[Docket No. PHMSA-2016-0136] Due to the impact of Hurricane Harvey, PHMSA has postponed the public meetings of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC) and a joint meeting of the GPAC and the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Liquid Pipeline Advisory…
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Temporary Licenses for Texas Professional Engineering
To help mitigate the impact of Hurricane Harvey, the Texas Board of Professional Engineers has developed and passed an emergency rule providing for the issuing of Emergency Temporary Licenses. Board Rule 22 TAC § 133.12 provides for the issuance of Emergency Temporary Licenses to engineers licensed in good standing in another US State or Territory…
TRRC Operator Qualification and Drug Testing Waiver
The Texas Railroad Commission (TRRC) announced several actions to speed recovery from the impacts of Hurricane Harvey. Pipeline operators that need to request an emergency waiver of 49 CFR §§ 199.105 (relating to pre-employment and random drug testing for all pipeline workers), Subpart N of 49 CFR Part 192 (relating to qualification of pipeline personnel),…
RCP Employee Featured in Hurricane Harvey Response Article
Our thanks go out to RCP’s Director of Technical Services, Michael Berg, who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in his volunteer efforts after Hurricane Harvey. In addition to leading major projects for RCP and being the father of three (and husband of one), in his “spare” time he is the president…
Coastal and Marine Safety, Prevention and Emergency Response Meeting
October 11, 2017 – Luling, LA The Coastal and Marine Operators (CAMO) group was developed several years ago with a goal to diminish the gap between onshore and offshore spills, releases, and pipeline damage prevention. CAMO is hosting this Coastal and Marine Safety, Prevention and Emergency Response Meeting on Wednesday, October 11, 2017, from 11:00…
Meeting of the Voluntary Information-Sharing System Working Group
[Docket No. PHMSA-2016-0128] The Voluntary Information-Sharing System (VIS) Working Group will meet at the Hilton Arlington, 950 North Stafford Street, Arlington, Virginia 22203 on November 29, 2017, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on November 30, 2017, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., ET. The VIS Working Group is a recently created advisory committee.…
MAOP Validation Services
RCP is the market leader in providing MAOP Validation Services, including over 100,000 miles of gas and liquid pipeline analysis and support. Whether you are just getting started, need help finishing, or not sure what to do next, RCP has a wealth of experienced professional engineers and support staff to assist in your MAOP validation…
Gas and Liquid Technical Advisory Committee Meetings Rescheduled for December
[Docket No. PHMSA-2016-0136] Due to the impact of Hurricane Harvey, PHMSA postponed the September public meetings of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC) and a joint meeting of the GPAC and the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Liquid Pipeline Advisory…
DOT Issues Nearly $2.5 Million in Grants to State Entities, Local Communities, and Non-Profit Organizations to Spur Involvement in Pipeline Safety Efforts
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is issuing $2,488,497 in grants to state entities, local communities, and non-profit organizations to address pipeline safety challenges related to damage prevention and to promote more involvement in local pipeline safety initiatives and awareness efforts. PHMSA is awarding $1,499,939 in State Damage Prevention…
Florida One Call Legislation Revisions
The State of Florida has revised its excavation damage prevention regulations in Title XXXIII – Regulation of Trade? Commerce? Investments? and Solicitations; Chapter 556 – Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety, to require excavators that damage underground utilities resulting in a release of products regulated by PHMSA to call 911. It also requires the operator…
DOT Notification of Regulatory Review
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2017-0069] The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is reviewing its existing regulations and other agency actions to evaluate their continued necessity, determine whether they are crafted effectively to solve current problems, and evaluate whether they potentially burden the development or use of domestically produced energy resources. There are two significant rules identified in…
Underground Gas Storage Compliance
How does RCP deliver a comprehensive solution for natural gas storage operational integrity assurance? Experienced Resources Highly respected underground storage & risk management SME’s (the past Chair of PRCI?s and AGA?s underground storage committees is on our staff) Professional engineering support Written program development / improvement from knowledgeable technical standards developers (Our lead technical writer…
Underground Natural Gas Storage Facility Annual Report
[Docket No. PHMSA-2016-0016] The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has officially approved the annual report for Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities. PHMSA regulations at 49 CFR 191.17 require each operator of an underground natural gas storage facility to submit an annual report on DOT PHMSA Form 7100.4-1 by March 15, for the preceding calendar…
MaxOP Training
RCP is now offering a one-day workshop on how to use MaxOp software. This training session can be scheduled onsite or at RCP’s corporate office in Houston, Texas. MaxOp is the most comprehensive MAOP tool on the market. RCP’s MaxOp tool can link documentation to MAOP algorithm variables, dynamically segment data, run MAOP calculations, identify…
Coastal Ecological Unusually Sensitive Areas (USAs) Public Meeting
[DOCKET NO. PHMSA-2017-0094] Section 19 of the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2016 (Pub. L. 114-183) requires PHMSA to expand the definition of an Ecological resource USA (as defined in 49 CFR 195.6(b)) to include the Great Lakes, coastal beaches and marine coastal waters. All USAs are treated as high…
Underwater Inspection Procedures & Inspection Interval Risk Model Updates
One of the most active hurricane seasons in recent history is driving the need for operators with assets in the Gulf of Mexico and its inlets subject to 49 CFR 192.612 and 195.413 to re-evaluate their inspection intervals and risk assessments. RCP’s proprietary Underwater Inspection Interval Risk Model analyzes key operator information, National Oceanic and…
IPC 2018 Call for Abstracts
The 12th International Pipeline Conference (IPC 2018) will be held from September 24-28, 2018 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Organized by volunteers representing international energy corporations, energy and pipeline associations and regulatory agencies, the IPC has become internationally renowned as the world’s premier pipeline conference. IPC 2018 is now accepting Abstracts. The deadline for submission is…
RCP Employees Recognized in National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Report
RCP’s Bill Byrd and Jenn Randolph have been recognized by the Transportation Research Board (part of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine) for their contributions to an upcoming report, “Safely Transporting Hazardous Liquids and Gases in a Changing U.S. Energy Landscape (Special Report 325)”. This study was initiated and sponsored by the Transportation…
Oklahoma Pipeline Safety Fine Limit Removed
The State of Oklahoma has modified its regulations in Title 165 – Corporation Commission, Chapter 20 – Gas and Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety, 165:20-13-1. Scope and Fines, to remove the explicit limit of $500k per violation. The new section reads (underline is modified text): This Subchapter prescribes the procedures utilized by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission…
DOT Regulatory Review Comment Period Reopened
[DOCKET NO. DOT-OST-2017-0069] The US Department of Transportation (DOT) is reopening the comment period for their Notification of Regulatory Review seeking comment from the public on existing rules and other agency actions that are good candidates for repeal, replacement, suspension, or modification. The original comment period ended on November 1, 2017 and the new deadline…