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Settlement order calls for new City of Enumclaw gas procedures

The City of Enumclaw will enhance its pipeline safety efforts as a result of agreement it has made with state pipeline safety regulators.

On Dec. 13, 2006, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved a stipulated agreement between the City of Enumclaw and the UTC's pipeline safety program. The agreement requires the city to develop new safety procedures for its employees to follow when operating and maintaining the city's natural gas utility service. The agreement also requires that the city dedicate a natural gas systems engineer who will supervise at least four other qualified staff in the maintenance and operation of the natural gas system. The qualifications of the staff will be maintained through a new training plan that is also required under the settlement.

Earlier this year, the UTC pipeline safety program conducted an inspection of the city's natural gas operations and procedures. The inspection was a follow-up of a previous inspection which identified recurring problems with the city's natural gas service procedures. These procedures ranged from setting and installing relief valves and vents to determining when to replace corroded or damaged pipelines. The follow-up inspection found several areas where the city's procedures still fell short of state and federal safety standards. In the following months, the city has worked to correct those deficiencies. The purpose of the settlement is to ensure that Enumclaw's natural gas system continues to operate within safety requirements.

Posted/updated: 05/22/2007
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