I202102 NOPV

Idaho Public Utilities Commission Brad Little,Governor
PO Box 83720,Boise,ID 83720-0074 Paul Kjellander,Commissioner
Kristine Raper,Commissioner
Eric Anderson,Commissioner
February 17,2021 Report# 1202102
Pat Darras
Intermountain Gas Company
400 N 4tn St.
Bismarck, ND 58501
Dear Mr. Darras:
On February 8, 2021 representatives of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, Pipeline Safety, pursuant
to Chapter 601 of Title 49, United States Code, conducted a training program inspection which included
plastic pipe joining for IGC employees in Twin Falls, Idaho.
During the inspection it was observed that some of the Idaho natural gas distribution system owned and
operated by IGC was out of compliance on some items. This results in probable violations of the
pipeline safety regulations Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 192. Those probable violations are
listed below:
PROBABLE VIOLATIONS
1. 49 CFR§192.605 Procedural manual for operations, maintenance,and emergencies. (a)
General.
Each operator shall prepare and follow for each pipeline, a manual of written procedures for
conducting operations and maintenance activities and for emergency response. For transmission
lines, the manual must also include procedures for handling abnormal operations. This manual
must be reviewed and updated by the operator at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at
least once each calendar year. This manual must be prepared before operations of
a pipeline system commence.Appropriate parts of the manual must be kept at locations where
operations and maintenance activities are conducted.
Findin :
During the inspection it was noted that after the classroom training, the personnel went into the
warehouse for the hands-on evaluation. It was observed that the pyrometer being used to test
the heating element was out of calibration (1/31/2021)thus in violation of OPS 501.This topic
has been a previous issue brought to your company's attention multiple times.
REQUESTED ACTIONS
A reply to this correspondence, as outlined below, is required no later than 45 days from the date of this
letter. Please send all documents to our office at 11331 W Chinden Blvd, Boise, Idaho 83714-1021. Be
advised that all material you submit in response to this enforcement action may be a public record,
subject to disclosure under Idaho's Public Records Law. See Idaho Code §§74-101 et seq.
11331 W.Chinden Blvd.,Building 8,Suite 201-A,Boise ID 83714
Telephone:[phone] Facsimile:[phone]

You have a right to appear before the Pipeline Safety Division in an informal conference before April 5,
2021, at the Commission's offices at 11331 W. Chinden Blvd, Bldg 8,Ste 201-A, Boise. You have the right
to present relevant documents to the Pipeline Safety Division at that conference. The Pipeline Safety
Division will make available to you any evidence which indicates that you may have violated the law, and
you will have the opportunity to rebut this evidence. See IDAPA 31.01.01.21-26. If you intend to
request an informal conference, please contact the Pipeline Safety Division no later than March 22,
2021.
If you wish to dispute the allegations in this Notice, but do not want an informal conference,you may
send the Pipeline Safety Division a written reply to this notice. This written reply must be filed with the
Commission on or before April 5, 2021 and must be signed by a IGC official with authority to bind the
company. The reply must include a complete statement of all relevant facts including a complete
description of the corrective action(s)taken and any and all actions to be taken to prevent future
failures in these areas of concern.
If you do not respond to this notice by April 5, 2021,you may be subject to statutory civil penalties and
further enforcement, as allowed under Idaho law. Idaho Code §61-712A states that "[a]ny person who
violates or fails to comply with, or who procures,aids or abets any violation of title 61, Idaho Code,
governing safety of pipeline facilities and the transportation of gas, or of any order, decision, rule or
regulation duly issued by the Idaho public utilities commission governing the safety of pipeline facilities
and the transportation of gas, shall be subject to a civil penalty of not to exceed two thousand dollars
($2,000)for each violation for each day that the violation persists. However,the maximum civil penalty
shall not exceed two hundred thousand dollars($200,000) for any related series of violation."
If you have any questions concerning this notice, please contact me at(208) 334-0321. Also, all written
responses should be addressed to me at the above address or you may fax your response to (208) 334-
4045.
We appreciate your attention to this matter and your effort to promote pipeline safety.
SincerI
D glmer� L
Pipeline Safety, Program Manager
Idaho Public Utility Commission
IGC TWIN FALLS TRAINING INSPECTION PROBABLE VIOLATIONS LETTER-PAGE 2