{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 520090015M","title":"ENSTAR NATURAL GAS CO — Notice of Amendment","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2009-04-29","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of amendment citing 192.285(a), 192.605, 192.627, 192.721(b)(2).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520090015m.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520090015m.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520090015m","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/520090015M","body":"Notice of Amendment involving ENSTAR NATURAL GAS CO. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulations as 192.285(a),  192.605,  192.627,  192.721(b)(2). The case was opened on 2009-04-29 and is reported as closed as of 2009-05-29. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n520090015M_notice of amendment_04292009.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520090015M/520090015M_notice%20of%20amendment_04292009.pdf\n\n520090015M_notice of amendment_04292009_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520090015M/520090015M_notice%20of%20amendment_04292009_text.pdf\n\n520090015M_operator response_05282009.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520090015M/520090015M_operator%20response_05282009.pdf\n\n520090015M_notice of amendment_04292009_text.pdf\n\nNOTICE OF AMENDMENT\nVia: Federal Express and Facsimile To: (907) 562-0053\nApril 29, 2009\nMr. David Bredin\nENSTAR Natural Gas Co.\n401 East International Airport Rd.\nP.O. Box 190288\nAnchorage, Alaska 99519\nCPF 5-2009-0015M\nDear Mr. Bredin:\nOn November 17 and 19, 2008, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety\nAdministration (PHMSA), pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code, inspected\nENSTAR Natural Gas Co.’s Procedures for Operation and Maintenance for the Mat-Su Natural\nGas Distribution System and your facilities in Palmer and Wasilla, Alaska.\nOn the basis of the inspection, PHMSA has identified the apparent inadequacies found within\nENSTAR’s plans or procedures, as described below:\n1. §192.285 Plastic pipe; qualifying persons to make joints.\n(a) No person may make a plastic pipe joint unless that person has been qualified\nunder the applicable joining procedure by:\nThe operator’s standard operating procedures for joining of plastic pipe does not require the\nindividual performing the joining to be identified on field documentation. The operator must\nmodify field documentation of new pipe to indentify the person performing the joining of plastic\npipe.\n\n\n\n2. §192.605 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies.\nThe operator’s field documentation of newly installed plastic pipe did not indicate the depth of\ncover. §192.303, §192.327, and §192.361 require pipe to be installed with a minimum depth of\ncover. The operator must have procedures for installation of pipe indicating appropriate depth of\ncover and field documentation verifying that the depth of cover required was met.\n3. §192.627 Tapping pipelines under pressure.\nEach tap made on a pipeline under pressure must be performed by a crew qualified\nto make hot taps.\nThe operator’s hot tapping procedure, SOP 2305, Hot Tapping Procedures for Steel Mains, does\nnot state that hot tapping must be performed by qualified individuals. However, hot tapping is\nlisted as an OQ covered task. The operator must amend their procedures to indicate that the\npersonnel performing hot tapping are qualified.\n4. §192.721 Distribution systems: Patrolling.\n(b) Mains in places or on structures where anticipated physical movement or\nexternal loading could cause failure or leakage must be patrolled -\n(2) Outside business districts, at intervals not exceeding 7 1/2 months, but at least\ntwice each calendar year.\nENSTAR patrols pipeline segments supported by bridges on an annual basis. The regulations\nrequire patrol of segments, which are susceptible to movement, on a biannual basis. ENSTAR’s\nSOP 1420 states that: “The Director of Engineering or his/her designee shall be responsible for\nsurveying Distribution Line crossings subject to movement or external loading. A review will be\nconducted as such crossings are installed, to determine if potential for leakage or failure may\nexist. Bridge supported mains shall be evaluated in this review. If any Distribution Lines\n(including bridge supported mains) are identified as being subject to failure because of\nanticipated physical movement or external loading, they shall be patrolled once every three\nmonths, but not more than 4 1/2 months between patrols.”\nThe operator must modify its procedures to inspect distribution piping supported on bridges to\nbe inspected at intervals not exceeding 7 1/2 months, but at least twice each calendar year.\n2\n\n\n\nResponse to this Notice\nThis Notice is provided pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60108(a) and 49 C.F.R. § 190.237. Enclosed as\npart of this Notice is a document entitled Response Options for Pipeline Operators in\nCompliance Proceedings. Please refer to this document and note the response options. Be\nadvised that all material you submit in response to this enforcement action is subject to being\nmade publicly available. If you believe that any portion of your responsive material qualifies for\nconfidential treatment under 5 U.S.C. 552(b), along with the complete original document you\nmust provide a second copy of the document with the portions you believe qualify for\nconfidential treatment redacted and an explanation of why you believe the redacted information\nqualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C. 552(b). If you do not respond within 30 days\nof receipt of this Notice, this constitutes a waiver of your right to contest the allegations in this\nNotice and authorizes the Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety to find facts as alleged in\nthis Notice without further notice to you and to issue a Final Order.\nIf, after opportunity for a hearing, your plans or procedures are found inadequate as alleged in\nthis Notice, you may be ordered to amend your plans or procedures to correct the inadequacies\n(49 C.F.R. § 190.237). If you are not contesting this Notice, we propose that you submit your\namended procedures to my office within 60 days of receipt of this Notice. This period may be\nextended by written request for good cause. Once the inadequacies identified herein have been\naddressed in your amended procedures, this enforcement action will be closed.\nIn correspondence concerning this matter, please refer to CPF 5-2009-0015M and send all\nresponses to my attention at 222 W. 7th Ave. #200, PO Box 37, Anchorage, Alaska 99513. For\neach document you submit, please provide a copy in electronic format whenever possible.\nSincerely,\nDennis Hinnah\nDeputy Director, Western Region\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nEnclosure: Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Compliance Proceedings\ncc: PHP-60 Compliance Registry\nPHP-500 B. Flanders (#120663)\n3","truncated":false,"body_characters":6482}