MONDAY MORNING MESSENGER
November 18, 2019
In Brief
In this issue of the Monday Morning Messenger, the association briefly recaps the rules and again asks our members to comment to the Railroad Commission. Today by NOON , is your LAST CHANCE to relay your concerns on any of the proposed rules.

Additionally, there are only two more weeks to sign up for your annual Duty to Warn Safety mailing. Due to the high volume of participants, the Propane Council of Texas needs all registrations accompanied with lists by Monday, December 2, 2019, to ensure your mailing gets out in 2019.

Do not forget NPGA has created a tool for the propane industry to have timely data on supply points, including wait times and closings at terminals, read more about it below and learn how you can use this tool.

In this information age, there is always someone trying to scam someone. IRS recently released information on social security scam that we want to make you aware of in a Fraud Alert in our last story of the day.
MEMBERS ONLY
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
In this issue
  • In Brief
  • Top Story: Urgent
  • DTW Deadline
  • Winter Waiting
  • Fraud Alert
CALENDAR

November 18, 2019
Deadline to Comment on Proposed Rules
at NOON

December 2, 2019
Duty to Warn Safety Mailing Deadline

December 16, 2019
ELD Intrastate
Compliance Deadline
Top Story
Last chance to Comment
on Proposed LP Gas Safety Rules
Deadline: Today at NOON
It's been more than a decade, O VER 10 YEARS , since the Railroad Commission has had major rule reform and adopted new editions of the NFPA 58 and NFPA 54.

CLIFFS NOTES ON TOP RULES FLAGGED by TPGA
OPPOSED. LP Gas Safety Rule 9.10 (d) The Railroad Commission proposed to add container delivery unit drivers to be required to take an examination. 

OPPOSED. LP Gas Safety Rule 9.140. RRC will require crash protection above and beyond NFPA 58.

SUPPORT. Clarifying and defining the use of bollard in crash protection of installations.

OPPOSED . LP Gas Safety Rule 9.308. Being required to sign off, that electrician did his job correctly regarding CSST.

OPPOSED. The RRC's adoption of the section 6.29.3.3 of the NFPA 58 2017 requiring a fire safety analysis for storage over 10,000 lbs.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD. CLICK on below button, REVIEW rules with comments and CUT & PASTE rule comments into an email to the Railroad Commission. Email comments to the Commission to rulescoordinator@rrc.texas.gov
Important Safety Information
Duty to Warn Deadline is Approaching
Get Your Registrations in by December 2, 2019
Propane retailers who want to get comprehensive safety information to their customers by the end of the year through the Propane Council of Texas cost supplemented safety mailing campaign need to complete a registration by Monday, December 2, 2019 .

  • Do your customers know what propane smells like?
  • Do they know what to do if they smell gas?
  • Do they know the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning?
  • Do they know not modify their systems?

It's good to remind them. It protects the customer, but it also protects, you.

COST : Marketers pay a $35 fulfillment fee, 8 cents per address fee, and ProCOT covers the rest including the postage. Don't miss out on this cost-effective way to get pertinent safety information to your customers during the heating season annually.

PRO TIP : Be like Santa, check your list twice, delete notes you do not want your customers to see e.g. COD, CASH ONLY, DECEASED, ACCOUNT CLOSED and notes you do not want your customers to see on their mailer.
Resources
Don't Forget. NPGA's PLAN Tool
Check Out Waiting Times at Supply Points
The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) has rolled out the Propane Logistics Analysis Network (PLAN), an online tool and app to help keep the industry informed on supply points and hours of service. It is a crowd-sourced tool, which means it relies on active user input. Everyone is encouraged to enter wait times at supply points, including drivers, dispatchers, terminal managers, and wholesalers.
 
There are 400+ supply points on the tool so far.
 
Please note PLAN does not represent supply levels, pricing, or other market variables, and may be subject to error.
 
PLAN is available online at https://plan.npga.org and through an update to the NPGAction app. To download the NPGAction app, visit the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store .
Fraud Alert
IRS Warns of New SSN Scam
Taxpayers should be on the lookout for new variations of tax-related scams. In the latest twist on a scam related to Social Security numbers, scammers claim to be able to suspend or cancel the victim’s SSN. It’s yet another attempt by con artists to frighten people into returning ‘robocall’ voicemails.

Scammers may mention overdue taxes in addition to threatening to cancel the person’s SSN. If taxpayers receive a call threatening to suspend their SSN for an unpaid tax bill, they should just hang up.

Make no mistake…it’s a scam.

Taxpayers should not give out sensitive information over the phone unless they are positive; they know the caller is legitimate. When in doubt –hang up. Here are some telltale signs of this scam. The IRS and its   authorized private collection agencies  will never:
  • Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, iTunes gift card, or wire transfer. The IRS does not use these methods for tax payments.
  • Ask a taxpayer to make a payment to a person or organization other than the U.S. Treasury.
  • Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have the taxpayer arrested for not paying.
  • Demand taxes be paid without giving the taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.
Taxpayers who don’t owe taxes and have no reason to think they do should:
Taxpayers who owe tax or think they do should:
  • View tax account information online at IRS.gov to see the actual amount owed and review their payment options.
  • Call the number on the billing notice
  • Call the IRS at 800-829-1040.