{"operation":"document","citation":"CPF 520163003M","title":"FAIRBANKS NATURAL GAS — Notice of Amendment","source_type":"enforcement","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"historical","official":true,"published_on":"2016-08-19","effective_on":null,"summary":"CLOSED notice of amendment citing 193.2801.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520163003m.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520163003m.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-enforcement-520163003m","source_url":"https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/520163003M","body":"Notice of Amendment involving FAIRBANKS NATURAL GAS. PHMSA's enforcement data identifies the cited regulation as 193.2801. The case was opened on 2016-08-19 and is reported as closed as of 2016-11-16. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.\n\nOfficial case documents:\n\n520163003M_Closure Letter_11162016.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520163003M/520163003M_Closure%20Letter_11162016.pdf\n\n520163003M_Closure Letter_11162016_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520163003M/520163003M_Closure%20Letter_11162016_text.pdf\n\n520163003M_Notice of Amendment_08192016.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520163003M/520163003M_Notice%20of%20Amendment_08192016.pdf\n\n520163003M_Notice of Amendment_08192016_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520163003M/520163003M_Notice%20of%20Amendment_08192016_text.pdf\n\n520163003M_Operator Response to Notice_09232016.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520163003M/520163003M_Operator%20Response%20to%20Notice_09232016.pdf\n\n520163003M_Notice of Amendment_08192016_text.pdf\n\nNOTICE OF AMENDMENT\nCERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED\nAugust 19, 2016\nMr. Daniel W. Britton\nPresident and CEO\nFairbanks Natural Gas, LLC\n3408 International Way\nFairbanks, Alaska 99701\nCPF 5-2016-3003M\nDear Mr. Britton:\nOn April 18-20 and June 6-10, 2016, representatives of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code,\ninspected Fairbanks Natural Gas, LLC’s (FNG) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for\ntheir LNG facilities in Fairbanks, Alaska.\nOn the basis of the inspection, PHMSA identified the apparent inadequacy within FNG’s\nplans or procedures, as described below:\n1. §193.2801 Fire protection.\nEach operator must provide and maintain fire protection at LNG plants\naccording to sections 9.1 through 9.7 and section 9.9 of NFPA-59A-2001\n(incorporated by reference, see §193.2013). However, LNG plants existing on\nMarch 31, 2000, need not comply with provisions on emergency shutdown\nsystems, water delivery systems, detection systems, and personnel qualification\nand training until September 12, 2005.\n\n\n\n[NFPA 59A 2001 Section 9.9.1 Manual emergency depressurizing means shall be\nprovided where necessary for safety. Portions of the plant that can be isolated\nfrom storage tanks or other sources of supply can be depressurized by venting to\nthe atmosphere. The discharge shall be directed so as to minimize exposure to\npersonnel or equipment.]\nFNG’s procedure that covered the process for depressurizing a plant or venting LNG in the\nevent of an emergency was not in accordance with NFPA 59A, Section 9.9.1., which was\nincorporated by reference into 49 CFR 193. In particular, SOP 6101 General Description of\nLNG Storage Facilities p.2 #3(Rev 9 ED 4/15/16) notes that “... each tank has a blowdown\nvalve that allows a manual release of pressure.” However, SOP 6101 lacks the other\nrequirements of NFPA 59A 2001 Section 9.9.1 with respect to storage isolation, atmospheric\nventing, and minimizing personnel exposure to discharge.\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\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 forty-five (45) days of receipt of\nthis Notice. This period may be extended by written request for good cause. Once the\ninadequacies identified herein have been addressed in your amended procedures, this\nenforcement action will be closed.\nIt is requested (not mandated) that FNG maintain documentation of the safety improvement\ncosts associated with fulfilling this Notice of Amendment (preparation/revision of plans,\nprocedures) and submit the total to Chris Hoidal, Director, Western Region, Pipeline and\n2\n\n\n\nHazardous Materials Safety Administration. In correspondence concerning this matter, please\nrefer to CPF 5-2016-3003M and, for each document you submit, please provide a copy in\nelectronic format 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 Jennifer Owens (#152965)\n3\n\n520163003M_Closure Letter_11162016_text.pdf\n\nCERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED\nNovember 16, 2016\nMr. Daniel W. Britton\nPresident/CEO\nFairbanks Natural Gas, LLC\n3408 International Way\nFairbanks, Alaska 99701\nCPF 5-2016-3003M\nClosure Letter\nDear Mr. Britton,\nOn April 18-20 and June 6-10, 2016, representatives of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration (PHMSA), pursuant to Chapter 601 of 49 United States Code,\nconducted an on-site pipeline safety inspection of Fairbanks Natural Gas’s (FNG) procedures\nin Fairbanks, Alaska. As a result of the inspection, FNG was issued a Notice of Amendment\non August 19, 2016, which proposed amendment of your procedures.\nFNG submitted its amended procedures on September 23, 2016. PHMSA staff reviewed the\namended procedures, and it appears that the inadequacies outlined in this Notice of\nAmendment have been corrected.\nThis letter is to inform you that no further action is necessary and this case is now closed.\nThank you for your cooperation.\nSincerely,\nChris Hoidal\nDirector, Western Region\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\ncc: PHP-60 Compliance Registry\nPHP-500 J. Owens (#152965)\nPHP-500 D. Hassell","truncated":false,"body_characters":6793}