# NTSB Safety Recommendation P-01-003 **Citation:** P-01-003 **Type / status:** guidance / guidance **Agency:** National Transportation Safety Board **Effective:** 2001-06-22 **Published:** 2001-06-22 TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION, EDISON ELECTRIC INSTITUTE AND THE NATIONAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION: Inform your member utilities of the circumstances surrounding the 7/7/98, explosion and fire in South Riding, Virginia, and of the need to ensure that underground electrical facilities are installed and maintained with separation between those facilities and plastic gas pipelines in accordance ## Document text NTSB safety recommendation P-01-003. TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION, EDISON ELECTRIC INSTITUTE AND THE NATIONAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION: Inform your member utilities of the circumstances surrounding the 7/7/98, explosion and fire in South Riding, Virginia, and of the need to ensure that underground electrical facilities are installed and maintained with separation between those facilities and plastic gas pipelines in accordance with the national electrical safety code. Priority: CLASS II Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Issued Date: 2001-06-22 Adopted Date: 2001-06-12 Overall Date Closed: 2002-03-25 Synopsis: This recommendation addresses the adequacy of standards for minimum separation distances between gas service lines and electrical service lines. The recommendation is derived from the Safety Board's investigation of the 7/7/98, pipeline accident in South Riding, Virginia, and is consistent with the evidence we found and the analysis we performed. As a result of this investigation, the Safety Board has issued four safety recommendations, one of which is addressed to the American Public Power Association, Edison Electric Institute and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Information supporting this recommendation is discussed below. The Safety Board would appreciate a response from you within 90 days addressing the actions you have taken or intend to take to implement our recommendation. Probable Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was the corrosion and subsequent overheating and arcing at a splice in one of the conductors of the triplex electrical service line, which, because of inadequate separation between the electrical conductors and the gas service line, led to the failure of the gas service line and the subsequent uncontrolled release of natural gas that accumulated in the basement and was subsequently ignited. Precipitating the electrical service line failure was damage done to the electrical service line during installation of the gas service line and/or during subsequent excavation of the electrical line. Ntsbnumber: DCA98MP003 Report Number: PAR-01-01 Addressee Name: American Public Power Association Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Addressee Date Closed: 2002-03-25 Addressee Acronym: APPA Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations Communication Date: 2001-11-21 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 01/24/2002 11:57:04 AM MC# 2020081 -From Alan H. Richardson, President and CEO: APPA received the 6-22-01, letter and safety recommendations from the NTSB describing the 7-7-98 accident in South Riding, VA and has taken the following steps: ·Upon receipt of the letter, APPA spoke with NTSB staff and secured an electronic version of the letter, and informed NTSB staff of APPA's intent to widely disseminate the information within the public power community. ·On June 29, 2001, the electronic version was sent to over 475 distribution engineers and safety professionals as part of APPA's monthly Safety and T&D (Transmission and Distribution) email exchange list serv. ·All list serv items are posted to APPA's website, www,appanet.org , and the information is currently available from the engineering and safety page. ·The incident and letter were discussed at the Engineering & Operations Meeting as well as at APPA's Safety Manual Meeting, which were held in Braintree, Massachusetts, August 23-24, 2001 with 40 public power professionals in attendance. As you should be aware, APPA has representation on the 2002 National Electric Safety Code's executive and main committees (Michael J. Hyland, APPA's Director of Engineering Services) in addition to member representatives on the various subcommittees. Les Shankland, Supervising Electrical Engineer for Colorado Springs Utilities represents APPA's interests on subcommittee 7, which addresses underground lines. APPA will continue to do all it can to promote safety operations throughout the public power community. Addressee Acronym: APPA Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations Communication Date: 2002-03-25 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: The Safety Board is pleased to learn that APPA, in response to this recommendation, has taken the following actions to ensure widest dissemination of the recommendation to its constituency. Accordingly, because APPA has taken action as requested, Safety Recommendation P-01-3 is classified CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION. Addressee Name: Edison Electric Institute Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Addressee Date Closed: 2002-05-02 Addressee Acronym: EEI Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 2002-05-02 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: Mr. Tempchin indicates that EEI has disseminated the Safety Board's June 22, 2001, recommendation letter to hundreds of EEI member company safety and distribution professionals, thus informing them of the circumstances of the accident and the need to ensure that underground electric facilities are installed and maintained as recommended, in accordance with the National Electric Safety Code. Accordingly, Safety Recommendation P-01-3 is classified CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION. Addressee Acronym: EEI Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 2001-10-30 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: NMC #100937: The Board is vitally interested in knowing whether and how its recommendations are implemented, both to ensure that the traveling public is provided the highest level of safety, and to identify creative solutions that might be shared with others. That is why we monitor the implementation of all our recommendations. We would appreciate a response from EEI regarding its efforts to implement this recommendation. Enclosed is a copy of the recommendation letter. Please address your response to Ms. Marion C. Blakey, Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board, and refer to Safety Recommendation P-01-3 in your letter. Addressee Acronym: EEI Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 2001-10-18 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 02/21/2002 7:19:38 PM MC# 2020174 -From Rick Tempchin, Director, Energy, Efficiency and Transportation Policy (October 18, 2001): P-01-3, South Riding Incident: Edison Electric Institute received the June 22, 2001 letter from the National Transportation Safety Board describing the July 7, 1998, pipeline accident in South Riding, Virginia. EEI has forwarded the letter to hundreds of member company safety and distribution professionals, as described in the attached letters. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance. -From Charles J. Kelly, Director, Industry Human Resource Issues, Edison Electric Institute, To Members, EEI Occupational Safety and Health Committee, Dated September 27, 2011: At the request of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) encloses a letter dated June 22, 2001, from NTSB to EEI (Letter) regarding the "adequacy of standards for minimum separation distance between gas service lines and electric service lines" and "the need the ensure that underground electrical facilities are installed and maintained with separation between those facilities and plastic gas pipelines in accordance with the National Electrical Safety Code." The Letter is provided to you purely on an informational basis. EEI does not take a position, nor requests any action, and gives no warranty regarding the contents of the Letter. EEI accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, truthfulness, reliability or completeness of the material and any information (whether statements of opinion, advice or otherwise) contained in the Letter. No reliance should be made by you on the material and information contained in the Letter without first checking for confirmation with the NTSB. EEI accepts no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the direct or indirect use of any material or information contained in the Letter. -From Ken Hall of the Edison Electric Institute to the Distribution Member List of EEI, dated October 15, 2001: At the request of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) attached letter dated June 22, 2001, from NTSB to EEI (Letter) regarding the "adequacy of standards for minimum separation distance between gas service lines and electric service lines" and "the need the ensure that underground electrical facilities are installed and maintained with separation between those facilities and plastic gas pipelines in accordance with the National Electrical Safety Code." The Letter is provided to you purely on an informational basis. EEI does not take a position, nor requests any action, and gives no warranty regarding the contents of the Letter. EEI accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, truthfulness, reliability or completeness of the material and any information (whether statements of opinion, advice or otherwise) contained in the Letter. No reliance should be made by you on the material and information contained in the Letter without first checking for confirmation with the NTSB. EEI accepts no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the direct or indirect use of any material or information contained in the Letter. Addressee Name: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Addressee Date Closed: 2001-12-26 Addressee Acronym: NRECA Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations Communication Date: 2001-09-20 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 09/28/2001 7:59:35 AM MC# 2010781 NRECA received the June 22, 2001, letter from the National Transportation Safety Board describing the July 7, 1998, pipeline accident in South Riding, Virginia. NRECA has taken the following steps with regard to the recommendation in that letter: ·On September 12, 2001, NRECA disseminated the NTSB letter to approximately 120 safety professionals attending the Annual Conference of the National Utility Training and Safety Education Association in Corpus Christi, Texas. By far the majority of these safety professionals are employees of NRECA members. ·On September 20, 2001, NRECA emailed a copy of the NTSB letter to approximately 500 safety professionals. Again, the great majority of these safety professionals are employees of NRECA members. ·On September 22,2001, NRECA sent news of the NTSB letter, including its location on the Internet, to a national core group of some 150 NRECA directors, Chief Executive Officers of statewide associations of NRECA members, and Chief Executive Officers of more than 60 large generation and transmission members of NRECA. NRECA appreciates and shares the concern of the NTSB for the safe operation of electric utilities. Addressee Acronym: NRECA Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations Communication Date: 2001-12-26 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: The Safety Board is pleased to learn that in response to this recommendation, the NRECA has taken action to ensure wide dissemination of the recommendation to its constituency. Accordingly, because the NRECA has taken the recommended action, Safety Recommendation P-01-3 is classified CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION. We appreciate your prompt response to our recommendation. ## Provenance - Official: Yes - Source: - Source ID: `ntsb-pipeline` - SHA-256: `13cf1831287f48e6ed721afafb3adafaa2c53f36e735c93a73a14f8c7b99a95a` - Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:57:24.741Z - Exported: 2026-08-23T11:47:42.300Z - Document slug: `ntsb-recommendation-p-01-003` ### Source metadata ```json { "recordKind": "ntsb_safety_recommendation", "safetyRecommendationNumber": "P-01-003", "recommendationMode": "Pipeline", "topicMode": "Pipeline", "ntsbNumber": "DCA98MP003", "priority": "CLASS II", "overallStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "overallStatusAcronym": "CAA", "overallDateClosed": "2002-03-25", "lastModifiedDate": "2016-11-15", "reportNumber": "PAR-01-01", "reportUrl": "https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA98MP003.aspx", "transmittalLetterUrl": "http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/P01_3.pdf", "addressees": [ { "addresseeName": "American Public Power Association", "addresseeStatusAcronym": "CAA", "addresseeStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "addresseeDateClosed": "2002-03-25", "addresseeDetails": [ { "addresseeAcronym": "APPA", "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "2001-11-21", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "Letter Mail Controlled 01/24/2002 11:57:04 AM MC# 2020081 -From Alan H. Richardson, President and CEO: APPA received the 6-22-01, letter and safety recommendations from the NTSB describing the 7-7-98 accident in South Riding, VA and has taken the following steps:\r\n\r\n·Upon receipt of the letter, APPA spoke with NTSB staff and secured an electronic version of the letter, and informed NTSB staff of APPA's intent to widely disseminate the information within the public power community.\r\n·On June 29, 2001, the electronic version was sent to over 475 distribution engineers and safety professionals as part of APPA's monthly Safety and T&D (Transmission and Distribution) email exchange list serv.\r\n·All list serv items are posted to APPA's website, www,appanet.org , and the information is currently available from the engineering and safety page.\r\n·The incident and letter were discussed at the Engineering & Operations Meeting as well as at APPA's Safety Manual Meeting, which were held in Braintree, Massachusetts, August 23-24, 2001 with 40 public power professionals in attendance.\r\nAs you should be aware, APPA has representation on the 2002 National Electric Safety Code's executive and main committees (Michael J. Hyland, APPA's Director of Engineering Services) in addition to member representatives on the various subcommittees. Les Shankland, Supervising Electrical Engineer for Colorado Springs Utilities represents APPA's interests on subcommittee 7, which addresses underground lines. APPA will continue to do all it can to promote safety operations throughout the public power community. " }, { "addresseeAcronym": "APPA", "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "2002-03-25", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "The Safety Board is pleased to learn that APPA, in response to this recommendation, has taken the following actions to ensure widest dissemination of the recommendation to its constituency. Accordingly, because APPA has taken action as requested, Safety Recommendation P-01-3 is classified CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION." } ] }, { "addresseeName": "Edison Electric Institute", "addresseeStatusAcronym": "CAA", "addresseeStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "addresseeDateClosed": "2002-05-02", "addresseeDetails": [ { "addresseeAcronym": "EEI", "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "2002-05-02", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "Mr. Tempchin indicates that EEI has disseminated the Safety Board's June 22, 2001, recommendation letter to hundreds of EEI member company safety and distribution professionals, thus informing them of the circumstances of the accident and the need to ensure that underground electric facilities are installed and maintained as recommended, in accordance with the National Electric Safety Code. Accordingly, Safety Recommendation P-01-3 is classified CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION." }, { "addresseeAcronym": "EEI", "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "2001-10-30", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "NMC #100937: The Board is vitally interested in knowing whether and how its recommendations are implemented, both to ensure that the traveling public is provided the highest level of safety, and to identify creative solutions that might be shared with others. That is why we monitor the implementation of all our recommendations. We would appreciate a response from EEI regarding its efforts to implement this recommendation. Enclosed is a copy of the recommendation letter. Please address your response to Ms. Marion C. Blakey, Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board, and refer to Safety Recommendation P-01-3 in your letter." }, { "addresseeAcronym": "EEI", "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "2001-10-18", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "Letter Mail Controlled 02/21/2002 7:19:38 PM MC# 2020174\r\n-From Rick Tempchin, Director, Energy, Efficiency and Transportation Policy (October 18, 2001): P-01-3, South Riding Incident: Edison Electric Institute received the June 22, 2001 letter from the National Transportation Safety Board describing the July 7, 1998, pipeline accident in South Riding, Virginia. EEI has forwarded the letter to hundreds of member company safety and distribution professionals, as described in the attached letters. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.\r\n-From Charles J. Kelly, Director, Industry Human Resource Issues, Edison Electric Institute, To Members, EEI Occupational Safety and Health Committee, Dated September 27, 2011: At the request of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) encloses a letter dated June 22, 2001, from NTSB to EEI (Letter) regarding the \"adequacy of standards for minimum separation distance between gas service lines and electric service lines\" and \"the need the ensure that underground electrical facilities are installed and maintained with separation between those facilities and plastic gas pipelines in accordance with the National Electrical Safety Code.\" The Letter is provided to you purely on an informational basis. EEI does not take a position, nor requests any action, and gives no warranty regarding the contents of the Letter. EEI accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, truthfulness, reliability or completeness of the material and any information (whether statements of opinion, advice or otherwise) contained in the Letter. No reliance should be made by you on the material and information contained in the Letter without first checking for confirmation with the NTSB. EEI accepts no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the direct or indirect use of any material or information contained in the Letter.\r\n-From Ken Hall of the Edison Electric Institute to the Distribution Member List of EEI, dated October 15, 2001: At the request of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) attached letter dated June 22, 2001, from NTSB to EEI (Letter) regarding the \"adequacy of standards for minimum separation distance between gas service lines and electric service lines\" and \"the need the ensure that underground electrical facilities are installed and maintained with separation between those facilities and plastic gas pipelines in accordance with the National Electrical Safety Code.\" The Letter is provided to you purely on an informational basis. EEI does not take a position, nor requests any action, and gives no warranty regarding the contents of the Letter. EEI accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, truthfulness, reliability or completeness of the material and any information (whether statements of opinion, advice or otherwise) contained in the Letter. No reliance should be made by you on the material and information contained in the Letter without first checking for confirmation with the NTSB. EEI accepts no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the direct or indirect use of any material or information contained in the Letter." } ] }, { "addresseeName": "National Rural Electric Cooperative Association", "addresseeStatusAcronym": "CAA", "addresseeStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "addresseeDateClosed": "2001-12-26", "addresseeDetails": [ { "addresseeAcronym": "NRECA", "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "2001-09-20", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "Letter Mail Controlled 09/28/2001 7:59:35 AM MC# 2010781 NRECA received the June 22, 2001, letter from the National Transportation Safety Board describing the July 7, 1998, pipeline accident in South Riding, Virginia. NRECA has taken the following steps with regard to the recommendation in that letter: \r\n·On September 12, 2001, NRECA disseminated the NTSB letter to approximately 120 safety professionals attending the Annual Conference of the National Utility Training and Safety Education Association in Corpus Christi, Texas. By far the majority of these safety professionals are employees of NRECA members.\r\n·On September 20, 2001, NRECA emailed a copy of the NTSB letter to approximately 500 safety professionals. Again, the great majority of these safety professionals are employees of NRECA members.\r\n·On September 22,2001, NRECA sent news of the NTSB letter, including its location on the Internet, to a national core group of some 150 NRECA directors, Chief Executive Officers of statewide associations of NRECA members, and Chief Executive Officers of more than 60 large generation and transmission members of NRECA. NRECA appreciates and shares the concern of the NTSB for the safe operation of electric utilities." }, { "addresseeAcronym": "NRECA", "addresseeOrganizationType": "A-Associations", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "2001-12-26", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "The Safety Board is pleased to learn that in response to this recommendation, the NRECA has taken action to ensure wide dissemination of the recommendation to its constituency. Accordingly, because the NRECA has taken the recommended action, Safety Recommendation P-01-3 is classified CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION. We appreciate your prompt response to our recommendation." } ] } ], "jurisdiction": "US" } ```