New England Pipeline Safety Seminar,
October 19-20, 2016

Sponsored by:
The New England Pipeline Safety Representatives (NEPSR)

In cooperation with the
US Department
of
Transportation
Pipeline and
Hazardous
Materials
Administration
(PHMSA)
Training & Qualifications And Office of the Eastern Region

Seminar Location:
Marriott at Sable Oaks

200 Sable Oaks Drive
South Portland, ME 04106

A block of rooms has been held at $129.00/night. To obtain this rate, please reserve
your room on-line
prior to September 19, 2016.

Registration Fee:
$175.00 per person by Sept. 19, 2016
$195.00 per person after Sept. 19, 2016
Registration fees are not refundable, but substitutions are allowed.
Please make checks payable to:
NEPSR

Preliminary Agenda

2016 NEPSR Pipeline Safety Seminar
Marriott at Sable Oaks, South Portland, ME

All Seminar Sessions are in the combined Salons D and E

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Registration

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Welcome Lunch (included) - Casco Bay Room

1:10 PM - 1:30 PM: Introductions and Opening Remarks by Mark Vannoy, Chairman, Maine Public Utilities Commission

1:30 PM - 1:50 PM: State Presentation - Connecticut (Karl Baker, CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection)

1:50 PM - 2:20 PM: Enforcement Issues and Observations - A discussion of recent enforcement issues and observations of possible noncompliance in New England. (Gary Kenny, ME Public Utilities Commission)

2:20 PM - 2:40 PM: State Presentation - Massachusetts (Richard Wallace, MA Department of Public Utilities)

2:40 PM - 3:00 PM: Break

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: PHMSA Eastern Region - A discussion of the April 29, 2016 transmission pipeline incident in Westmoreland County, PA and enforcement issues in the Eastern Region. (Rob Burrough, Operations Supervisor, PHMSA Eastern Region)

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Training and Operator Qualification - A discussion of the training requirement of §192.805 and the state regulator's expectations of the necessary documentation. (Karl Baker, CT DEEP)

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM: Question and Answer Session - An opportunity to ask questions to the PHMSA Training and Qualification Division (T&Q) Representatives without state regulators present. Questions for state regulators will be answered in the Thursday session at 3:45 PM. (Wayne St. Germain and Gary McDonald, T&Q)

2016 NEPSR Pipeline Safety Seminar

Thursday, October 20, 2016

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM: Breakfast Buffet (included) - Casco Bay Room

8:10 AM - 9:00 AM: Innovative Technologies and Practices - A discussion of new technologies and practices available in the gas industry (Don Ledversis, RI Division of Public Utilities and Carriers)

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Static Electricity in Polyethylene (PE) Pipe - A discussion about the cause of static electricity in PE pipe and how to mitigate its dangers. (Dirk Smith, Ionix Gas Technologies)

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM: Break

10:15 AM - 10:35 AM: State Presentation - Maine (Gary Kenny, ME PUC)

10:35 AM - 11:40 AM: Propane - A discussion of various topics to assist propane operators' compliance with Part 192 (state representative(s) to be determined and Gary McDonald, TQ)

11:40 AM - 12:00 PM State Presentation - New Hampshire (Randy Knepper, NH Public Utilities Commission)

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch (included) - Casco Bay Room

1:10 PM - 1:30 PM State Presentation - Rhode Island (Don Ledversis, RI DPUC)

1:30 PM - 2:45 PM Regulation Updates - Overview of revisions to the minimum federal pipeline safety standards, regulations, protocols, FAQs and federal regulatory events. (Wayne St. Germain and Gary McDonald, T&Q)

2:45 PM - 3:00 PM Break

3:00 PM - 3:20 PM State Presentation - Vermont (GC Morris, VT Department of Public Service)

3:20 PM 3:45 PM Integrity Management Programs - A discussion of the identification of threats to Transmission, Distribution, and Propane Systems (state representative(s) to be determined)

3:45 PM - 4:45 PM: State Regulator Responses to Questions - Regulators from CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, and VT will respond to questions raised during the Q & A session with TQ representatives. It will also be an opportunity to ask additional questions.

4:45 PM - 5:00 PM: Closing Remarks, Discussion of Future Seminars, and Evaluations