OPS has announced another public meeting to discuss the regulation of gas and hazardous liquid gathering lines (see our November 2003 newsletter for additional detail). Congress has directed RSPA to define “gathering line” for gas and hazardous liquid pipeline transportation and, if appropriate, define as “regulated gathering line” those rural gathering lines that, because of…
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Passage of Internal Inspection Devices – Request for information
RSPA published regulations on Apr. 12, 1994 (59 FR 17281) requiring that, except where impracticable, operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines must design and construct certain pipelines to accommodate the passage of instrumented internal inspection devices, or smart pigs. In response to petitions for reconsideration from the American Gas Association and the Interstate Natural…
Pipeline Surge Tanks are DOT Regulated
Just in case you weren’t sure, in 49 CFR 195.2 the Office of Pipeline Safety makes it clear that any “tank used to relieve surges in a hazardous liquid pipeline system” is considered a breakout tank and therefore falls under DOT jurisdiction. This is the case even if EPA also regulates the tank, such as…
Gas Pipeline Advisory Bulletin: Start of Baseline Assessment
The following is the text from a November 10, 2003 advisory bulletin from OPS: Advisory Bulletin (ADB-03-07) To: Operators of gas transmission pipelines. Subject: The requirement in 49 U.S.C. 60109 (c) that each operator begin the baseline integrity assessment of segments in high consequence areas no later than June 17, 2004. Purpose: To provide guidance…
Corrosion Threat to Newly Constructed Pipelines: Advisory Bulletin (ADB-03-06)
The OPS has recently issued an advisory bulletin to advise owners and operators of natural gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipelines to consider external corrosion as a possible safety risk to newly constructed pipelines and to identify and remediate the detrimental effects of stray currents during and after construction. This action follows the discovery of…
Advisory bulletin: Self-Assessment of Pipeline Operator Public Education Programs
RSPA’s Office of Pipeline Safety (RSPA/OPS) has issued as advisory bulletin to owners and operators of hazardous liquid pipelines, gas transmission pipelines, gas distribution pipeline systems and gathering pipeline systems regulated under the Federal pipeline safety regulations at 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195. In an advisory bulletin issued September 5, 2003 ( 68 FR…
Pipeline Safety: Meetings of the Pipeline Safety Advisory Committees [Docket No. RSPA-98-4470]
Meetings of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (TPSSC) and the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (THLPSSC) will be held from Tuesday, February 3 to Thursday, February 5, 2004, at the Washington-Dulles Airport Marriott Hotel, Dulles, Virginia. The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) will provide briefings on pending rulemakings and regulatory initiatives. The…
Drug and Alcohol Management Information System Reporting
Each of the Department of Transportation’s drug and alcohol testing rules include requirements for select employers to submit drug and alcohol testing data to five Department of Transportation (DOT) agencies. In the past, these employers have been required to use agency-specific Management Information System (MIS) forms for this purpose, twenty-one different forms in all. The…
API Recommended Practice 1162: Public Awareness Programs for Pipeline Operators Finalized
API RP 1162 Finalized (from API’s website): The American Petroleum Institute has issued new guidance to U.S. pipeline operators to improve public awareness of pipelines. The purpose of the guidelines, known as Recommended Practice 1162 or Public Awareness Programs for Pipeline Operators, is to reduce pipeline accidents, which are often attributable to digging by homeowners,…
TCEQ Releases 2003 Enforcement Report
State law requires the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to prepare an electronic enforcement report by December 1 each year that reports on the enforcement actions for each type of regulatory program in the agency. This report can be found at www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/enforcement/AER/FY03/EnfRptFY03.pdf. This enforcement report contains statistical indicators and a comparative analysis for the following…
OPS, PRCI and GTI Hosts Pipeline R&D; Forum
The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) along with the Pipeline Research Council International, Inc. (PRCI) and the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) hosted a Pipeline R&D; Form on December 11-12, 2003. The forum focused on the Role of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 (PSIA) and the development of Energy Pipeline Technology. This meeting was…
Texas Railroad Commission to begin Formulation of Texas Energy Plan
The Texas Railroad Commission issued a press release in December announcing that Governor Rick Perry launched the development of a state energy plan. This includes an executive order creating the Texas Energy Planning Council. Victor G. Carrillo, chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, will chair the effort. The Energy Planning Council’s focus will be on…
The Texas Railroad Commission to Hold the 54th Annual State of the Industry Meeting
The Railroad Commission’s 54th Annual State of the Industry meeting is scheduled for January 28, 2004 at 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm in Room 1.111 of the William B. Travis Office Building, Austin. This year’s meeting will feature a new format with invited speakers. Special guest speaker is Texas Governor Rick Perry. Invited speakers will…
Advisory Bulletin (ADB-03-09) Re: Potential Service Disruptions in SCADA Systems
The Office of Pipeline Safety recently issued the following notice and gas and liquid pipeline operators. For a complete copy of the notice, please contact our Vice President of Business Development, Dan Shelledy, at dshelledy@your-rcp.com. Each pipeline owner or operator should review their procedures for the upgrading, configuring, maintaining, and enhancing its SCADA system. If…
NESHAP – Bulk Gasoline Terminals and Pipeline Breakout Stations
On August 18, 1983, the EPA promulgated Standards of Performance for Bulk Gasoline Terminals (48 FR 37590). The 1983 standards of performance limit and control emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) that react with other pollutants to form ozone (or smog) which has been linked to respiratory impairment and eye irritation, and negatively affects vegetation…
Reorganization of the Office of Pipeline Safety
(or: RSPA to RITA, OPS to FRPA, PDQ!) The Secretary of the Department of Transportation intends to reorganize the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA). RSPA currently houses several functions that relate to operations (such as the Office of Pipeline Safety), and bear little relation to the basic research functions of that Administration. Similarly, several…
Notice of Minimum Annual Percentage Rate for Random Drug Testing
Each year, pipeline operators randomly select employees to test for prohibited drugs. The number of employees selected may not be less than the minimum annual percentage rate the Research and Special Programs Administration’s (RSPA) Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) determines, which is either 50 percent or 25 percent of covered employees based on the industry’s…
Need A HAZMAT Security Plan?
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Periodic Underwater Inspections: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
The Office of Pipeline Safety is proposing to amend the pipeline safety regulations to require operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines to have procedures for periodic inspections of pipeline facilities in offshore waters less than 15 feet deep or crossing under a navigable waterway. These inspections would ensure that the pipeline is not exposed…
OCS Rights-of-Use and Easement and Pipeline Rights-of-Way
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is modifying requirements governing rights-of-use and easements and pipeline rights-of-way on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). These changes will increase rental rates for pipeline rights-of-way and establish rentals for rights-of-use and easements. This change is needed because of requests made by lessees and pipeline right-of-way holders to use large areas…