DECEMBER 7 & 8, 2016 PHMSA will host a meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC) on December 7 & 8, 2016 (Wednesday & Thursday) in the Washington, DC area. They are working on the logistics and meeting location. A notice with additional information and meeting details will be published in the Federal Register…
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Voluntary Information-Sharing System Working Group Nominations
PHMSA is seeking nominations for individuals to serve as members for three-year terms on the Voluntary Information-Sharing System (VIS) Working Group. This is a newly created working group established in accordance with section 10 of the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act of 2016. The Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) must convene…
PHMSA Pipeline Safety Research and Development Forum
NOVEMBER 16-17, 2016 – CLEVELAND, OH The forum is a 2-day event held periodically to generate a National research agenda that fosters solutions for the various challenges associated with pipeline safety and with protecting the environment. The forum allows public, government and industry pipeline stakeholders to develop a consensus on the technical gaps and challenges…
Underwater Inspection Procedures & Inspection Interval Risk Model Updates
Now that Hurricane season is almost over, this is a reminder to those that have UIP and IIRM plans that you may want to review them soon. RCP’s latest Inspection Interval Risk Model (IIRM) has been improved to include additional inspection trigger results for hazardous liquid pipelines that cross navigable waterways within Inlets of the…
Washington State Chapter 173-182 WAC
OIL SPILL CONTINGENCY PLAN RULEMAKING – PIPELINE On October 12, 2016, the Washington State, Department of Ecology adopted amendments to Chapter 173-182 WAC, Oil Spill Contingency Plan Rule – Pipeline Updates. The rule requirements were last updated for pipelines in 2006. At that time the pipeline planning standards were developed to align with the marine…
Underground Natural Gas Storage Services
RCP has extensive expertise in the underground storage operations and integrity for depleted reservoirs which we would like to put to work for your company. RCP has developed a comprehensive solution that allows underground natural gas storage operators to: Assess current operations against new RP 1171 Develop written standards and procedures for underground natural gas…
PHMSA Proposed Underground Natural Gas Storage Facility User Fee
[DOCKET NO. PHMSA-2016-0092] PHMSA is seeking comments on a proposed approach to determine the user fee assessment for underground natural gas storage facility operators. This is a tiered approach that is similar to the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant user fee rate structure. The storage capacity for each operator will be determined and operators placed…
PHMSA Final Rule Correction on EFVs
[DOCKET NO. PHMSA-2011-0009; AMDT. NO 192-121] In the Final Rule published on October 14, 2016, there was a typo in the modified code language for §192.383(b). The Final Rule stated “An EFV installation must comply with the performance standard in §192.381. After April 17, 2016, each operator must install an EFV on any new or…
Season’s Greetings from RCP!
RCP would like to thank our valued clients for a wonderful year. We appreciate the opportunities you have given us to serve as your Professional Engineers, Regulatory Experts, and Trusted Partners. We look forward to working with you on even more projects in the years ahead. Best wishes for the holiday season and the New…
HAWC Annual Race Against Violence
FEBRUARY 25, 2017 – HOUSTON RCP is a proud sponsor of the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC), a local non-profit organization committed to helping individuals affected by domestic and sexual violence move their lives forward. They offer a variety of services including shelter, counseling and advocacy. (They seek social change to end domestic and sexual violence…
Meeting of the Voluntary Information-Sharing System Working Group
[DOCKET NO. PHMSA-2016-0128] PHMSA has announced a public meeting of the newly created Voluntary Information-Sharing System (VIS) Working Group on Monday, December 19, 2016, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., EST, at a location yet to be determined in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. The VIS Working Group will convene to discuss administrative procedures and…
GPAC Meeting Notice / Gas Mega Rule Discussion
JANUARY 11-12, 2017 PHMSA announced that the public meeting of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee, also known as the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC), scheduled for December 7-8, 2016, has been rescheduled for January 11-12, 2017. Notice of the original meeting appeared in the Federal Register on November 22, 2016, (81 FR 83795). At…
Self-Audits Now Available for TRRC Regulated Industries
For the first time, the Railroad Commission of Texas (TRRC) has approved guidelines for its regulated industries to conduct voluntary audits of their facilities and operations under TRRC jurisdiction. The voluntary self-audits allow operators to ensure they are protecting public safety and the environment by proactively identifying and, if found, correcting possible TRRC rule violations.…
Public Awareness and Engagement Workshop/USA Definition Meeting
[Docket No. PHMSA-2017-0094 and PHMSA-2018-0026] June 12-13, Washington, DC PHMSA is holding a two-part public meeting to discuss amending: 1. the applicable Unusually Sensitive Areas (USA) definition for the Great Lakes, coastal beaches, and marine coastal waters, and 2. public awareness and engagement. During this meeting, PHMSA will provide updates on amending the applicable USA and/or high consequences area (HCA) definitions to include…
PHMSA Public Meeting to Solicit Input for 2020 Emergency Response Guidebook
June 17, 2019 Washington, DC PHMSA’s Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has scheduled a public meeting for June 17, 2019, to solicit input on the development of the 2020 edition of the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG). The ERG is a guidebook intended for use by first responders during the initial phase of a transportation incident…
PHMSA Sends Gas Transmission Rule to OMB
PHMSA has indicated that the first of the three gas transmission and gathering final rules (Safety of Gas Transmission Pipelines: MAOP Reconfirmation, Expansion of Assessment Requirements, and Other Related Amendments) has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget for their review. This review can take up to 90 days to complete, but it…
Proposed Pipeline Safety Act Modifications
On June 3, 2019, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announced DOT’s 2019 Pipeline Safety Legislative Proposal. According to Secretary Chao, the proposed legislation prioritizes safety, promotes innovation, and encourages reliable energy infrastructure in the United States. The proposed legislation would reauthorize pipeline safety programs at the Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)…
Aliso Canyon Gas Storage Incident Findings Published
The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) and the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) published their findings for the Southern California Gas Company, Aliso Canyon Gas Storage SS-25 Incident. The report concludes the ruptured production casing was due to external microbial corrosion. Root cause analysis findings included: Risk assessments were not conducted to…
American Gas Association Recommends Adoption of API RP 1173 Pipeline Safety Management Systems
The American Gas Association (AGA) Board of Directors approved a resolution recommending that all members implement Pipeline Safety Management Systems (PSMS) within three years. From the AGA news release: “. . . At the heart of PSMS is a safety culture promoting non-punitive reporting and consistent self-evaluation to help identify top-priority risks, taking steps to…
AGA White Paper for Natural Gas Systems
[Released April 8, 2019] The American Gas Association (AGA) has published a white paper, “Skills and Experience for Effectively Designing Natural Gas Systems,” that provides guidance to operators on workforce knowledge, skills and communications. The report details a tiered approach to developing a foundational understanding of natural gas systems, improving knowledge about operator-specific processes and…