[Docket No. PHMSA-2013-0015]
PHMSA
issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-2013-01 to advise owners and operators of gas and
hazardous liquids pipeline systems and LNG facilities that they should contact
the NRC within one hour of discovery of a pipeline incident and should also
file additional telephonic reports if there are significant changes in the
number of fatalities or injuries, product release estimates or the extent of
damages.
Owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines and LNG facilities
are reminded that the pipeline safety regulations already require operators to
make a telephonic report of an incident to the NRC in Washington, DC at the
earliest practicable opportunity (usually one-to-two hours after discovering
the incident). However, under Section 9(b)(1) of the Pipeline Safety,
Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011, PHMSA is required to issue
regulations requiring owners and operators to notify the NRC within one hour of
discovery of a pipeline accident or incident. The 2011 Act requires PHMSA to
establish a time limit for telephonic or electronic notification of an accident
or incident to require such notification at the earliest practicable moment
following confirmed discovery of an accident or incident that is not later than
one hour following the time of such confirmed discovery. PHMSA will issue a
proposed rule at a later date, but encourages owners and operators of the gas
and hazardous liquids pipeline systems and LNG facilities, as a practice, to
report such accidents and incidents within one hour of confirmed discovery. The
information required to be reported includes the name of the operator, the name
and telephone number of the person making the report, the location of the
incident, the number of fatalities and injuries, and all other significant
facts that are relevant to the cause of the incident or extent of the damages.
For a copy of ADB-2013-01 contact Jessica Roger.