[Docket No. RM05-31-000; Order No. 665] The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is amending its regulations in accordance with section 311(d) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) to establish mandatory procedures requiring prospective applicants to begin the Commission’s pre-filing review process at least six months prior to filing an application for authorization…
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O&M Manual Up-To-Date?
RCP has the tools and expertise to develop comprehensive procedures that you need to protect your people, facilities, and environment. Click Here
MMS to Hold Structural Assessment Process Dissemination Meeting
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS region will hold a half-day Structural Assessment Process Dissemination Meeting on the proposed American Petroleum Institute (API) Structural Integrity Management Recommended Practice in Houston on November 15, 2005. The Meeting will take place at The Texas A & M University System Health Science Center, IBT Facilities…
RCP Services Spotlight – RCP Auditing, Due Diligence and Expert Witness Services
RCP’s approach to audits and assessments is typically either consultative or enforcement oriented depending upon the client’s needs. The consultative approach is typically viewed by clients as a cooperative effort that assesses regulatory compliance status in concert with operational and maintenance issues. This method provides feedback on existing management practices versus industry standards. The consultative…
New MMS NTL on Damage Caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) has issued NTL 2005-G20 (superseding NTL 2005-G16) to describe the inspections to conduct and the plans and reports to prepare because of the known and potential damage to OCS facilities caused by Hurricane Katrina when it struck land on August 29, 2005, and Hurricane…
Need to Update Your Current Operator Qualification Program?
We have the expertise to update your current operator qualification program to satisfy the upcoming regulation change and inspection protocols. Click Here to request more information.
Public Meetings on Operator Qualifications
[Docket No. RSPA-04-19857] This notice announces a public meeting on operator qualification programs. PHMSA is preparing a Report to Congress on the status and results of programs to ensure the qualifications of individuals performing safety tasks on pipelines. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has almost completed developing a consensus standard qualifying individuals performing…
RCP’s Fantastic 1-Page Version of New SPCC Regulation
The deadline for SPCC Plan revisions is fast approaching, February 17, 2006! RCP has developed a 1-page version (in tiny type) of the new SPCC regulations, to be revised as per the April 17, 2003 rule modification. To receive a complimentary copy along with a CD of valuable SPCC Reference Materials Click Here to request…
Meetings of the Pipeline Safety Advisory Committees
[Docket No. RSPA-98-4470] The Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (TPSSC) and Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (THLPSSC) will meet in joint sessions on December 13-14, 2005, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel at 480 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, D.C. 20024 to discuss the following regulatory issues:…
Need to update your Public Awareness Program?
RCP can help develop your updated plan to meet API RP 1162 standards, and provide turnkey implementation, mail-outs, evaluations, and tracking of your program. For more information, call or click here.
Pipeline Public Awareness Programs: How to Reach Compliance
Do you know how to structure your public awareness program to comply with the new rules that take effect next year? Workshops to guide you through the process will be held Nov. 9-10 in Baltimore and Dec. 7-8 in Houston. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the National Association of Pipeline Safety…
Proposed NPDES General Permit for Industrial Stormwater Discharges
EPA Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, and 10 have proposed a new NPDES general permit for stormwater discharges from industrial activity, also referred to as the Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP). This proposed permit will replace the existing permit covering industrial sites in EPA Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10…
DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing
Proposed rule: Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs [Docket OST-2003-15245] The Department of Transportation is proposing to amend certain provisions of its drug and alcohol testing procedures to change instructions to laboratories, medical review officers, and employers with respect to adulterated, substituted, diluted, and invalid specimen results. These proposed changes are intended…
Texas Railroad Commission Launches Public GIS Map Viewer
Using data generated from the Geographic Information System of the Texas Railroad Commission, the commission has created an online viewer that allows the public to view GIS data for the state of Texas. This system provides interactive search capabilities and map views of pipeline, survey, and well location data. RRC pipeline and well location data…
Marine Maps Available Online
The National Ocean Service has launched an online site publishing interactive Raster Navigational Charts (RNCs) to give mariners more timely and accurate information in the rapidly changing marine environment. Targeted at improving marine safety and reducing the risk of accidents, interactive RNCs make updated charts available to the mariner faster and with greater accuracy than…
SCADA Safety Study
The National Transportation Safety Board has released its conclusions and recommendations from a study designed to examine how pipeline companies use SCADA systems to monitor and record operating data and to evaluate the role of SCADA systems in leak detection. The study was prompted by the number of hazardous liquid accidents in which leaks went…
RCP Services Spotlight – RCP Auditing, Due Diligence and Expert Witness Services
RCP’s approach to audits and assessments is typically either consultative or enforcement oriented depending upon the client’s needs. The consultative approach is typically viewed by clients as a cooperative effort that assesses regulatory compliance status in concert with operational and maintenance issues. This method provides feedback on existing management practices versus industry standards. The consultative…
Texas Damage Prevention Regulations
The Texas Legislature approved three separate bills in the last legislative session that all give the Railroad Commission of Texas new authority to promulgate regulations for damage prevention programs, including enforcement powers. The RRC is moving quickly in this area, and plans to hold one or more meetings early in 2006 to begin the rulemaking…
Integrity Management Services
RCP can assist pipeline operators with ongoing compliance management and engineering associated with your IMP. This includes direct assessment strategies, tool and vendor selection, ILI/ECDA report analysis, corrosion control programs, repair strategies, and IMP/risk model updates. For more information on how RCP can support your ongoing IMP needs, Click Here.
OPS Issues FAQs for Gas IMP
FAQ-207: Pro-rating ASME B31.8S intervals (11/10/2005)Question: If a pipeline operating below 30% SMYS was pressure-tested at 1.5 times MAOP, can the reassessment interval in ASME B31.8S Table 3 be prorated?Answer: If a hydrostatic pressure test was performed per Subpart J requirements, then the operator may use a seven-year reassessment interval. Extended intervals may be achieved…