A202601 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
April 27, 2026 Report#A202601
Ryan Bean—Director,Natural Gas
Avista Utilities
1411 Mission Ave, MSC-6
P.O. Box 3727
Spokane, WA 99220-3727
Dear Mr. Ryan Bean,
On April 21 & 22, 2026, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission ("Commission"), Pipeline Safety
Division("Staff'),conducted a Field Inspection of the Avista Utilities Lewiston District,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 Avista
Utilities ("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 VIOLATIONS)
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) Controlling corrosion in accordance with the operations and maintenance
requirements of Subpart I of this part.
49 CFR 4 192.703 General
No person may operate a segment of pipeline, unless it is maintained in accordance with
this subpart.
AVISTA LEWISTON FIELD AUDIT PROBABLE VIOLATIONS LETTER— Page 1 of 3

49 CFR U92.739 Pressure limiting and regulating stations: Inspection and testing.
(a) Each pressure limiting station, relief device (except rupture discs), and pressure
regulating station and its equipment must be subjected at intervals not exceeding 15
months, but at least once each calendar year, to inspections and tests to determine that it
is—
(1) In good mechanical condition.
(4) Properly installed and protected from dirt, liquids, or other conditions that might
prevent proper operation.
Avista Gas Standards Manual—Section 5.12 Regulator and Relief Inspection
Maintenance of Overpressure Protection Devices
Overpressure protection devices (including relief valves, monitor regulators, and safety
shutoff valves) shall be inspected and tested once each calendar year.
Overpressure protection devices shall be inspected to ensure the following:
• They are in good mechanical condition.
• They have a vent stack that is not restricted and is positioned away from sources of
ignition. Vent caps and screens shall be checked for obstructions, for proper operation, and
to determine that the screens are intact. Replace or repair any defects.
• They are set to function at the correct pressure by using an accurate test gauge. The
regulator inspection and maintenance record shall be consulted to determine the relief
maximum set point as specified by Gas Engineering. In some cases,the relief set point may
be less than the MAOP due to operating restrictions.
• They are properly installed and protected from dirt, liquids, and other conditions that
might affect proper operation.
• Sensing lines, control lines, filters, restrictors, etc. on relief valves have been inspected
and repaired, as necessary.
Finding(s)•
Regulator 414 had dithiazine accumulation and a hair on the worker regulator diaphragm,
which interfered with proper lockup. The monitor regulator also failed to achieve lockup.
Technicians corrected both issues by disassembling the units, cleaning the diaphragms,
and replacing the pilot stems. The worker regulator experienced similar failures in 2021
and 2022.
AVISTA LEWISTON FIELD AUDIT 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 June 11, 2026, 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 May 27, 2026.
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 June 11, 2026, 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,
Jeff Brooks
Pipeline Safety, Program Manager
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
11331 W.Chinden Blvd.Ste 201-A Boise ID 83714
Telephone:[phone] Facsimile:[phone]
AVISTA LEWISTON FIELD AUDIT PROBABLE VIOLATIONS LETTER— Page 3 of 3