4901:1-16-05. Notice and reports of service failures and incidents; twenty-four hour contacts; one-call participation; post-incident testing; and cast iron pipeline program

(A) Telephone notice of incidents and service failures.

(1) Operators shall notify the state of Ohio on all incidents, as defined in rule 4901:1-16-01 of the Administrative Code, by calling 1-844-OHCALL1 (1-844-642-2551) within thirty minutes of discovery unless notification within that time is impracticable under the circumstances. This includes any telephone notice which is required to be made to the United States department of transportation pursuant to 49 C.F.R. 40, 191, 192, and 199 as effective on the date referenced in paragraph (D) of rule 4901:1-16-02 of the Administrative Code.

(2) Operators shall notify the state of Ohio on all service failures, which involve an interruption of service to one hundred or more customers for a period of two hours or more, by calling 1-844-OHCALL1 (1-844-642-2551) within thirty minutes after discovery unless notification within that time is impracticable under the circumstances.

(B) Written reports regarding incidents and service failures.

(1) All written reports required to be made to the United States department of transportation pursuant to the regulations in 49 C.F.R. 40, 191, 192, and 199 as effective on the date referenced in paragraph (D) of rule 4901:1-16-02 of the Administrative Code, shall be submitted concurrently to the chief.

(2) Within thirty days after the service failure is discovered, each operator shall submit a written report to the chief on the service failure report form provided by the commission.

(3) For each incident report and each service failure report required by the pipeline safety code, each operator shall also submit a final written report of the cause(s) of the incident or service failure, where ascertainable, and actions taken to minimize the possibility of a recurrence of such an incident or service failure, where appropriate. The final report shall be submitted to the chief within sixty days after discovery of the incident or service failure, unless the operator:

(a) For good cause, shows more time is needed.

(b) Submits interim reports at intervals of not more than sixty days until a final report is submitted.

(4) Except for an operator of a master meter system, each operator shall submit an annual written report of incidents and service failures for the preceding calendar year or state that no incidents or service failures occurred during the preceding calendar year on the annual report form provided by the commission. This annual report shall be submitted to the chief not later than March fifteenth of each year.

(C) Each natural gas company and pipeline company shall register the location of all of its underground utility facilities with a protection service that serves the area where the facilities are located, as provided in division (A) of section 3781.26 of the Revised Code. "Underground utility facilities" and "protection service" shall have the same meaning as in section 3781.25 of the Revised Code.

(D) Twenty-four hour contact report.

(1) Each operator and gas gathering/processing plant pipeline operator shall submit a twenty-four hour contact report to the chief not later than March fifteenth of each year. This written report shall contain:

(a) The name(s), business address(es), business telephone and fax number(s), and e-mail addresses of its emergency contact personnel.

(b) Any available emergency hotline number.

(2) Each operator and gas gathering/processing plant pipeline operator shall, within a reasonable time, notify the chief in writing of any change in emergency contact personnel name(s), business address, business telephone, fax number, emergency hotline number, and/or e-mail address of its emergency contact personnel.

(E) To the extent necessary to carry out its responsibilities under the pipeline safety code, the commission or its staff may require testing of any intrastate gas pipeline facility which is involved in an incident. After making a good faith effort to negotiate a mutually acceptable plan with the owner of the pipeline facility, the commission or its staff may require the operator or choose an independent laboratory to test such pipeline facility.

(F) Each operator shall establish a program to identify, repair and replace, as necessary, its cast iron distribution pipeline system which is detrimental to the public safety. This program shall include, but not be limited to, disturbing cast iron pipe, maintenance history, leak history, major street or highway reconstruction or repaving, construction activity, depth of cover, soil type, traffic loading, operating conditions, year of manufacture, type of pipe, amount of graphitization, vibrations, impact forces, earth movement, backfilling after undermining, and water leaks or sewer failures in the area.

(G) The forms required by this rule shall be available at the commission's docketing division and electronically on the commission's website at http://www.puco.ohio.gov.

Effective: 12/8/2016
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 09/26/2019
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 4905.91
Rule Amplifies: 4905.91 , 4905.911, 4905.93, 4905.94
Prior Effective Dates: 02/01/1991, 10/13/1994, 01/06/2005, 06/17/2006, 08/24/2007, 06/20/2008, 07/12/2010, 03/28/2014, 8/12/16 (Emer)