David White, who recently retired from BP Pipelines (North America) as a Regulatory Compliance Coordinator, has joined RCP as a Senior Advisor. Dave brings a wealth of pipeline industry knowledge and regulatory expertise, particularly in Control Room Management and Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS). We are looking forward to his valuable contributions to RCP and…
March 2011
National Safe Digging Month
April 2011 will once again be National Safe Digging Month (NSDM), the time of year when all Common Ground Alliance (CGA) stakeholders come together to communicate how important it is that professionals and homeowners alike call 811 and follow the safe digging process to help prevent injuries, property damage and inconvenient outages. To assist damage…
CGA Excavation Safety Conference & Expo March 8 -10
The CGA Excavation Safety Conference & Expo will take place on March 8 – 10, 2011 in Orlando, Florida. Excavation safety and the protection of buried infrastructure is the shared responsibility of all stakeholder groups. This Conference brings together stakeholders from throughout the industry to share ideas, learn from the experts and gather information on…
DOT Pipeline Compliance Workshop – May 10-12, 2011
Join us May 10 – 12 in Houston at our new office and dedicated training facility for an informative, lively, and interactive workshop on DOT Pipeline Compliance and OPA Planning for DOT Pipelines. This workshop has been attended by hundreds of pipeline personnel, with excellent feedback. The workshop provides an overview of the DOT pipeline…
Gas Industry Conferences at a Glance
SGA Spring Gas Conference & Expo March 15 – 17 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC A technical conference for natural gas operators. On March 16th, RCP’s Director of Communications, Amber Pappas, will be discussing Effectiveness Evaluations and their impact on Public Awareness Programs. AGA Ops Conference & Biennial Exhibit May 24 -27…
API Pipeline Conference April 12 – 13
The 62nd annual API Pipeline Conference is being held April 12th and 13th at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country in San Antonio, Texas. The API Pipeline Environmental and Safety Awards will be presented during the luncheon on Wednesday, April 13th. For the Conference program, advance registration, and hotel information click here. For award program and…
TPSSC and THLPSSC Meetings
March 24 -25, Arlington, VA The Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (TPSSC) and the Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (THLPSSC) will meet on Thursday, March 24, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and the TPSSC will meet on Friday, March 25, from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST. The committees will meet…
PHMSA Notice of Extension for Comments on Collection of Info for Periodic Underwater Inspections
Docket No. PHMSA–2010–0355 The Federal pipeline safety regulations (49 CFR parts 190–199) require operators to conduct appropriate underwater inspections in the Gulf of Mexico. If an operator finds that its pipeline is exposed on the seabed floor or constitutes a hazard to navigation, the operator must contact the National Response Center by telephone within 24…
NTSB Hearing on San Bruno
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a 3-day public hearing to gather additional factual information for the ongoing investigation into the natural gas pipeline rupture and explosion that occurred on September 9, 2010, in San Bruno, California. The goal of the hearing was for the Safety Board to learn more about the issues identified…
PHMSA Updates Hazardous Liquid Integrity Management FAQ’s
On February 8, 2011, PHMSA published several updates to the pipeline integrity FAQ’s for hazardous liquid pipelines. The revised FAQ’s are listed below. 7.4 What is an ‘immediate repair condition’? An immediate repair condition is a detected anomaly involving: Metal loss greater than 80% of nominal wall regardless of dimensions. Predicted burst pressure less than…
PHMSA Updates Gas Distribution Integrity Management FAQ’s
On February 9, 2011, PHMSA published several updates to the pipeline integrity FAQ’s for gas distribution pipelines. The revised FAQ’s are listed below. A.7 Does the operator report the number of EFVs installed per year or the total number of EFVs installed on an operator’s system on the Annual Report form? Does the number include…
Advisory Bulletin (ADB-11-02) Dangers of Abnormal Snow & Ice Build-Up on Gas Distribution Systems
The Department of Transportation/Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) recently published advisory bulletin ADB-11-02 to advise owners and operators of petroleum gas and natural gas facilities of the need to take the appropriate steps to prevent damage to pipeline facilities from accumulated snow or ice. Past events on natural gas distribution system facilities appear to…
Texas Issues Final Rule for Mandatory Gas Distribution Facility Replacements
The Railroad Commission of Texas has published new final rules for mandatory steel service line replacements. 16 TAC 8.209 Distribution Facilities Replacements prescribes the minimum requirements by which all gas distribution operators in Texas will develop and implement a risk-based program for the removal or replacement of steel service lines. Gas distribution operators affected by…