I202411 NOPV

Idaho Public Utilities Commission Brad Little,Governor
P.O.Box 83720,Boise, ID 83720-0074 Eric Anderson,President
John IL Hammond,Jr.,Commissioner
Edward Lodge,Commissioner
August 20, 2024 Report# I202411
Pat Darras—Vice President of Engineering & Operations Services
Intermountain Gas Company
400 N 41h St.
Bismarck,ND 58501
Dear Mr. Pat Darras:
On August 20, 2024, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission ("Commission"), Pipeline Safety
Division ("Staff'), conducted a construction inspection in Nampa, Idaho on service line number
371-052855 of Intermountain Gas Company ("IGC") pursuant to Chapter 601 of Title 49, United
States Code.
Staff observed that some of the Idaho natural gas system(s) owned and operated by IGC
("Company") was out of compliance on item(s). This results in probable violations of the pipeline
safety regulations Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 192. The probable violations are as
follows:
PROBABLE VIOLATION(S)
1. 49 CFR 4192.605 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.
IGC NAMPA CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION PROBABLE VIOLATIONS LETTER Page 1 of 3

2. OPS 309 Squeeze-Off of Plastic Pipe
2.3 Ground the squeeze-off tool with a static electric grounding device before placing
the squeeze-off tool on the pipe, apply a soapy water solution and wet non synthetic
cloth (such as cotton or burlap material) upstream of squeeze location, or
commercially available electrostatic discharge fluid to the pipe surface on the
squeeze location to provide for dissipation of static charge to the ground.
Finding(s)•
During a construction inspection on Service Line # 371-052855 at 1378 W Ultar Drive,
Nampa,ID,a contractor representing IGC squeezed a 1/"service line without using a soapy
water solution and wet non synthetic cloth (such as cotton or burlap material)upstream of
squeeze location, or commercially available electrostatic discharge fluid.
IGC NAMPA CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION PROBABLE VIOLATIONS LETTER Page 2 of 3

REQUESTED ACTIONS
A reply to this correspondence is required no later than 45 days from the date of this letter. Please
submit a written reply providing a statement of all relevant facts including a complete description
of the corrective action(s) taken with respect to the above referenced probable violations, and all
actions to be taken to prevent future failures in these areas of concern. This written reply must be
signed by a Company official with authority to bind the Company.
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
and subject to disclosure under Idaho's Public Records Law. See Idaho Code §§74-101 et seq.
If you wish to dispute any of the above referenced potential violations,you have the right to appear
before the Pipeline Safety Division in an informal conference before October 4,2024,at the above
address. You have the right to present relevant documents and evidence 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 Commission Orders 35095 and 35334,which can be found at https://puc.idaho.gov/.
If you intend to request an informal conference, please contact the Pipeline Safety Division no
later than September 19, 2024.
If you wish to dispute any of 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 October 4, 2024, and must be signed by a Company
official with authority to bind the Company. The reply must include a complete statement of all
relevant facts, and all documentation, evidence, and argument the Company submits to refute any
of the above referenced probable violations.
These violations may be subject to any Commission enforcement action as allowed under Idaho
law including, but not limited to, potential civil penalties of up to two hundred thousand dollars
($200,000). See Idaho Code §61-712A.
If you have any questions concerning this Notice,please contact me at(208) 334-0333.All written
responses should be addressed to me at the above address, or you may fax your response to (208)
334-3762.
We appreciate your attention to this matter and your effort to promote pipeline safety.
Sincerely,
ZIO1"�-�
Jeff Brooks
Pipeline Safety, Program Manager
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
11331 W.Chinden Blvd.Ste 201-A Boise ID 83714
Telephone:[phone] Facsimile:[phone]
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