The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) has issued a Direct Final Rule concerning new Operator Qualification program requirements for personnel training, notice of program changes, government review and verification of programs, and use of on-the-job performance as a qualification method. This Direct Final Rule goes into effect July 1, 2005, if OPS does not receive…
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GAS IMP Oversight Implementation and Inspection Protocol Workshop Presentation Materials Available
The Research and Special Programs Administration’s (RSPA) Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) and the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR) cosponsored a workshop on January 19-20, 2005 in Atlanta, Georgia to discuss the oversight implementation of the Gas Integrity Management program and the Inspection Protocols. The workshop provided a detailed review and discussion of…
OPS Issues New Liquid Pipeline Integrity Management Inspection Protocols
On February 8, 2005 RSPA/OPS issued new integrity management inspection protocols, dated December 31, 2004, replacing those dated January 21, 2003. The new protocols contain revisions reflecting the experience gained by the inspection teams using the January 21, 2003 protocols. The new protocols contain three new protocols questions, #’s 7.01, 8.05 and 8.06 that consolidate…
RCP’s VP of Project Development to Speak at the Southern Gas Association’s Public Awareness Workshop, March 23-24
RCP’s VP of Project Development, Susan Waller, will be presenting API’s Recommended Practice 1162 at the Southern Gas Association’s upcoming Public Awareness Workshop in Charlotte, NC, on March 23-24. She will explain the development of this new Recommended Practice, and will provide attendees with samples of written public awareness programs and brochures designed for the…
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API/AOPL Issue IMP Update to US Congress
The American Petroleum Institute and Association of Oil Pipelines issued a joint letter to Congress in January regarding the compliance status of the liquid pipeline integrity management rules. The letter provided details on compliance with rule deadlines, integrity assessment results, actions taken by operators to remediate identified issues, and OPS enforcement actions. A copy of…
Texas Railroad Commission & Louisiana Department of Natural Resources sign MOU
The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreeing to provide written notice to each other when certain oil and gas activities will occur near each side of the state line. Both states also agreed that a 15-day prior notice of approved…
OPS Issues new FAQ’s for Gas IMP
The OPS has updated several Frequently Asked Questions for Gas Integrity Management Programs this past month. To see each response from the OPS, click on the questions below. For a list of all FAQ’s, go to primis.phmsa.dot.gov/gasimp/faqlist.gim . FAQ-233. Does growth of an existing HCA, which introduces new length of pipeline segment into the HCA,…
Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Leak Detection
The OPS has added a 2003 report on Hazardous Liquid Leak Detection Techniques and Processes to the Liquid Integrity Management website. The report provides examples of various leak detection systems, including methods to enhance leak detection within High Consequence Areas. This report is intended to serve as a technical resource for OPS and State pipeline…
OPS Announces Liquid IMP Meeting, May 17-18
The Office of Pipeline Safety will sponsor a 1-1/2 day workshop on May 17th & 18th in Houston to discuss lessons learned from the initial Integrity Management inspections of hazardous liquid pipeline operators, and to communicate expectations for further operator Integrity Management program development. There will also be panel discussions that include industry and regulatory…
Texas LP-Gas: Proposed Rule Revisions
The Railroad Commission of Texas proposes amendments, repeals, and new sections in 16 TAC Chapter 9, relating to LP-Gas Safety Rules. The Commission proposes these amendments, repeals, and new rules to update some training and continuing education requirements, to clarify changes in Commission offices or procedures as a result of a reorganization of LP-gas activities…
Gas Distribution Pipeline Integrity Meetings
The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) plans to conduct several work group meetings in 2005 to evaluate ways to enhance integrity of gas distribution pipeline systems. The work groups include representatives of OPS, state pipeline safety regulators, the gas distribution industry, the Gas Pipeline Technology Committee, the Fire Marshal’s Association, and the public. Executive representatives…
Operator Qualification Update – OQSG User Group Meeting, Houston TX March 23rd-24th
As mentioned in last month’s newsletter (March 2005 DOT Pipeline Compliance News), OPS issued a Final Rule that outlines certain requirements for personnel training, notice of program changes, government review and verification of programs, and use of on-the-job performance as a qualification method. This Direct Final Rule goes into effect July 1, 2005, if OPS…
Liquids Integrity Management FAQ Update
The OPS has issued a proposed response to the following Frequently Asked Question relating to temporary pressure reductions after identification of an immediate repair condition: Question: FAQ E.1: Section 195.452(h)(4)(i) requires that I temporarily reduce pressure in response to an immediate repair condition. The same paragraph also requires that I must calculate the reduction using…
Who you gonna call? 8-1-1
On March 10, 2005, the FCC approved a nationwide number for damage prevention (one-call) notifications – 811. When this new three digit number is fully implemented (which will take about 1 year), it will automatically be routed to an appropriate one-call center, providing an easy-to-remember method for excavators to fulfill their one-call notification requirements anywhere…
Oil and Gas Stormwater Discharge Permit – Extension
EPA has postponed until June 12, 2006, the requirement to obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) storm water permit coverage for oil and gas construction activity that disturbs one to five acres of land. This is the second postponement promulgated by EPA for these activities. This postponement will allow the Agency additional time to…
Updates to Pipeline Safety Rules – RSPA to PHMSA
In accordance with the Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement Act, which reorganized the Department’s pipeline and hazardous materials safety programs into the new Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), all references to the former Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) in 49 CFR parts 190 through 199 have been changed effective…
Pipeline Safety Trust Newsletter
The Pipeline Safety Trust, which came about after the pipeline tragedy in Bellingham Washington, has recently published its first quarterly newsletter which can be found at pstrust.org/newsletter/vol1no1/index.htm. According to the Trust’s executive director, Carl Weimer, the purpose of the newsletter is to “provide a variety of pipeline safety information from a concerned citizen perspective to…
Advisory Bulletin ADB-05-02 – Strapping Tables for Breakout Tanks
The Office of Pipeline Safety recently distributed this advisory bulletin concerning strapping tables for breakout tanks. Simply put, if the strapping table is wrong, the floating roof may in fact be on its legs when the operator thinks it is still floating, or vice versa. This type of error was a contributing factor to the…
DOT Technical Advisory Committees Meeting – June 14-17
We got the following heads-up from Ben Cooper at AOPL: The next set of pipeline safety technical advisory committee meetings will be June 15-16 at the Ritz Carleton Hotel at Pentagon City in Arlington, VA. The schedule is as follows: Tuesday June 14, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration will hold an orientation and…