Pipeline Safety Stakeholder Communications

These tables provide a summary of probable violations identified and corrected during each year. Probable violations are alleged non-compliances with pipeline safety regulations. Although state enforcement procedures vary, operators are provided an opportunity to respond to these alleged non-compliances and defend their actions as part of resolving each case. Separate tables are provided for hazardous liquid and gas pipeline oversight. (A)

Number Found During Year: The number of new probable violations identified during the calendar year through inspections, investigations, and other means.

Number Submitted for DOT Action: The number of probable violations that are referred to PHMSA for Federal enforcement. Compliance actions may be referred to PHMSA in situations where the state pipeline safety program is not certified to take enforcement action on certain intrastate pipelines. For example, some states do not have enforcement authority of municipal pipeline systems. Furthermore, some state pipeline safety programs are authorized by PHMSA to inspect interstate pipelines on PHMSA's behalf as Interstate Agents. In these situations, any probable violations identified by Interstate Agents must be referred to PHMSA for enforcement.

Number Corrected During Year: The number of probable violations that were satisfactorily corrected during the calendar year. These could be violations identified in the current year as well as violations that were carried over from previous years. Violations are satisfactorily resolved when the operator provides evidence and satisfies the agency that the non-compliances have been properly addressed and corrected.

A compliance action is an action or series of sequential actions taken to enforce pipeline regulations. One compliance action can cover multiple probable violations. A compliance action may take the form of a letter warning of future penalties for continued violation, an administratively imposed monetary sanction or order directing compliance with the regulations, an order directing corrective action under hazardous conditions, a show-cause order, a criminal sanction, a court injunction, or a similar formal action. This table provides the number of compliance actions taken by the state agency in each year. It also provides the number and amount of civil penalties that were assessed each year to pipeline operators and the number and amount of civil penalties that were collected each year from operators. Because there are occasions where a civil penalty is assessed in one year but not collected until a following year, the amount assessed and collected in a given year may not always be the same. (A)