DOT 100-16
Friday, August 5, 2016

News Digest

Pipeline Failure Investigation Results in Notice of Probable Violation and Proposed Civil Penalties for National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) proposed civil penalties totaling $202,900 and issued a Notice of Probable Violation and a Proposed Compliance Order to National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation after concluding its investigation into the March 6, 2015 natural gas pipeline failure at the operator’s Beech Hill Compressor Station near Wellsville, New York. The incident occurred after a start gas regulator for the compressors at the facility failed, causing a pressure increase in the piping downstream of the regulator that exceeded the line’s maximum allowable operating pressure. The NOPV identifies four probable violations of Federal pipeline safety regulations, including a failure to ensure that each compressor station has pressure relief devices of sufficient capacity, insufficient procedures for analyzing accidents and failures, and failing to notify the National Response Center of the regulator failure and subsequent fire which required an emergency shutdown of the station within the required timeframe. Review the details of the enforcement case here. Contact for media: Artealia Gilliard (202) 366-4831.