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HomeMy WebLinkAboutI202515 NOPV Idaho Public Utilities Commission Brad Little,Governor ` �- P.O.Box 83720,Boise, ID 83720-0074 Edward Lodge,President John R.Hammond,Jr.,Commissioner Dayn Hardie,Commissioner November 5, 2025 Report# I202515 Rev.I Pat Darras—Vice President of Engineering & Operations Services Intermountain Gas Company 400 N 41h St. Bismarck,ND 58501 Dear Mr. Pat Darras, On November 3rd, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission ("Commission"), Pipeline Safety Division ("Staff'), conducted a construction inspection at 9640 Ustick Rd in Nampa, ID 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. 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. 2. 49 CFR§192.805 Qualification Program. (b) Ensure through evaluation that individuals performing covered tasks are qualified; 3. 49 CFR§192.803 Definitions. Qualified means that an individual has been evaluated and can: (a) Perform assigned covered tasks; and (b) Recognize and react to abnormal operating conditions. IGC CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION PROBABLE VIOLATIONS LETTER— Page 1 of 3 4. OPS 407 Exothermic Weldiny,Connections to Steel Pipelines TRAINING AND QUALIFICATION Safety and Technical Training, with the help of System Integrity, is responsible for the development of training required for personnel who perform exothermic welding. Only qualified personnel shall make wire connections to steel pipelines by exothermic welding. Findinds)• IPUC staff witnessed a contractor at 9640 Ustick Rd in Nampa install exothermic welds (cad- weld) without valid operator qualifications (OQ). IGC 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 December 20, 2025, 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 December 5, 2025. 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 December 20,2025,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 in accordance with 49 CFR 190.223(a). 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, /111�- JeffBrooks Pipeline Safety, Program Manager Idaho Public Utilities Commission 11331 W.Chinden Blvd.Ste 201-A Boise ID 83714 Telephone:(208)334-0300 Facsimile:(208)334-3762 IGC CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION PROBABLE VIOLATIONS LETTER— Page 3 of 3