Subject of Possible Rule Making: The Washington utilities and transportation commission commences this inquiry to examine whether companies subject to the commission's jurisdiction should do more to enhance the safety of their natural gas distribution systems and, if so, to develop appropriate requirements or incentives to accomplish that goal.

     Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 80.01.040 and 80.04.160.

     Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Rules may be necessary to implement the requirements or incentives the commission develops as a result of its investigation to enable the commission to accomplish its goals of enhancing natural gas pipeline safety.

     Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.

     Process for Developing New Rule: The commission will ask for initial comments, and will provide the opportunity to provide additional comments. The commission will conduct stakeholder workshops on June 21, and July 2, 2012.

     Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication. Interested persons may file comments with the Executive Director and Secretary, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, P.O. Box 47250, 1300 South Evergreen Park Drive S.W., Olympia, WA 98504-7250, phone (360) 664-1174, fax (360) 586-1150, e-mail records@utc.wa.gov, or through the UTC web portal http://www.utc.wa.gov by June 8, 2012.

     WRITTEN COMMENTS AND STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP: Written comments may be submitted to the commission at the address given above and should be filed with the commission no later than Friday, June 8, 2012, for consideration at the June 21 and July 2, 2012, stakeholder workshops.

     Electronic copies. The commission requests that comments be provided in electronic format to enhance public access, for ease of providing comments, to reduce the need for paper copies, and to facilitate quotations from the comments. Comments may be submitted via the commission's web portal at www.utc.wa.gov/e-filing or by electronic mail to the commission's records center at records@utc.wa.gov. Please include:

•	The docket number of this proceeding (UG-120715).
•	The commenting party's name.
•	The title and date of the comment or comments.

     An alternative method for submitting comments may be by mailing/delivering an electronic copy on a 3 1/2 inch, IBM-formatted, high-density disk, in .pdf Adobe Acrobat format or in Word 97 or later. Include all of the information requested above. The commission will post on the commission's web site all comments that are provided in electronic format. The web site is located at http://www.utc.wa.gov/120715. If you are unable to file your comments electronically or to submit them on a disk, the commission will always accept a paper document.

     Opportunity for further comment is anticipated. Information about the schedule and other aspects of the rule making, including comments, will be posted on the commission's web site as it becomes available. If you wish to receive further information on this rule making you may (1) call the commission's records center at (360) 664-1234, (2) e-mail the commission at <records@utc.wa.gov>, or (3) mail written comments to the address above to the attention of David W. Danner, executive director and secretary. When contacting the commission, please refer to Docket UG-120715 to ensure that you are placed on the appropriate service list. Questions may be addressed to Mark Vasconi at (360) 664-1308 or e-mail at mvasconi@utc.wa.gov.

May 18, 2012

David W. Danner

Executive Director

and Secretary

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