{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 520145013W","title":"WILLIAMS FIELD SERVICES — Warning Letter","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2014-08-01","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED warning letter citing 195.52(a).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520145013w.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520145013w.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520145013w","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/520145013W","body":"Warning Letter involving WILLIAMS FIELD SERVICES. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 195.52(a). The case was opened on 2014-08-01 and is reported as closed as of 2014-08-01. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n520145013W_warning letter_08012014.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520145013W/520145013W_warning%20letter_08012014.pdf\n\n520145013W_warning letter_08012014_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520145013W/520145013W_warning%20letter_08012014_text.pdf\n\n520145013W_warning letter_08012014_text.pdf\n\nWARNING LETTER\nCERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED\nAugust 1, 2014\nMr. Joe Neave\nVP Safety and Regulatory Compliance\nWilliams Field Services Company\n2800 Post Oak Blvd.\nHouston, TX 77056\nCPF 5-2014-5013W\nDear Mr. Neave:\nOn July 22, 2014, a representative of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety\nAdministration (PHMSA) pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code investigated a\nJuly 21, 2014 release and fire from Williams Field Services Company’s (Williams) Overland\nPass Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) pipeline. The incident occurred at your South Platte Block\nValve # 503 near Kersey, Colorado.\nThe release spilled a reported maximum volume of 2077 barrels of NGLs per the National\nResponse Center incident report # 1089797. PHMSA understands that the local Fire\nDepartment notified Williams of the fire at the South Platte block valve at 2:10 pm MDT on\nJuly 21, 2014, which was a few minutes after Williams Control Room personnel had\nidentified an abnormal condition occurring on this line. PHMSA understands that a\nsignificantly less volume of NGLs was actually released and all released materials were\nconsumed by the fire. The probable cost of the estimated property damage including cost of\ncleanup and recovery, value of lost product, and damage to your property quickly should\nhave been estimated to exceed $50,000.\n\n\n\nAs a result of the investigation, it appears that you have committed a probable violation of\nthe Pipeline Safety Regulations, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. The probable\nviolation is:\n1. §195.52 Immediate notice of certain accidents.\n(a) Notice requirements. At the earliest practicable moment following discovery\nof a release of the hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide transported resulting in an\nevent described in § 195.50, the operator of the system must give notice, in\naccordance with paragraph (b) of this section, of any failure that:\n(1) Caused a death or a personal injury requiring hospitalization;\n(2) Resulted in either a fire or explosion not intentionally set by the operator;\n(3) Caused estimated property damage, including cost of cleanup and recovery,\nvalue of lost product, and damage to the property of the operator or others, or\nboth, exceeding $50,000;\n(4) Resulted in pollution of any stream, river, lake, reservoir, or other similar\nbody of water that violated applicable water quality standards, caused a\ndiscoloration of the surface of the water or adjoining shoreline, or deposited a\nsludge or emulsion beneath the surface of the water or upon adjoining\nshorelines; or\n(5) In the judgment of the operator was significant even though it did not meet\nthe criteria of any other paragraph of this section.\nFurther, PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB 2013-01 in the Federal Register\non January 30, 2013, the purpose of which was to advise owners and operators\nof gas and hazardous liquids pipeline systems and LNG facilities that they\nshould contact the NRC within one hour of discovery of a pipeline incident and\nshould also file additional telephonic reports if there are significant changes in\nthe number of fatalities or injuries, product release estimates or the extent of\ndamages.\nOn Monday, July 21, 2014, at 8:41pm Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) a representative of\nWilliams notified the National Response Center (NRC) of the release which occurred on\nyour Overland Pass NGL pipeline earlier that day at 2:10 pm MDT. The NRC Report\n(#1089797) reveals that it took 6 hours and 31 minutes for Williams to report the incident to\nthe NRC after they confirmed the release. Per §195.52 and the above referenced Advisory\nBulletin, Williams was required to notify the NRC within 1 hour of the confirmed release.\n2\n\n\n\nUnder 49 United States Code, § 60122, you are subject to a civil penalty not to exceed\n$200,000 per violation per day the violation persists up to a maximum of $2,000,000 for a\nrelated series of violations. For violations occurring prior to January 4, 2012, the maximum\npenalty may not exceed $100,000 per violation per day, with a maximum penalty not to\nexceed $1,000,000 for a related series of violations. We have reviewed the circumstances\nand supporting documents involved in this case, and have decided not to conduct additional\nenforcement action or penalty assessment proceedings at this time. We advise you to correct\nthe items identified in this letter. Failure to do so will result in WILLIAMS being subject to\nadditional enforcement action.\nNo reply to this letter is required. If you choose to reply, in your correspondence please refer\nto CPF 5-2014-5013W. Be advised that all material you submit in response to this\nenforcement action is subject to being made publicly available. If you believe that any\nportion of your responsive material qualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C.\n552(b), along with the complete original document you must provide a second copy of the\ndocument with the portions you believe qualify for confidential treatment redacted and an\nexplanation of why you believe the redacted information qualifies for confidential treatment\nunder 5 U.S.C. 552(b).\nSincerely,\nChris Hoidal\nDirector, Western Region\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\ncc: PHP-60 Compliance Registry\nPHP-500 P. Katchmar (#147299)\n3","truncated":false,"body_characters":5905}