Original Notice.

     Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 12-07-086.

     Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: Chapter 480-93 WAC, Gas companies -- Safety.

     Hearing Location(s): Commission's Hearing Room 206, Second Floor, Richard Hemstad Building, 1300 South Evergreen Park Drive S.W., Olympia, WA 98504-7250, on December 19, 2012, at 9:30 a.m.

     Date of Intended Adoption: December 19, 2012.

     Submit Written Comments to: Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, P.O. Box 47250, Olympia, WA 98504-7250, e-mail records@utc.wa.gov, fax (360) 586-1150, by November 26, 2012. Please include Docket PG-120345 in your communication.

     Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Debbie Aguilar by December 5, 2012, TTY (360) 586-8203 or (360) 664-1132.

     Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: The 2011 legislature amended the underground utilities law, chapter 19.122 RCW. These changes take effect on January 1, 2013. This new law, assigned to the Washington utilities and transportation commission (commission), affects the commission's authority to enforce the underground utilities law as it relates to pipelines. The commission initiated this rule making to require gas pipeline companies to report additional information about damage to their facilities caused by excavators that have violated the underground utilities law, and to provide to violators information about their rights under the revised law.

     Reasons Supporting Proposal: Proposed revisions will provide sufficient supplemental reporting and evidentiary records and documentation needed by the commission to sustain an action to enforce violations of chapter 19.122 RCW.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 80.01.040(4), 81.01.010, 81.04.160, 81.88.040, 81.88.065, and sections 1, 2, and 5, chapter 142, Laws of 2007.

     Statute Being Implemented: Chapter 19.122 RCW.

     Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.

     Name of Proponent: Washington utilities and transportation commission, governmental.

     Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: David D. Lykken, 1300 South Evergreen Park Drive S.W., Olympia, WA 98504, (360) 664-1219; Implementation and Enforcement: David W. Danner, 1300 South Evergreen Park Drive S.W., Olympia, WA 98504, (360) 664-1208.

     No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. The proposed rules will not result in or impose more than minor costs. Because there will not be more than minor increase in costs resulting from the proposed rule changes, a small business economic impact statement is not required under RCW 19.85.030(1).

     A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. The commission is not an agency to which RCW 34.05.328 applies. The proposed rules are not significant legislative rules of the sort referenced in RCW 34.05.328(5).

October 24, 2012

David W. Danner

Executive Director

and Secretary

OTS-5101.1

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Docket PG-070975, General Order R-549, filed 5/30/08, effective 6/30/08)

WAC 480-93-200   Reporting requirements.   (1) Each gas pipeline company must give notice to the commission by telephone using the emergency notification line (see WAC 480-93-005(8)) within two hours of discovering an incident or hazardous condition arising out of its operations that results in:

     (a) A fatality or personal injury requiring hospitalization;

     (b) Property damage valued at more than fifty thousand dollars;

     (c) The evacuation of a building, or a high occupancy structure or area;

     (d) The unintentional ignition of gas;

     (e) The unscheduled interruption of service furnished by any gas pipeline company to twenty-five or more distribution customers;

     (f) A pipeline or system pressure exceeding the MAOP plus ten percent or the maximum pressure allowed by proximity considerations outlined in WAC 480-93-020; or

     (g) A significant occurrence, in the judgment of the gas pipeline company, even though it does not meet the criteria of (a) through (g) of this subsection.

     (2) Each gas pipeline company must give notice to the commission by telephone using the emergency notification line (see WAC 480-93-005(8)) within twenty-four hours of each incident or hazardous condition arising out of its operations that results in:

     (a) The uncontrolled release of gas for more than two hours;

     (b) The taking of a high pressure supply or transmission pipeline or a major distribution supply gas pipeline out of service;

     (c) A gas pipeline operating at low pressure dropping below the safe operating conditions of attached appliances and gas equipment; or

     (d) A gas pipeline pressure exceeding the MAOP.

     (3) Routine or planned maintenance and operational activities of the gas pipeline company that result in operator-controlled plant and equipment shut downs, reduction in system pressures, flaring or venting of gas, and normal leak repairs are not reportable items under this section.

     (4) Each gas pipeline company must provide to the commission a written report within thirty days of the initial telephonic report required under subsections (1) and (2) of this section. At a minimum, the written reports must include the following:

     (a) Name(s) and address(es) of any person or persons injured or killed, or whose property was damaged;

     (b) The extent of such injuries and damage;

     (c) A description of the incident or hazardous condition including the date, time, and place, and reason why the incident occurred. If more than one reportable condition arises from a single incident, each must be included in the report;

     (d) A description of the gas pipeline involved in the incident or hazardous condition, the system operating pressure at that time, and the MAOP of the facilities involved;

     (e) The date and time the gas pipeline company was first notified of the incident;

     (f) The date and time the gas pipeline company's first responders arrived on-site;

     (g) The date and time the gas pipeline was made safe;

     (h) The date, time, and type of any temporary or permanent repair that was made;

     (i) The cost of the incident to the gas pipeline company;

     (j) Line type;

     (k) City and county of incident; and

     (l) Any other information deemed necessary by the commission.

     (5) Each gas pipeline company must submit a supplemental report if required information becomes available after the thirty-day report is submitted.

     (6) Each gas pipeline company must provide to the commission a copy of each failure analysis report completed or received by the gas pipeline company, concerning any incident or hazardous condition due to construction defects or material failure within five days of completion or receipt of such report.

     (7) In the event of damage to a gas pipeline, each gas pipeline company must provide to the commission the following information using either the commission's web-based damage reporting tool or its successor, or the damage reporting form located on the commission's web site:

     (a) The reporting requirements set forth in RCW 19.122.053 (3)(a) through (n);

     (b) If the damage is believed by the company to be the result of an excavation conducted without a facilities locate first being completed, the gas pipeline company must also report the name, address, and phone number of the person or entity that the company has reason to believe may have caused the damage. The company must include this information in the comment section of the web-based damage reporting tool form or sent to the commission separately. If the company chooses to send the information separately, it must include sufficient information to allow the commission to link the name of the party believed to have caused the damage with the damage event reported through the damage reporting tool.

     (c) Each gas pipeline company must retain all damage and damage claim records it creates related to damage events, including photographs and documentation supporting the conclusion that a facilities locate was not completed, reported under subsection (b) of this section, for a period of two years and make those records available to the commission upon request.

     (8) Each gas pipeline company must provide, to an excavator who damages a gas pipeline facility, the following information set forth in chapter 19.122 RCW:

     (a) Notification requirements for excavators under RCW 19.122.050(1);

     (b) A description of the excavator's responsibilities for reporting damages under RCW 19.122.053; and

     (c) Information concerning the safety committee referenced under RCW 19.122.130, including committee contact information, and the process for filing a complaint with the safety committee.

     (9) Each gas pipeline company must report to the commission the details of each instance of the following when the company or its contractor observes or becomes aware of either of these events:

     (a) An excavator digs within thirty-five feet of a transmission pipeline, as defined by RCW 19.122.020(26) without first obtaining a locate; or

     (b) Someone maliciously damages or removes marks indicating the location or presence of gas pipeline facilities.

     The company must only report information to the extent that an employee or contractor of the company observes or becomes aware of these events.

     (10) Each gas pipeline company must file with the commission the following annual reports no later than March 15 for the preceding calendar year:

     (a) A copy of every Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) F-7100.1-1 and F-7100.2-1 annual report required by U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Pipeline Safety.

     (b) ((A report titled, "Damage Prevention Statistics." The Damage Prevention Statistics report must include in detail the following information:

     (i) Number of gas-related one-call locate requests completed in the field;

     (ii) Number of third-party damages incurred; and

     (iii) Cause of damage, where cause of damage is classified as one of the following:

     (A) Inaccurate locate;

     (B) Failure to use reasonable care;

     (C) Excavated prior to a locate being conducted; or

     (D) Excavator failed to call for a locate.

     (c))) A report detailing all construction defects and material failures resulting in leakage. Each gas pipeline company must categorize the different types of construction defects and material failures anticipated for their system. The report must include the following:

     (i) Types and numbers of construction defects; and

     (ii) Types and numbers of material failures.

     (((8))) (11) Each gas pipeline company must file with the commission, and with appropriate officials of all municipalities where gas pipeline companies have facilities, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the responsible officials of the gas pipeline company who may be contacted in the event of an emergency. In the event of any changes in such personnel, the gas pipeline company must immediately notify the commission and municipalities.

     (((9))) (12) Each gas pipeline company must send to the commission, by e-mail, daily reports of construction and repair activities. Reports may be faxed only if the gas pipeline company does not have e-mail capability. Reports must be received no later than 10:00 a.m. each day of the scheduled work, and must include both gas pipeline company and contractor construction and repair activities. Report information must be broken down by individual crews and the scheduled work must be listed by address, as much as practical. To the extent possible the reports will only contain construction and repair activity scheduled for that day, but they may include a reasonable allowance for scheduling conflicts or disruptions.

     (((10))) (13) When a gas pipeline company is required to file a copy of a DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing Management Information System (MIS) Data Collection Form with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Pipeline Safety, the gas pipeline company must simultaneously submit a copy of the form to the commission.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040, 80.04.060 and 81.88.040. 08-12-046 (Docket PG-070975, General Order R-549), § 480-93-200, filed 5/30/08, effective 6/30/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040, 81.01.010, and 81.88.060. 07-18-010 (Docket PG-061027, General Order R-544), § 480-93-200, filed 8/23/07, effective 9/23/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 80.04.160, 80.28.210(1), and 80.01.040(1). 05-23-174 (Docket No. PG-050933, General Order No. R-524), § 480-93-200, filed 11/23/05, effective 12/24/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 80.04.160, 80.28.210, and 80.01.040. 05-10-055 (Docket No. UG-011073, General Order No. R-520), § 480-93-200, filed 5/2/05, effective 6/2/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040. 92-16-100 (Order R-375, Docket No. UG-911261), § 480-93-200, filed 8/5/92, effective 9/5/92; Order R-28, § 480-93-200, filed 7/15/71; Order R-5, § 480-93-200, filed 6/6/69, effective 10/9/69.]