Agenda Packets - 1987/03/16 - Laserfiche WebLink

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March 24, 1987 ci q Of VOW 9 iew RAMSEY COUNTY. MINNESOTA 2401 HIGHWAY 10 MOUNDS VIEW. MINN. 55112 784.0055 ROUGH DRAFT Dockets Unit Office of Hazardous Materials Transportation Research and Special Programs Administration U.S. Department of Transportation 400 Seventh Street• Southwest Washington, U.C. 20590 RE: Docket No. PS-93; Notice 1 To Whom It May Concern: The referenced Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking invites public comment on the need for new or amended safety standards for gas or hazardous liquid pipeline. The City of Mounds View wishes to afford itself of this opportunity to once again state our position, in a clear and concise manner, that current Federal standards are wholly inadequate and require substantial modifica- tion. Our position is based on the premise that current regulations were first put in place to protect public health, safety and welfare and to preserve the environment. Evidence introduced during the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) in- vestigation of the July 8, 1986 Williams Pipe Line Company (WPL) incident in Mounds View as well as testimony given during the NTSB's Board of Inquiry Hearing clearly shows the inadequacy of current Federal regulations and the Office of Pipeline Safety's (OPS) inspection program. The record further indicates that, at least at it applies to WPL, there is a general lack of compliance by the pipeline industry with both the intent and the letter of Federal regulations. It has also become apparent to the City that the general attitude of the UPS is to regulate the pipeline industry in a manner which leads one to believe the UPS has a predisposition to regulate in favor of the industry. The City is convinced that the only.way to correct the current unacceptable level of pipeline regulation and inspection is to ® legislatively mandate those standards necessary to assure the safe operation of interstate gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. We will, however, continue to encourage any effort undertaken to instigate and implement increased safety standards based upon current regulations and wish to offer our comments regarding the proposals identified in the referenced notice.