# TRANSWESTERN PIPELINE COMPANY LLC — Warning Letter

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** CPF 520161003W
- **title:** TRANSWESTERN PIPELINE COMPANY LLC — Warning Letter
- **source type:** enforcement
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** historical
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2016-10-26
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** CLOSED warning letter citing 192.467(a), 192.917(e)(1).
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- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520161003w
- **source url:** https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/520161003W
**body:**

Warning Letter involving TRANSWESTERN PIPELINE COMPANY LLC. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulations as 192.467(a),  192.917(e)(1). The case was opened on 2016-10-26 and is reported as closed as of 2016-10-26. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.

Official case documents:

520161003W_Operator Response to Notice_11232016.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520161003W/520161003W_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_11232016.pdf

520161003W_Warning Letter_10262016.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520161003W/520161003W_Warning%20Letter_10262016.pdf

520161003W_Warning Letter_10262016_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520161003W/520161003W_Warning%20Letter_10262016_text.pdf

520161003W_Warning Letter_10262016_text.pdf

WARNING LETTER
CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
October 26, 2016
Mr. Ryan Coffey
Executive Vice President – Operations
Transwestern Pipeline Company, LLC
800 E. Sonterra Blvd.
San Antonio, TX 78258
CPF 5-2016-1003W
Dear Mr. Coffey:
Between April and December 2015, representatives of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Arizona Corporation Commission, pursuant to
Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code, inspected the Transwestern Pipeline system in Texas,
New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and California.
As a result of the inspection, it appears that you have committed probable violations of the
Pipeline Safety Regulations, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. The items inspected and
the probable violation(s) are:



1. §192.917 How does an operator identify potential threats to pipeline integrity and
use the threat identification in its integrity program?
(e) Actions to address particular threats. If an operator identifies any of the
following threats, the operator must take the following actions to address the
threat.
(1) Third party damage. An operator must utilize the data integration required
in paragraph (b) of this section and ASME/ANSI B31.8S, Appendix A7 to
determine the susceptibility of each covered segment to the threat of third party
damage. If an operator identifies the threat of third party damage, the operator
must implement comprehensive additional preventive measures in accordance
with §192.935 and monitor the effectiveness of the preventive measures. If, in
conducting a baseline assessment under §192.921, or a reassessment under
§192.937, an operator uses an internal inspection tool or external corrosion direct
assessment, the operator must integrate data from these assessments with data
related to any encroachment or foreign line crossing on the covered segment, to
define where potential indications of third party damage may exist in the covered
segment.
An operator must also have procedures in its integrity management program
addressing actions it will take to respond to findings from this data integration.
Energy Transfer failed to track the number of locate request tickets it receives in HCAs and
integrate that data as part of the process to evaluate the threat of Third Party Damage.
This evaluation is required in order to implement and evaluate comprehensive additional
preventive measures to mitigate the threat of third party damage.
2. § 192.467 External corrosion control: Electrical isolation.
(a) Each buried or submerged pipeline must be electrically isolated from other
underground metallic structures, unless the pipeline and the other structures are
electrically interconnected and cathodically protected as a single unit.
As revealed by the annual Cathodic Protection Surveys, casings were not electrically isolated
or “shorted” to the pipeline at multiple pipeline locations for the time period between 2012
and 2015, the interval covered during this inspection. The casings must either be electrically
isolated from the carrier pipeline or cathodically protected as a single unit.
Under 49 United States Code, § 60122, you are subject to a civil penalty not to exceed
$200,000 per violation per day the violation persists up to a maximum of $2,000,000 for a
related series of violations. For violations occurring prior to January 4, 2012, the maximum
penalty may not exceed $100,000 per violation per day, with a maximum penalty not to
exceed $1,000,000 for a related series of violations.
No reply to this letter is required. If you choose to reply, in your correspondence please refer
to CPF 5-2016-1003W. Be advised that all material you submit in response to this
2



enforcement action is subject to being made publicly available. If you believe that any
portion of your responsive material qualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C. 552(b),
along with the complete original document you must provide a second copy of the document
with the portions you believe qualify for confidential treatment redacted and an explanation of
why you believe the redacted information qualifies for confidential treatment under 5 U.S.C.
552(b).
Sincerely,
Chris Hoidal
Director, Western Region
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
cc: PHP-60 Compliance Registry
PHP-500 J. Dunphy (#149794)
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