Underground Construction - May 2020 - 13

This was an issue with the Duke/Williams
Constitution pipeline, which the companies
cancelled in late February after New York
State refused to approve a Clean Water Act
permit. The pipeline would have brought
shale gas from Pennsylvania to New York.
Projects still on the boards, which have
been impeded by the state of Oregon, are
the Jordan Cove LNG Project and the Paciﬁc
Connector Gas Pipeline Project that would
travel 229 miles in the state after picking up
gas from Colorado on existing pipelines.
In February, the state of Oregon
refused to approve a permit for the related
projects under the federal Coastal Zone
Management Act. Pembina, the Canadian
company building the project, sent a
protest to the Department of Commerce,
whose National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration administers the CZMA.

The agency added: "PHMSA will exercise
discretion in its overall enforcement
of other parts of the pipeline safety
regulations with the intent of providing
operators with the ﬂexibility to maintain
normal operations while ensuring public
safety and protection of the environment."

For intrastate operators regulated by
state authorities, PHMSA will not object
to waivers, special permits, stays of
enforcement or similar measures granted
by state authorities for noncompliance due
to COVID-19, where state regulations are
equivalent to the federal regulations. *

PHMSA Allowing
Enforcement Flexibility During
Coronavirus Pandemic
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration (PHMSA) is giving
enforcement latitude to pipeline operators
during the coronavirus pandemic. That
ﬂexibility extends to state pipeline safety
program managers, pipeline operators
and operators of gas storage and liqueﬁed
natural gas facilities.
Three speciﬁc regulations are targeted
for eased enforcement oversight. The
ﬁrst is a requirement that workers doing
operation or maintenance activities are
either qualiﬁed under the operator's
written OQ program or have demonstrated
capability to perform assigned functions.
The second covers controllers working
in control rooms, where certain hoursof-service, specialized training programs
come into play. The third element relaxes
pre-employment and random drug testing
for workers who perform certain activities,
known as "covered functions."
Although PHMSA highlighted those
three areas in its guidance, it noted
that there may be other regulatory
requirements that pose compliance
challenges. Pipelines should "document"
those issues and communicate promptly
with the PHMSA about those concerns.

Times like this don't come with 'restart' instructions.
They challenge us to our inner core.
Good thing is, you don't need instructions.
You know what to do. Make your own way,
just like you always have. You worked for everything
you've got-and you're not going to stop now.
Our new LiuGong Partnership Program
offers lower machine pricing, ﬂexible
payment rates and terms, and
rental and leasing programs
that will help your bottom line.
We want you running strong.
Knocking down obstacles.
Getting work done, just
like you always have.

Learn more at www.LiuGongNA.com/partnerprogram
UConOnline.com | MAY 2020

13
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Underground Construction - May 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Underground Construction - May 2020
