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MEMBERS SHOP THE
TPGA STORE & $AVE
PSC IS YOUR ONE STOP,
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Happy Texas Independence Day!
In this issue of the
Monday Morning Messenger
, read our
Top Story
of the day to find out about how the Railroad Commission is making it easier for some to get continuing education without even leaving their office.
Secondly, do not forget Tier II reports are due. Read our second story of the day for a link to previously sent Regulatory Guide with links to how to resources including videos.
Check out our
Regulatory Update
of the morning as association recaps the FMCSA's early findings regarding the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and recaps the requirements.
Lastly, NPGA's next Benchmarking meeting is in Texas. Find out more about what Benchmarking is and how to join this business council.
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MEMBERS ONLY
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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- In Brief
- Top Story: Online Continuing Education
- Tier II Reporting
- Regulatory Update
- Meetings & Events
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CALENDAR
March 2, 2020
March 2, 2020
March 3, 2020
March 3-4, 2020
March 8-10, 2020
March 12-13, 2020
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RRC Launches Select
Online Continuing Education
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The Railroad Commission of Texas has launched their long-awaited online continuing education training courses.
The first online classes are scheduled for March and April 2020 and registration is now open. The online courses will be an interactive webinar on your computer. Online courses are solely for continuing education.
*Thursday, March 12, 2020 9:00 a.m.
(*
almost full
)
Online Continuing Education, 2.1. Dispenser Operations
Thursday, March 26, 2020 8:00 a.m.
Online Continuing Education, 2.1. Dispenser Operations
Wednesday, April 1, 2020 8:00 a.m.
Online Continuing Education, 2.1. Dispenser Operations
Pre-registration is required 7 days prior to class. Class size is limited.
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Reminder! Tier II Reports Due Today
March 2, 2020
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If you store more than 10,000 lbs of propane (e.g. 2,380 gallons) you must file a Tier II annually in Texas to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The deadline is today, March 2, 2020 (since March 1 fell on Sunday).
Click here
for our previous regulatory alert for links to "how to" videos and "how to" guides.
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FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse Identifies Nearly 8,000 Substance Abuse Violations in First Weeks of Operation
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Late last month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released early findings & data from Commercial Driver’s License Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. Data shows the clearinghouse has detected and identified nearly 8,000 positive substance abuse tests of commercial drivers since January 6, 2020. The clearinghouse now has more than 650,000 registrants.
“We’ve seen encouraging results from the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, but there’s still work to do to ensure we identify more drivers who should not be behind the wheel,” said FMCSA Acting Administrator Jim Mullen.
The clearinghouse is aimed at improving road safety by providing FMCSA and employers with the necessary tools to identify drivers who have violated federal drug and alcohol testing program requirements and are prohibited from operating a Commercial Motor Vehicle.
Those required to register for the clearinghouse include:
- Employers of commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders, or their designated service agents, and medical review officers who report drug and alcohol program violations that occurred on or after January 6, 2020;
- Employers or their designated service agents who conduct required queries which inform them whether prospective or current employees have drug and alcohol program violations in their clearinghouse records. Employers must purchase a query plan before conducting queries in the clearinghouse – query plans must be purchased from the FMCSA clearinghouse website only;
- Drivers who respond to employer consent requests or would like to view their clearinghouse record when applying for a job; and
- Substance abuse professionals who report on the completion of driver initial assessments and driver eligibility for return-to-duty testing for violations committed on or after January 6, 2020.
There is no cost for registration. Commercial drivers are not required to immediately register for the clearinghouse, but will need to register to respond to an employer’s request for consent prior to a pre-employment query or other full query being conducted. In addition, employers must be registered during the first year of implementation to ensure they are able to conduct the required annual query on all employed drivers.
FMCSA’s clearinghouse website contains important resources, including user brochures and instructional aids with step-by-step registration instructions for all users. Users can visit
https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov
to access these resources.
The clearinghouse is a secure online database that allows FMCSA, employers of CDL drivers, State Driver Licensing Agencies, and law enforcement officials to identify – in real time – CDL drivers who have violated federal drug and alcohol testing program requirements, and thereby improve safety on our nation’s roads.
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What is the NPGA Benchmarking Council
& How Do I Join?
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The NPGA Benchmarking Council provides opportunities for propane marketers to search for new ideas by comparing business practices with other marketers who share the same challenges.
Current activities of the Council are centered around service to propane marketers by providing them with opportunities to learn from fellow marketers about all aspects of the retail propane business.
A comprehensive workbook is provided to stimulate thought and focus discussions. The discussion sessions are held three times per year are in small groups and are constructed so that participants within each group do not compete directly in the marketplace. Topics for discussion are decided upon by members of each small group and may include any aspect of the business from personnel matters to bulk truck configuration.
For questions on the Council, cost to participate and to join the Council, please contact Lesley Garland at NPGA at
lgarland@npga.org
or
at 916 531 2231
.
Their next meeting is March 12-13, 2020 in Irving, TX.
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