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DOT Pipeline Compliance News May 2006 Edition Recent Trends in DOT Pipeline Regulations |
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Public Awareness Workshop: ** Attention **
How to Measure Your Program's Effectiveness PHMSA has this to say about API RP 1162: "Of significance is the requirement that operators must review their [public awareness] programs for effectiveness and enhance the programs as necessary." How will you measure the effectiveness of your public awareness program? Ask any three operators how to evaluate the public's "understanding" of pipeline issues, and you'll receive at least three different answers. Measuring understanding and developing benchmarks are challenges operators face in meeting the requirement to determine the effectiveness of their public awareness programs. Yet in order to comply with API RP 1162, every operator must implement some type of methodology to benchmark the program and begin measuring understanding. Now you have the chance to cut through the confusion and the buzzwords at an important one-day seminar that brings together experts in the field of measurement effectiveness.
When: May 9, 2006 Where: Houston, Texas Link: Registration This unique experience focuses on the current topics in the field of measuring effectiveness. Come to Houston and receive:
Operators of transmission, gathering and local distribution companies, public awareness communicators, engineers, safety personnel, public relations staff, and anyone involved in public awareness compliance activities. What You Will Learn:
Paradigm is a leader in Community Awareness direct mail programs and in identifying the stakeholders along an operator’s right-of-way. Paradigm’s John Funderburk will: Regulatory Compliance Partners (RCP) provides operators assistance as they plan and execute their public awareness programs ensuring that operators comply with RP 1162. Susan Waller, one of the original contributors to RP 1162, will provide a brief overview of RP 1162 and the implications of “continual program improvement.” She will also share operators’ leading practices and methods to continually improve public awareness programs. Register Now!
RCP can conduct a gap analysis of your current program that includes a self assessment of your Public Awareness Programs. This final product will help you to meet API RP 1162 standards. We can provide turnkey implementation, mail-outs, evaluations, and tracking of your program. For more information, call or Click here. Gas Gathering Workshop Back to Top On March 15, 2006, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published its final rule on the definition of gas gathering lines. This rule completely changes the previous regulations for gas gathering. Pipelines that were previously considered to be regulated gas gathering may now be exempt. Likewise, other pipelines that were previously considered to be exempt gas gathering will now be regulated. The new definition depends largely on API RP 80 to define the lines that are “gas gathering,” with a few modifications. For those lines that are regulated, there will be two levels of compliance requirements. Confused? You are not alone. Join us in Houston as we delve into the details of the new regulations. What: Gas Gathering Jurisdiction Workshop When: May 10, 2006 Where: Houston, Texas Link: Registration Why Attend We’ll cover the following topics:
Speaker Bill Byrd of RCP, Inc., is a nationally recognized pipeline safety expert and experienced workshop leader. He has conducted dozens of pipeline jurisdictional determinations that consider the intricacies of federal and state pipeline safety regulations in complex operating environments. Register Now! Utility Accommodation for Rail Facilities in Texas State ROWs Back to Top The State of Texas recently published new regulations governing the accommodation, location, method of installation, adjustments, removal, relocation, and maintenance of utility facilities within state railroad right of way. These new regulations were developed in the interest of safety, protection, utilization, and future development of state railroad right of way with due consideration given to public service afforded by adequate and economical utility installations. These regulations are required because of the Texas DOT’s newly enhanced statutory authority to own and operate rail facilities. They include maintenance requirements for existing crossings. The new regulations can be found in: TEXAS STATE REGULATIONS TITLE 43 - TRANSPORTATION PART 01 - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 21 - RIGHT OF WAY Subchapter 21O - Utility Accommodation for Rail Facilities Contact Jessica Roger for additional information.
RCP can conduct a gap analysis of your current SPCC Plan and provide updates and recommendations based on the new SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors that was published Dec. 2, 2005. The new guidance document includes more detail than is in many of the plans in use today. RCP can review and update your plan so that you will be prepared for an Inspection. For more information, call or click here. Texas Damage Prevention Back to Top On March 28, the Texas Railroad Commission held its first information-gathering meeting to prepare for developing new damage prevention regulations for pipelines in Texas. The informal meeting was used to explain the recent legislation in Texas that provides for new TRRC regulations and to gather suggestions from the audience about potential regulatory issues that should be addressed. An official docket has not yet been established for this issue, but will be by the time a proposed rulemaking is developed. For now, suggestions and comments can be sent directly to Mary McDaniel, Pipeline Safety Director at the TRRC, for her consideration in developing a proposed rule. The next meeting will be at the William B. Travis Bldg. - Room 1-100 in Austin, Texas, on May 23.
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. Technical Advisory Committee Meetings - Workshops Back to Top Dockets: PHMSA-98-4470 / PHMSA-2004-18938 / PHMSA-2004-18584 PHMSA will hold public meetings of the Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (TPSSC) and Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee (THLPSSC), and 2 public workshops, on June 26-28, 2006. PHMSA will hold a half day public workshop on Hazardous Liquid Low Stress Pipelines to solicit comments on a risk-based approach to protecting unusually sensitive areas from risks associated with low stress lines. PHMSA also will conduct an all-day public workshop to discuss the effectiveness of pipeline control room operations and to obtain comments on ways to enhance the effectiveness of pipeline control room operations and on findings from the Controller Certification Project (CCERT). Lastly, the Committees will discuss regulatory issues and vote on two rulemaking proposals: integrity management program changes and clarifications, and design and construction standards to reduce internal corrosion in gas transmission pipelines. The dates and times are as follows:
Telephone: 1-703-837-0440, Fax 1-703-837-0454. Attendees staying at the hotel must make reservations by Friday, May 26. The phone number for reservations at the hotel is 1-800-HILTONS (445-8667). The hotel will give priority to the Committee members and State Pipeline Safety Representatives for rooms blocked under “DOT Technical Advisory Committee Meetings.” OPS issues revised FAQ’s for Public Awareness Programs Back to Top On April 10th, the OPS posted revised FAQ’s for Public Awareness Programs on their website. Some of the topics addressed in the FAQ’s include:
PHMSA Response to NTSB on SCADA Issues Back to Top On April 26th, PHMSA submitted their response to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding recommendations resulting from their study entitled “Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems (SCADA) in Liquid Pipelines”. The NTSB recommended the following:
Click here to request more information. RCP Services Spotlight — Gas Gathering Jurisdictional Determination Back to Top On March 15, 2006, PHMSA published its final rule on the definition of gas gathering lines. This rule depends largely on API RP 80 to define the lines that are “gas gathering” with a few modifications. Of these lines, some are classified as “regulated onshore gathering” of either Type A or Type B. Type A regulated onshore gathering lines are required to comply with the transmission pipeline regulations, except for the requirements for making a line smart-piggable and for Pipeline Integrity Management. In addition, Type A lines in class 2 areas can meet their Operator Qualification obligations simply by describing their qualification process. Type B lines are required to meet certain requirements for corrosion control, damage prevention, public education, line marking, and establishing the MAOP of the line. Any new, replaced, relocated, or otherwise changed lines will need to comply with current design, installation, construction, initial inspection and initial testing requirements. The final rule takes effect April 14, 2006. Compliance dates for both Type A and B lines vary by topic and range from 10/15/2007 to 4/15/2009. RCP is in the process of helping gas production, gathering and transmission pipeline operators update their jurisdictional determinations for these lines. If you are interested in how RCP can help you evaluate the jurisdictional classification of your pipelines, give Jessica Roger a call at (713) 655-8080.
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. If you have a relevant regulatory meeting planned, let us know, and we'll announce it in our upcoming DOT Pipeline Newsletters. Yours, W. R. (Bill) Byrd, PE President RCP Inc. 888-727-9937 wrbyrd@your-rcp.com www.your-rcp.com RCP - Your Regulatory Compliance Partner! http://www.your-rcp.com or call us at 1-888-RCP-X-YES to see what we can do for you. |