office Pipeline Safety\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nEnclosure: Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Enforcement Proceedings\ncc: Corinne Byrnes, Principal Program Manager – Federal Programs,\ncorinne.byrnes@nationalgrid.com","truncated":false,"body_characters":8445}