{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 520060022","title":"ENSTAR NATURAL GAS CO — Notice of Probable Violation","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2006-06-09","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of probable violation citing 192.199(h).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520060022.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520060022.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520060022","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/520060022","body":"Notice of Probable Violation involving ENSTAR NATURAL GAS CO. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 192.199(h). The case was opened on 2006-06-09 and is reported as closed as of 2009-06-12. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n520060022_FinalOrder_06122009.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520060022/520060022_FinalOrder_06122009.pdf\n\n520060022_FinalOrder_06122009_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520060022/520060022_FinalOrder_06122009_text.pdf\n\n520060022_FinalOrder_06122009_text.pdf\n\nJUN 12 2009\nMs. Colleen Starring\nPresident\nEnstar Natural Gas Company\nP.O. Box 190288\n401 E. International Airport Road\nAnchorage, Alaska 99519\nRe: CPF No. 5-2006-0022\nDear Ms. Starring:\nEnclosed is the Final Order issued by the Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety in the\nabove-referenced case. It makes a finding of violation and finds that Enstar has completed the\nactions specified in the Notice required to comply with the pipeline safety regulations. This case\nis now closed. Your receipt of the Final Order constitutes service of that document under 49\nC.F.R. § 190.5.\nThank you for your cooperation in this matter.\nSincerely,\nJeffrey D. Wiese\nAssociate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety\nEnclosure\ncc: Chris Hoidal, Director, Western Region, PHMSA\nJohn Lau, Director of Transmission Operations, Enstar Natural Gas Company\nCERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED [7005 1160 0001 0046 9631]\n\n\n\nU.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION\nPIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION\nOFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY\nWASHINGTON, D.C. 20590\n______________________________\n)\nIn the Matter of )\n)\nEnstar Natural Gas Company, ) CPF No. 5-2006-0022\n)\nRespondent. )\n______________________________)\nFINAL ORDER\nBetween September 25-28, 2005, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60117, a representative of the Pipeline\nand Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS),\nconducted an on-site pipeline safety inspection of the facilities and records of Enstar Natural Gas\nCompany (Enstar or Respondent) along its Kenai Natural Gas Transportation pipeline in\nAnchorage, Alaska. Enstar owns and operates over 3,000 miles of natural gas distribution and\ntransmission lines throughout South Central Alaska.\nAs a result of the inspection, the Director, Western Region, OPS (Director), issued to Enstar, by\nletter dated June 9, 2006, a Notice of Probable Violation and Proposed Compliance Order\n(Notice). In accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 190.207, the Notice proposed finding that Enstar had\nviolated 49 C.F.R. § 192.199 and ordering Enstar to take certain corrective measures.\nEnstar responded to the Notice by letter dated May 15, 2008 (Response). Enstar did not contest\nthe allegations of violation but described certain corrective actions that it had implemented.\nrequest a hearing and therefore waived its right to one.\nEnstar also offered an explanation for the tardiness of the Response.1 Respondent did not\nFINDING OF VIOLATION\nItem 1: The Notice alleged that Enstar violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.199(h), which states:\n§ 192.199 Requirements for design of pressure relief and limiting devices.\n1 Although the May 15, 2008 Response is considered late since Enstar filed it after the thirty day deadline\nestablished by 49 C.F.R. § 190.209, the issue is moot since Enstar did not contest the Notice and has satisfied the\nCompliance Order.\n\n\n\n2\nExcept for rupture discs, each pressure relief or pressure limiting\ndevice must:\n(h) Except for a valve that will isolate the system under\nprotection from its source of pressure, be designed to prevent\nunauthorized operation of any stop valve that will make the pressure\nrelief valve or pressure limiting device inoperative.\nThe Notice alleged that Enstar failed to design the Gudenrath compressor and regulator station to\nprevent unauthorized operation as required by 192.199(h). The current design allowed for an\nunauthorized person to enter the facility and close the valves altering the flow of gas. The station\nis located at Mile Post 25.1 on the Kenai Natural Gas Transportation pipeline and is accessible\nby a dirt road. At the time of the inspection, the station was not completely fenced and the\nmainline valves within the facility were unlocked. The inspector also observed a valve wrench\nattached to the valve making this station prone to vandalism. In order to comply with\n192.199(h), Enstar must either lock the valves or surround the station with a security fence to\nprevent unauthorized entry. Enstar did not contest this allegation. Accordingly, I find that\nEnstar violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.199(h) by failing to design the station to prevent unauthorized\noperation of the regulator valves.\nCOMPLIANCE ORDER\nThe Notice proposed a compliance order with respect to Item 1 in the Notice for violating 49\nC.F.R. § 192.199(h). 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.\nThe Director has indicated that Respondent’s personnel have locked the valves at the Gudenrath\ncompressor station and have provided pictures to the Director as evidence of this action.\nAccordingly, since compliance has been achieved with respect to this violation, the compliance\nterms are not included in this Order.\nThe terms and conditions of this Final Order shall be effective upon receipt.\n___________________________________ __________________________\nJeffrey D. Wiese Date Issued\nAssociate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety","truncated":false,"body_characters":5674}