Safety

In a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), San Francisco-based Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) said Thursday it expects the federal government to level criminal charges for the 2010 natural gas transmission pipeline rupture and explosion that killed eight people in San Bruno, about 10 miles south of San Francisco (see Daily GPI, Sept. 13, 2010).

In tandem with its counterpart regulators in Canada, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Thursday issued a series of recommendations calling for tougher standards for rail shipments of crude oil in both nations. NTSB and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada issued the recommendations jointly in recognition that the same companies operate crude rail trains in both nations, frequently crossing the U.S.-Canada border.

A recent series of explosions and accidents involving crude oil trains “demands an investigation and review of our current safety practices and regulations,” said a pair of powerful U.S. Senators. Thursday the pair called on the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Energy (DOE) “to quickly resolve issues with the transportation of crude oil.”

While there is no consensus on the causes or the best way to deal with the problem of methane emissions, state officials said Wednesday that recent major pipeline failures have put much more emphasis on accelerated programs to beef up gas pipeline safety.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Williams Olefins LLC for six process safety management violations related to a June explosion at its Geismar, LA, plant that killed two workers and injured 80 people (see Daily GPI, June 25).

The California utility is again under the gun, and state regulators have demanded a report by Friday. PG&E maintains the 3.8 mile pipe segment is safe.

Offshore operators on Thursday were bringing nonessential personnel to shore and shuttering some production facilities after National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasters said Tropical Storm Karen could reach hurricane strength by Friday.

The Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has published a notice on whether to expand integrity management program (IMP) requirements for natural gas pipelines beyond high-consequence (HCA) or high-population areas.

Washington state regulators saidPuget Sound Energy(PSE) has agreed to pay a $275,000 penalty to settle a natural gas safety complaint lodged against the Bellevue, WA-based combination utility last year regarding a pipeline leak, explosion and house fire in North Seattle in 2011. TheWashington Utilities and Transportation Commission(WUTC) alleged that PSE violated certain gas safety rules when it responded to reports of gas leaks in the Pinehurst neighborhood of Seattle two years ago. An explosion and fire subsequently destroyed a home and injured two people. Under the settlement, PSE admits there were violations and agreed to pay the penalty. The utility is not allowed to pass on the cost of the fine in the retail rates it charges customers. The WUTC staff found the cause of the leaks late last year and recommended a $400,000 penalty (seeDaily GPI,Dec. 28, 2012).