The National Transportation Safety Board has released their final report on the June 10, 1999 Bellingham, Washington pipeline accident. It can be downloaded from: www.NTSB.gov/Publictn/P_Acc.htm. This accident has been a major factor in the subsequent Pipeline Integrity Management rulemakings for liquid pipelines. The NTSB’s executive summary states: The Safety Board determines that the probable cause…
December 2002
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Workshop, Better Stakeholder Involvement: How To Make It Work
The Office of Energy Projects will host the third workshop in its second phase of its “Better Stakeholder Involvement-How to Make it Work” series on Thursday, November 21, 2002 at the Doubletree Riverfront Hotel, 50 Warren Street, Lowell, Massachusetts 01852, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The phone number at the hotel is 978-452-1200. You…
Minerals Management Service (MMS) – Corrections to abandonment regulations
On October 30, 2002, the MMS published corrections to the final regulations decommissioning activities, and included requirements for plugging a well, decommissioning a platform and pipeline, and clearing a lease site, originally published on Friday, May 17, 2002 (67 FR 35398). The final regulations that are the subject of these corrections add a new subpart…
Texas Railroad Commission – Proposed Rule on Discontinuance of Service
The Railroad Commission of Texas proposes new rule 16 TAC 8.340, relating to Discontinuance of Service, which applies when a natural gas service customer ceases taking service at a particular location. The proposed new rule supplements the federal pipeline safety rule, found at 49 CFR 192.727(d), and provides more detailed direction to providers of natural…
National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) triennial exercise schedule for 2003, 2004, and 2005.
The Coast Guard, the Research and Special Programs Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Minerals Management Service, in concert with representatives from various State governments, industry, environmental interest groups, and the general public, developed the Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) Guidelines to reflect the consensus agreement of the entire oil spill response community.…
Revised SPCC Requirements and RCP SPCC Workshops
RCP has scheduled several 1-day workshops on the EPA’s revised Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Plan regulations (published July 17th, 2002, effective August 16th, 2002). If your facility stores more than 55 gallons of oil in a single container, these revisions could affect you! Click here to view a list of locations and find out…
New Pipeline Safety Legislation
The House and Senate have approved new pipeline safety legislation, called the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002. Among other things, the bill will: Establish self-implementing requirements for gas pipeline integrity management programs (gas pipeline operators will be required to establish integrity management programs by certain deadlines, even if the DOT’s regulations are not promulgated…
Advisory Bulletin: Notification of the Susceptibility To Premature Brittle-Like Cracking of Older Plastic Pipe
RSPA has issued a follow-up advisory bulletin to owners and operators of natural gas distribution systems to inform them of the susceptibility to premature brittle-like cracking of older plastic pipe and the voluntary efforts to collect and analyze data on plastic pipe performance. In recent years, brittle-like cracking has been observed in some polyethylene pipes…
Homeland Security Department Organization
The new Homeland Security Department approved by Congress on November 19, 2002 will combine 22 agencies, 170,000 employees, and run with a budget of approximately $38 billion. Headed by a Secretary of Homeland Security, it will have four main divisions, each headed by an undersecretary. The following is a complete list of the agencies moving…
Correction to Hazardous Liquid Corrosion Rule
The DOT / OPS has corrected the hazardous liquid pipeline corrosion rule (66 FR 66994, December 27, 2001), by reformatting the table in � 195.573 (c) to clarify that rectifiers, reverse current switches, diodes, and interference bonds whose failure would jeopardize structural protection should all be checked 6 times each calendar year, but with intervals…
Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) Web Site
The Office of Compliance (OC), within EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), announces the availability of and invites comments on its new Web site, Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), which contains searchable, facility-level enforcement and compliance information. The Web site is available at www.epa.gov/echo. ECHO provides integrated compliance and enforcement information for…
Operator Qualification Pipeline Industry Forum January 21 and January 23, 2003
Several industry associations and interest groups are partnering to co-sponsor a Forum on Operator Qualification at the Hyatt Regency Riverwalk – San Antonio, Texas, on January 21 and 23, 2003, in conjunction with the OPS OQ meeting on January 22, 2003. The sponsors have organized this Forum to provide pipeline operating professionals the opportunity to…
API Releases New Edition Of Pipeline Monitoring Standard
API has released the second edition of its Standard 1130 covering computational pipeline monitoring systems (CPMs) for liquid pipelines. The publication covers the design, implementation, testing and operation of CPM systems, whose primary function is to assist the pipeline operator in detecting releases. This early warning then allows the operator to undertake an immediate investigation,…
Misc Proposed Rules – Gas Pipelines
RSPA is proposing to change some of the safety standards for gas pipelines. The changes are based on recommendations by the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR) and a review of the recommendations by the State Industry Regulatory Review Committee (SIRRC). The changes will improve the clarity and effectiveness of the present standards. Persons…
PIPELINE101 Website
The Association of Oil Pipe Lines and American Petroleum Institute have launched a new web site called “Pipeline 101” that is designed to provide basic information on the nation’s pipeline system. This site provides information and facts about the industry, it’s history, how to detect and report leaks, right of way issues, pipeline economics, and…
PE Certification of SPCC Plans
With the recent revisions to the SPCC plan regulations (see our August, 2002 newsletter), there has been a lot of discussion concerning the best way to review and update existing plans. Some people have asked if they can prepare the plan, and have us just provide the PE certification. The following information is from guidance…
Exit Routes, Emergency Action Plans, and Fire Prevention Plans – OSHA Final Rule
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is revising its standards for means of egress. The purpose of this revision is to rewrite the existing requirements in clearer language so they will be easier to understand by employers, employees, and others who use them. The revisions reorganize the text, remove inconsistencies among sections, and eliminate duplicative…
Decision That Nonconforming 1999 Ferrari F355 Passenger Cars Are Eligible for Importation
Editor’s favorite Federal Register trivia of the day: You will be pleased to know that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has decided that 1999 Ferrari F355 passenger cars not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards are eligible for importation into the United States [Docket No. NHTSA-2001-10526; Notice…