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Aug. 31, 2010
Contact: Office of Communications
Phone: 202-693-1999

OSHA announces interim final rules and
invites public comment on whistleblower procedures

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration published in the Aug. 31 Federal Register interim final rules that will help protect workers who voice safety, health, and security concerns. The regulations, which establish procedures for handling worker retaliation complaints, allow filing by phone as well as in writing and filing in languages other than English.

“When workers believe their employers are violating certain laws or government regulations, they have the right to file a complaint and should not fear retaliation. Silenced workers are not safe workers,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA David Michaels. “Changes in the whistleblower provisions make good on the promise to stand by those workers who have the courage to come forward when they believe their employer is violating the law and cutting corners on a variety of safety, health and security concerns in the affected industries.”

The regulations, which cover workers filing complaints in the railroad, public transit, commercial motor carrier, and consumer product industries, also create greater consistency among various OSHA complaint procedures. The interim final rules establish procedures and time frames for handling complaints under the whistleblower sections of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 and the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

These regulations are effective immediately. Comments must be submitted by Nov. 1, 2010, and can be sent to www.regulations.gov, the Federal eRulemaking Portal, or by mail or fax.

OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of the OSH Act and 18 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various commercial motor carrier, airline, nuclear power, pipeline, environmental, railroad, public transportation, securities, and health care reform laws. New fact sheets on these statutes and additional information will be available at http://www.whistleblowers.gov.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to assure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America’s employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit http://www.dol.gov/compliance.

Williams Pipeline Partners and Williams Partners Complete Merger

Tulsa, OK, August 31, 2010 - Williams Pipeline Partners L.P. (NYSE:WMZ) and Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE:WPZ) announced on August 31 that the WMZ unitholders have approved the proposed merger between the two master limited partnerships and the merger has been completed.

The approval was granted at a special meeting of the Williams Pipeline Partners limited partners. A majority of the outstanding WMZ common units, other than WMZ common units held by Williams Partners and its affiliates, voted in favor of the approval and adoption of the merger agreement and the merger. The outstanding subordinated units of WMZ, which are all owned by the general partner of Williams Pipeline Partners, also voted in favor of the merger.

The merger became effective following the special meeting. As a result, WMZ unitholders will receive 0.7584 WPZ common units for each WMZ common unit they owned at the effective time of the merger. Also as a result of the merger, all currently outstanding WMZ common units and WMZ subordinated units have been extinguished, and Williams Pipeline Partners has become indirectly wholly owned by Williams Partners.

Williams Partners’ common units will continue to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol WPZ. Williams Pipeline Partners’ common units, which had been trading on the NYSE under the ticker symbol WMZ, will be delisted and no longer publicly traded.

Williams Partners and Williams Pipeline Partners announced the execution of the merger agreement on May 24.

About Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE:WPZ)  

Williams Partners L.P. is a leading diversified master limited partnership focused on natural gas transportation; gathering, treating, and processing; storage; natural gas liquid (NGL) fractionation; and oil transportation. The partnership owns interests in three major interstate natural gas pipelines that, combined, deliver 12 percent of the natural gas consumed in the United States. The partnership’s gathering and processing assets include large-scale operations in the U.S. Rocky Mountains and both onshore and offshore along the Gulf of Mexico. Williams (NYSE:WMB) owns approximately 80 percent of Williams Partners, including the general-partner interest. More information is available at www.williamslp.com. Go to http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1296&to=ea&s=0 to join our email list.

About Williams Pipeline Partners L.P. (NYSE:WMZ)  

Williams Pipeline Partners is a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns and operates natural gas transportation and storage assets. The general partner of Williams Pipeline Partners is Williams Pipeline GP LLC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE:WPZ) . For more information, please visit www.williamspipelinepartners.com. Go to http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1589&to=ea&s=0 to join our e-mail list.

Portions of this document may constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined by federal law. Although the partnerships believe any such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance that actual outcomes will not be materially different. Any such statements are made in reliance on the “safe harbor” protections provided under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995. Additional information about issues that could lead to material changes in performance is contained in the partnerships’ annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For More Information Contact
Jeff Pounds
Williams Pipeline Partners L.P.
+1-918-573-3332
www.williamslp.com
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