On November 16, 2020, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) finalized Regulations .01 and .07 under COMAR 26.11.41 – Control of Methane from the Natural Gas Industry. The rules establish requirements to reduce vented and fugitive emissions of methane from both new and existing natural gas facilities in the transmission and storage sector.
Williams is an energy infrastructure company focused on connecting the United States’ natural gas resources to growing markets across the country. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Williams owns and operates interstate natural gas pipeline systems, midstream natural gas gathering systems, and natural gas processing facilities. Williams’ natural gas transmission business consists primarily of Transco and Northwest Pipelines, with partial interest in Gulfstream and Constitution Pipeline, comprise a total of approximately 14,100 miles of pipelines, 94 transmission compressor stations, with operations at four underground storage fields and two LNG storage facilities.
In the state of Maryland, Williams operates the Ellicott City Natural Gas Compressor Station as well as transmission pipeline assets. The compressor station, which is located in Howard County, is an existing natural gas facility subject to the MDE Methane rule.
Pursuant to COMAR 26.11.41.07. 07A(1)(c), Transco is required to post a quarterly report summary to a publicly available website of each leak monitoring survey conducted at the compressor station.
The summary report includes the information required in COMAR 26.11.41.07. 07A(1)(a), which includes the following:
- (i) Date of the survey;
- (ii) A list of each fugitive emission and repair;
- (iii) Any deviations from the initial methane monitoring plan or a statement that there were no deviations from the initial methane monitoring plan;
- (iv) Number and type of components for which fugitive emissions were detected;
- (v) Number and type of difficult-to-monitor fugitive emission components monitored;
- (vi) Instrument reading of each fugitive emissions component that requires repair when EPA Method 21 (40 CFR 60, Appendix A-7) is used for monitoring;
- (vii) Number and type of fugitive emissions components that were not repaired;
- (viii) Number and type of fugitive emission components placed on delay of repair and explanation for each delay of repair;
- (ix) The date of successful repair of the fugitive emissions component; and
- (x) Instrumentation used to resurvey a repaired fugitive emissions component that could not be repaired during the initial fugitive emissions finding.
To view the most recent Leak Survey Reports click here.