{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 520150021M","title":"NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH ENERGY MANAGEMENT — Notice of Amendment","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2015-12-29","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of amendment citing 192.285(a)(2), 192.605(a), 192.605(b)(1), 192.605(b)(9), 192.615(b)(2).","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520150021m.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520150021m.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520150021m","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/520150021M","body":"Notice of Amendment involving NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH ENERGY MANAGEMENT. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulations as 192.285(a)(2),  192.605(a),  192.605(b)(1),  192.605(b)(9),  192.615(b)(2). The case was opened on 2015-12-29 and is reported as closed as of 2016-10-11. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n520150021M_Closure Letter_10112016.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520150021M/520150021M_Closure%20Letter_10112016.pdf\n\n520150021M_Closure Letter_10112016_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520150021M/520150021M_Closure%20Letter_10112016_text.pdf\n\n520150021M_Notice of Amendment_12292015.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520150021M/520150021M_Notice%20of%20Amendment_12292015.pdf\n\n520150021M_Notice of Amendment_12292015_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520150021M/520150021M_Notice%20of%20Amendment_12292015_text.pdf\n\n520150021M_Operator Response to Notice_03112016.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520150021M/520150021M_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_03112016.pdf\n\n520150021M_Closure Letter_10112016_text.pdf\n\nCERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED\nOctober 11, 2016\nThe Honorable Harry K. Brower\nMayor of the North Slope Borough\nNorth Slope Borough Energy Management\nNuiqsut Utilities Cooperative\nP.O. Box 69\nBarrow, AK 99723\nCPF 5-2015-0021M\nClosure Letter\nDear Mayor Brower:\nBetween August 26, 2015 and September 17, 2015 a representative from the Pipeline and\nHazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to chapter 601 of 49 United\nStates Code, conducted an on-site pipeline safety inspection of North Slope Borough Energy\nManagement’s procedures in Nuiqsut, Alaska. As a result of the inspection, North Slope Borough\nEnergy Management was issued a Notice of Amendment on December 29, 2015 which proposed\namendment of your procedures.\nNorth Slope Borough Energy Management submitted its amended procedures on September 16,\n2016 and September 30, 2016 (email). PHMSA staff reviewed the amended procedures, and it\nappears that the inadequacies 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.\nSincerely,\nChris Hoidal\nDirector, Western Region\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\ncc: PHP-60 Compliance Registry\nPHP-500 Dave Hassell (#149012)\n\n520150021M_Notice of Amendment_12292015_text.pdf\n\nNOTICE OF AMENDMENT\nCERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED\nDecember 29, 2015\nThe Honorable Charlotte E. Brower\nMayor of North Slope Borough\nNorth Slope Borough Energy Management\nNuiqsut Utilities Cooperative\nP.O. Box 69\nBarrow, Alaska 99723\nCPF 5-2015-0021M\nDear Mayor Brower:\nBetween August 26, 2015 and September 17, 2015, a representative of the Pipeline and\nHazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United\nStates Code, inspected North Slope Borough Energy Management’s Operations and\nMaintenance (O&M) Manual in Nuiqsut, Alaska.\nOn the basis of the inspection, PHMSA has identified the apparent inadequacies within North\nSlope Borough Energy Management plans or procedures, as described below:\n1. §192.605 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies\n(a) General. Each operator shall prepare and follow for each pipeline, a manual\nof written procedures for conducting operations and maintenance activities and\nfor emergency response. For transmission lines, the manual must also include\nprocedures for handling abnormal operations. This manual must be reviewed\nand updated by the operator at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least\none each calendar year. This manual must be prepared before operations of a\npipeline system commence. Appropriate parts of the manual must be kept at\nlocations where operations and maintenance activities are conducted.\nNorth Slope Borough Energy Management (NSBEM) did not establish adequate written\nprocedures as required by §192.605(a). At the time of the inspection, NSBEM’s Gas\n\n\n\nOperations and Maintenance (O&M) Manual required notification of the construction of ten\n(10) or more miles of Hazardous Liquid Pipeline. It is our understanding that NSBEM is a\nnatural gas distribution system and NSBEM does not operate a hazardous liquid pipeline. As a\nresult, NSBEM must modify the procedures in the O&M Manual to include the notification\nfor construction of ten (10) or more miles of new gas pipeline as required by\n§191.22(c)(1)(ii).\n2. §192.605 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies.\n(b) Maintenance and normal operations. The manual required by paragraph (a)\nof this section must include procedures for the following, if applicable, to provide\nsafety during maintenance and operations.\n(9) Taking adequate precautions in excavated trenches to protect personnel from\nthe hazards of unsafe accumulations of vapor or gas, and making available when\nneeded at the excavation, emergency rescue equipment, including a breathing\napparatus and, a rescue harness and line.\nNSBEM did not establish adequate written procedures for taking adequate precautions in\nexcavated trenches to protect personnel as required by §192.605(b) (9). At the time of the\ninspection, NSBEM’s Gas Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Manual did not include the\nprocedures for taking adequate precautions in excavated trenches to protect personnel from\nthe hazards of unsafe accumulations of vapor or gas. Procedures did not require that\nemergency rescue equipment, including a breathing apparatus and, a rescue harness and line\nwere available when needed at the excavation. As a result, NSBEM must modify the\nprocedures in the O&M Manual to specifically address the emergency rescue equipment in\nthe event the area must be excavated.\n3. §192.615 Emergency plans.\n(b) Each operator shall:\n(2) Train the appropriate operating personnel to assure that they are\nknowledgeable of the emergency procedures and verify that the training is\neffective.\nNSBEM did not establish adequate written Emergency procedures for training its personnel as\nrequired by §192.615(b) (2). At the time of the inspection, NSBEM’s Gas Operations and\nMaintenance (O&M) Manual did not include the requirements for training appropriate\noperating personnel to assure that they are knowledgeable of the emergency procedures and to\nverify that the training is effective. As a result, NSBEM must modify the procedures in the\nO&M Manual to address this issue.\n4. §192.605 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies\n(b) Maintenance and normal operations. The manual required by paragraph (a)\n\n\n\nof this section must include procedures for the following, if applicable, to provide\nsafety during maintenance and operations.\n(1) Operating, maintaining, and repairing the pipeline in accordance with each of\nthe requirements of this subpart and Subpart M of this part.\nNSBEM did not establish adequate written procedures for operating, maintaining, and\nrepairing the pipeline as required by §192.605(b) (1). At the time of the inspection, NSBEM did\nnot include procedures requiring that taps on a pipelines under pressure (hot taps) be\nperformed by qualified personnel as required by §192.627. As a result, NSBEM must modify\nthe procedures in the O&M Manual to address this issue.\n5. §192.605 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance, and emergencies\n(b) Maintenance and normal operations. The manual required by paragraph (a)\nof this section must include procedures for the following, if applicable, to provide\nsafety during maintenance and operations.\n(1) Operating, maintaining, and repairing the pipeline in accordance with each of\nthe requirements of this subpart and Subpart M of this part.\nNSBEM did not establish adequate written procedures for operating, maintaining, and\nrepairing the pipeline as required by §192.605(b) (1). At the time of the inspection, NSBEM\ndid not include the test requirements for reinstating service lines as required by §192.725. As a\nresult, NSBEM must modify the procedures in the O&M Manual to require that reinstated\nservice lines be pressure tested.\n6. §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:\n(2) Making a specimen joint from pipe sections joined according to the\nprocedure that passes the inspection and test set forth in paragraph (b) of this\nsection.\nNSBEM did not establish adequate written procedures for qualifying persons to make joints\nas required by §192.285(a) (2). At the time of the inspection, NSBEM did not include\nprocedures requiring that personnel making joints in plastic pipelines are qualified to the\njoining procedure. Procedures for making a plastic pipe joint referenced the Operator\nQualification (OQ) covered task of GT40-General Pipeline Repair Procedures. The covered\ntask is for metal pipelines and not relevant to making plastic pipe joints. As a result, NSBEM\nmust modify the procedures to address this issue.\nResponse to this Notice\nThis Notice is provided pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 60108(a) and 49 C.F.R. § 190.237. Enclosed\nas part 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\n\n\n\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\nfor confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C. 552(b), along with the complete original document\nyou must 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\ninformation qualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C. 552(b). If you do not respond\nwithin 30 days of receipt of this Notice, this constitutes a waiver of your right to contest the\nallegations in this Notice and authorizes the Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety to\nfind facts as alleged in this 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\ninadequacies (49 C.F.R. § 190.237). If you are not contesting this Notice, we propose that\nyou submit your amended procedures to my office within 30 days of receipt of this Notice.\nThis period may be extended by written request for good cause. Once the inadequacies\nidentified herein have been addressed in your amended procedures, this enforcement action\nwill be closed.\nIt is requested (not mandated) that the North Slope Borough Energy Management maintain\ndocumentation of the safety improvement costs associated with fulfilling this Notice of\nAmendment (preparation/revision of plans, procedures) and submit the total to Chris Hoidal,\nDirector, Western Region, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. In\ncorrespondence concerning this matter, please refer to CPF 5-2015-0021M and, for each\ndocument you submit, please provide a copy in electronic format to\nPHP-WRADMIN@dot.gov whenever possible.\nSincerely,\nChris Hoidal,\nDirector, Western Region\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nEnclosure: Response Options for Pipeline Operators in Compliance Proceedings\ncc: PHP-60 Compliance Registry\nPHP-500 D. Hassell (#149012)","truncated":false,"body_characters":11627}