{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 520141002","title":"NORTHWEST PIPELINE LLC — Notice of Probable Violation","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2014-11-13","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of probable violation citing 192.179(a).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520141002.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520141002.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520141002","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/520141002","body":"Notice of Probable Violation involving NORTHWEST PIPELINE LLC. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 192.179(a). The case was opened on 2014-11-13 and is reported as closed as of 2016-03-15. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n520141002_Closure Letter_03152016.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520141002/520141002_Closure%20Letter_03152016.pdf\n\n520141002_Closure Letter_03152016_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520141002/520141002_Closure%20Letter_03152016_text.pdf\n\n520141002_Final Order_12292015.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520141002/520141002_Final%20Order_12292015.pdf\n\n520141002_Final Order_12292015_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520141002/520141002_Final%20Order_12292015_text.pdf\n\n520141002_NOPV PCO_11132014.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520141002/520141002_NOPV%20PCO_11132014.pdf\n\n520141002_NOPV PCO_11132014_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520141002/520141002_NOPV%20PCO_11132014_text.pdf\n\n520141002_Operator Response to Notice_01192015.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520141002/520141002_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_01192015.pdf\n\n520141002_Final Order_12292015_text.pdf\n\nDecember 29, 2015\nMr. Alan S. Armstrong\nPresident and Chief Executive Officer\nThe Williams Companies, Inc.\nOne Williams Center\nTulsa, Oklahoma 74172-0172\nRe: CPF No. 5-2014-1002\nDear Mr. Armstrong:\nEnclosed please find the Final Order issued in the above-referenced case. It makes a finding of\nviolation and specifies actions that need to be taken by Williams Northwest Pipeline, LLC to\ncomply with the pipeline safety regulations. When the terms of the compliance order have been\ncompleted, as determined by the Director, Western Region, this enforcement action will be\nclosed. Service of the Final Order by certified mail is deemed effective upon the date of mailing,\nor as otherwise provided under 49 C.F.R. § 190.5.\nThank you for your cooperation in this matter.\nSincerely,\nJeffrey D. Wiese\nAssociate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety\nEnclosure\ncc: Director, Western Region, OPS\nMr. Walter Bennett, Senior Vice President, West, One Williams Center, Tulsa,\nOklahoma, 74172-0172\nCERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED\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)\nWilliams Northwest Pipeline LLC, ) CPF No. 5-2014-1002\n)\nRespondent. )\n____________________________________)\nFINAL ORDER\nOn September 23-27, 2013, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60117, a representative of the Pipeline and\nHazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS),\nconducted an on-site pipeline safety inspection of the facilities and records of Williams\nNorthwest Pipeline, LLC (Williams or Respondent) in Colorado and Utah. Williams’\ntransmission system spans approximately 3,900 miles and traverses Washington, Oregon, Idaho,\nWyoming, Utah, and Colorado.\nAs a result of the inspection, the Director, Western Region, OPS (Director), issued to\nRespondent, by letter dated November 13, 2014, a Notice of Probable Violation and Proposed\nCompliance Order (Notice). In accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 190.207, the Notice proposed\nfinding that Williams violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.179 and proposed ordering Respondent to take\ncertain measures to correct the alleged violation.\nFINDING OF VIOLATION\nIn its Response, Williams did not contest the allegation in the Notice that it violated 49 C.F.R.\nPart 192, as follows:\nItem 1: The Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.179(a), which states:\n§ 192.179 Transmission line valves.\n(a) Each transmission line, other than offshore segments, must have\nsectionalizing block valves spaced as follows, unless in a particular case\nthe Administrator finds that alternative spacing would provide an\nequivalent level of safety:\n(1) Each point on the pipeline in a Class 4 location must be within 21⁄2\n\n\n\nCPF No. 5-2014-1002\nPage 2\nmiles (4 kilometers) of a valve.\n(2) Each point on the pipeline in a Class 3 location must be within 4\nmiles (6.4 kilometers) of a valve.\n(3) Each point on the pipeline in a Class 2 location must be within 71⁄2\nmiles (12 kilometers) of a valve.\n(4) Each point on the pipeline in a Class 1 location must be within 10\nmiles (16 kilometers) of a valve.\nThe Notice alleged that Respondent violated 49 C.F.R. § 192.179(a) by failing to have\nsectionalizing block valves spaced at each point on its pipeline in a Class 3 location within 4\nmiles of a valve, without a finding by the Administrator that alternative spacing would provide\nan equivalent level of safety. Specifically, the Notice alleged that Williams failed to have\nsectionalizing block valves at its Class 3 mainline near the Animas Air Park in Durango,\nColorado.\nRespondent did not contest this allegation of violation.\nAccordingly, based upon a review of all of the evidence, I find that Respondent violated 49\nC.F.R. § 192.179(a) by failing to have sectionalizing block valves spaced at each point on its\npipeline in a Class 3 location within 4 miles of a valve, without a finding by the Administrator\nthat alternative spacing would provide an equivalent level of safety.\nThis finding of violation will be considered a prior offense in any subsequent enforcement action\ntaken against Respondent.\nCOMPLIANCE ORDER\nThe Notice proposed a compliance order with respect to Item 1 in the Notice for a violation of 49\nC.F.R. § 192.179(a). 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. Pursuant to the authority of 49 U.S.C.\n§ 60118(b) and 49 C.F.R. § 190.217, Respondent is ordered to take the following actions to\nensure compliance with the pipeline safety regulations applicable to its operations:\n1. With respect to the violation of § 192.179(a) (Item 1), Respondent must add a new\nvalve that meets the 4-mile spacing requirement for Class 3 areas. In addition, the\noperator must evaluate block valve spacing for its entire pipeline system in\naccordance with its most recent class location study to ensure that the valves are\ncorrectly placed with respect to classifications. This item must be fully completed by\nNovember 1, 2015.\n2. It is requested that Williams maintain documentation of the safety improvement\ncosts associated with fulfilling this Order and submit the total to the Director,\nWestern Region. It is requested that the costs be reported in two categories: (1) total\ncost associated with the preparation/revision of plans, procedures, studies, and\n\n\n\nCPF No. 5-2014-1002\nPage 3\nanalyses; and (2) total cost associated with replacements, additions, and other changes\nto pipeline infrastructure.\nThe Director may grant an extension of time to comply with any of the required items upon a\nwritten request timely submitted by the Respondent and demonstrating good cause for an\nextension.\nFailure to comply with this Order may result in the administrative assessment of civil penalties\nnot to exceed $200,000 for each violation for each day the violation continues or in referral to the\nAttorney General for appropriate relief in a district court of the United States.\nUnder 49 C.F.R. § 190.243, Respondent has a right to submit a Petition for Reconsideration of\nthis Final Order. The petition must be sent to: Associate Administrator, Office of Pipeline\nSafety, PHMSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, East Building, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC\n20590, with a copy sent to the Office of Chief Counsel, PHMSA, at the same address. PHMSA\nwill accept petitions received no later than 20 days after receipt of service of this Final Order by\nthe Respondent, provided they contain a brief statement of the issue(s) and meet all other\nrequirements of 49 C.F.R. § 190.243. Unless the Associate Administrator, upon request, grants a\nstay, the terms and conditions of this Final Order are effective upon service in accordance with\n49 C.F.R. § 190.5.\n___________________________________ __________________________\nJeffrey D. Wiese Date Issued\nAssociate Administrator\nfor Pipeline Safety\n\n520141002_Closure Letter_03152016_text.pdf\n\nCERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED\nMarch 15, 2016\nMs. Allison Bridges\nVice President\nWilliams Northwest Pipeline, LLC\n295 Chipeta Way\nSalt Lake City, Utah 84108\nRE: CPF 5-2014-1002\nDear Ms. Bridges:\nOn December 29, 2015, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)\nissued to Williams Northwest Pipeline, LLC a Final Order in the above-referenced case. This\nOrder included a Compliance Order. Based on our review of the documentation you provided, it\nhas been determined that you have complied with the terms of this Order.\nAccordingly, this case is now closed and no further action is contemplated with respect to the\nmatters involved in this case. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.\nSincerely,\nChris Hoidal\nDirector, Western Region\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\ncc: PHP-60 Compliance Registry\nPHP-500 J. Haddow","truncated":false,"body_characters":9335}