HomeMy WebLinkAbout20020117_dh.docDECISION MEMORANDUM
TO: COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER
COMMISSIONER SMITH
COMMISSIONER HANSEN
JEAN JEWELL
RON LAW
LOU ANN WESTERFIELD
LYNN ANDERSON
BUD BARTHLOME
RANDY LOBB
DAVE SCHUNKE
BEV BARKER
TONYA CLARK
GENE FADNESS
WORKING FILE
FROM:
DATE:
JANUARY 17, 2002 RE: INTERMOUNTAIN GAS’S PETITION FOR AN EXEMPTION FROM THE COMMISSION’S GAS SERVICE RULE 102; CASE NO. INT-G-02-1
On January 11, 2002, Intermountain Gas filed an Application with the Commission seeking an exemption from the Commission’s Gas Service Rule 102. IDAPA 31.31.01.102. In particular, Rule 102 requires all gas corporations to inspect a customer’s installation of a gas appliance before connecting the meter. In its Application, Intermountain Gas asserts that Rule 102 is inconsistent with Rule 202 and 203 of the Commission’s Safety and Accident Reporting Rules, IDAPA 31.11.01.202 and 203. These latter safety rules allow gas utilities to forego inspecting customer installations that “[h]ave been inspected and approved by authorized agencies.…” Id.
The Company maintains in its Application that it desires to eliminate redundant customer installation inspections “beyond our meter.” Application at 2, § I. The Company insists that Gas Rule 102 compels duplicate inspections by both an authorized inspection agency (e.g., a city/county building department) and the utility. The Company states that by eliminating the redundant inspections in Rule 102, “Intermountain will be improving our customers’ ability to receive expedited service from their heating contractor and the heating dealer will need inspection approval from only one authorized agency [and not the utility] thereby streamlining the inspection process.” Application at I.
STAFF ANALYSIS
Staff and the Company have discussed the inconsistency between Gas Rule 102 and Safety Rules 202-203 which allow installation inspections by authorized agencies. Staff has advised Intermountain Gas that instituting a rulemaking to eliminate the inconsistency between the two rule sets is prohibited until such time as the rules moratorium is lifted (i.e., at the conclusion of the present legislative session). Consequently, Staff believes that it is appropriate to process the Company’s request for an exemption of Gas Rule 102 via Modified Procedure.
COMMISSION DECISION
Does the Commission wish to process Intermountain Gas’s request for a waiver of Gas Rule 102 via Modified Procedure?
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DECISION MEMORANDUM 2