The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) intends to issue an Advisory Bulletin to begin collecting annual drug and alcohol testing data for contractor employees performing covered functions in the pipeline industry. The collection of contractor testing data is necessary for the calculation of the minimum annual percent rate for random drug testing, which is based…
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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…
OPS seeks volunteers for pipeline Controller Certification Pilot Program (CCERT)
OPS is seeking hazardous liquid and gas transmission pipeline operators to participate in a pilot program aimed at determining whether a certification process for controllers is warranted. These actions are in response to requirements within Section 13(b) of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002. OPS will be focused on the content of the pipeline…
811 One Call Number
The Federal Communications Commission has designated 811 as the national abbreviated dialing code to be used by state One Call notification systems for providing advanced notice of excavation activities to underground facility operators in compliance with the Pipeline Safety Act. The 811 abbreviated dialing code shall be deployed ubiquitously by carriers throughout the United States…
RCP Services Spotlight – Underwater Inspection Procedures and Interval Risk Modeling
Underwater Inspection Procedures – On August 10, 2004, the DOT published final amendments to 49 CFR 195.413 and 49 CFR 192.612 for Periodic Underwater Inspections of regulated pipeline facilities located in water depths of 15’ or less in the Gulf of Mexico and its inlets. Effective August 10, 2005, operators of certain hazardous liquid and…
Meeting on Pipeline Repairs and Permitting – May 6, 2005
On May 6, 2005, OPS will hold a meeting to discuss pipeline repairs and permitting at the Hyatt Regency Reston Hotel, 1800 Presidents Street, Reston, VA 20190, (703) 925–8225. This meeting provides the pipeline industry an opportunity to share its experience with making pipeline repairs and obtaining permits. During the meeting, OPS would like participants…
Need help with the new Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) deadline?
RCP can help determine whether these new rules are applicable to you as well as develop, update & submit permits for your construction projects. Click Here to request additional information.
Public Meeting To Discuss Technical Issues Associated With the NPDES Stormwater Permit Coverage for Small Oil and Gas Construction Activities – May 10, 2005
The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting to discuss specific issues associated with the development of regulations for storm water discharges from oil and gas construction activities. The intent of the public meeting is to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to participate in an open discussion of the technical issues associated with controlling…
OSHA Final Rule on Pipeline Whistleblowers
OSHA has finalized its regulations governing the employee protection (“whistleblower”) provisions of Section 6 of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 (“Pipeline Safety Act”), enacted into law December 17, 2002. This rule establishes procedures and time frames for the handling of discrimination complaints under the Pipeline Safety Act, including procedures and time frames for…
Notes from the Public Meeting to Discuss Technical Issues Associated with the NPDES Stormwater Permit Coverage for Small Oil and Gas Construction Activities
The intent of the public meeting on May 10, 2005 was for stakeholders to have an opportunity to participate in an open discussion of the technical issues associated with controlling storm water discharges from small (1 – 5 acre) oil and gas construction activities. The Environmental Protection Agency presented the regulatory background that leads to…
DOT/PHMSA Permit Streamlining for Pipeline Repairs Public Meeting Notes
(We’d like to thank Ben Cooper from AOPL for the following information.) On May 6, 2005 DOT/PHMSA held a public meeting to discuss the repair process, repair criteria and the agency permitting process with a focus on streamlining the process. A representative from the Council on Environmental Quality reinforced the four point plan for pipeline…
Coast Guard Releases OPA 90 Report
The Coast Guard has posted its Report on the Implementation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 on the web at www.uscg.mil/hq/npfc/Documents/PDFs/osltf_report.pdf. The report notes, “Based on past spending trends and current forecasts, the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) is expected to be depleted by FY 2009.” Additional funding sources would be needed to…
Advisory Bulletin ADB-05-03, Gas and Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Facilities in the Vicinity of Electric and other Utilities
On May 23, 2005, OPS published the following advisory bulletin, which was prompted by an NTSB investigation into a pipeline tank failure and fire involving electrical transmission wires: To: Owners and Operators of Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Facilities in the Vicinity of Electric and other Utilities. Subject: Preplanning with owners of electric and…
Meetings of the Pipeline Safety Advisory Committees, June 15-16, 2005
The Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (TPSSC) and Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (THLPSSC) will meet in joint sessions on June 15 and 16 to discuss future challenges facing the pipeline industry and options for direction on key projects. The discussion will focus on three topical areas: Managing Risk and Integrity Sharing Responsibility…
Misc. Texas Pipeline Safety Rule Changes
The State of Texas has made miscellaneous changes to their pipeline safety rules applicable to intra-state pipeline operators. These include: A statement that Pipeline Safety Program Fees “shall not be billed to a state agency, as that term is defined in Texas Utilities Code, §101.003”. Clarification that written reports are required for incidents that “resulted…
Need help with the new Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) deadline?
RCP can help determine whether these new rules are applicable to you as well as develop, update & submit permits for your construction projects. Click Here to request additional information.
Office of Pipeline Safety OPA-90 Rule; correction
On February 23, 2005, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) issued a final rule adopting as a final rule, the interim final rule which was issued on January 5, 1993. This final rule also made minor amendments to some of the regulations in Part 194…
Public Meeting on Use of Excess Flow Valves in Gas Distribution Service Lines, June 17, 2005
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) is sponsoring a public meeting on the use of Excess Flow Valves in gas distribution safety lines as a technique for mitigating the consequences of service line incidents. EFVs are devices designed to be installed in gas service lines, the pipelines that…
New Rule for Pipeline Operator Public Awareness Programs
PHMSA has amended the requirements for pipeline operators to develop and implement public awareness (also known as public education) programs. The amendments for developing and implementing public awareness programs address the requirements of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act (PSIA) of 2002 and incorporate by reference the guidelines provided in the American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommended…
DOT Pipeline Compliance Workshop – August 17-18, 2005
Join us at our Houston office for an informative, lively, and interactive workshop on DOT Pipeline Compliance and API RP 1162 for DOT Pipelines. This workshop has been attended by hundreds of pipeline personnel, with excellent feedback. Day 1 provides an overview of the DOT pipeline regulations, and is appropriate for people who are new…