# NTSB Safety Recommendation P-77-040 **Citation:** P-77-040 **Type / status:** guidance / guidance **Agency:** National Transportation Safety Board **Effective:** 1977-12-09 **Published:** 1977-12-09 VERIFY THE LOCATION OF ALL HIGH-PRESSURE SHUTOFF VALVES SHOWN ON GAS MAIN ATLASES AND CHANGE MAPS WHERE NECESSARY. ## Document text NTSB safety recommendation P-77-040. VERIFY THE LOCATION OF ALL HIGH-PRESSURE SHUTOFF VALVES SHOWN ON GAS MAIN ATLASES AND CHANGE MAPS WHERE NECESSARY. Priority: CLASS II Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Issued Date: 1977-12-09 Adopted Date: 1977-12-09 Overall Date Closed: 1986-09-22 Synopsis: ON JANUARY 25, 1977, A LOW-ORDER EXPLOSION AND FIRE DESTROYED A HOUSE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA NEAR WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA; THE OCCUPANT WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED BY THE EXPLOSION. Ntsbnumber: DCA77MP011 Report Number: PAR-77-04 Addressee Name: Pennsylvania Gas and Water Company Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Addressee Date Closed: 1986-09-22 Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1978-01-16 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: PENNSYLVANIA GAS AND WATER COMPANY LTR: THE PENNSYLVANIA GAS AND WATER COMPANY CANNOT AGREE TO YOUR PROPOSAL TO "VERIFY THE LOCATION OF ALL HIGH PRESSURE SHUTOFF VALVES SHOWN ON GAS MAIN ATLASES". MOST OF THE VALVES IN OUR SYSTEM WERE INSTALLED PRIMARILY TO FACILITATE CONSTRUCTION AND NOT AS EMERGENCY SYSTEM CONTROL VALVES. AS A RESULT, MOST OF THE VALVES ARE BURIED AND NOT IN ROADWAY COVERS. TO "VERIFY THE LOCATION" WOULD REQUIRE DIGGING UP MUNICIPAL STREETS ALL OVER THE SYSTEM FOR NO APPARENT COST-BENEFIT ADVANTAGE. THE PENNSYLVANIA GAS AND WATER COMPANY DOES NOT FEEL THIS SPECIFIC REQUEST IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT OF THE PIPELINE SAFETY ACT. 9/19/79 - PENNSYLVANIA GAS AND WATER COMPANY LTR IN RESPONSE TO NTSB 12/15/78 FOLLOWUP LETTER: WE HAVE UNDER TAKEN A PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY AND VERIFY THE LOCATION OF ALL VALVES INSTALLED THAT WERE INTENDED TO BE USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF EMERGENCY SHUTOFF. ONCE VERIFIED, THE LOCATION OF THESE VALVES WILL BE IDENTIFIED IN RECORDS MADE AVAILABLE TO FIELD PERSONNEL FOR THEIR USE IN LOCATING THESE VALVES IF THE NEED FOR THEIR USE SHOULD ARISE. Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1986-09-22 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: THIS IS ACTUALLY A FOLLOWUP AND THE FOLLOWING IS A HISTORY OF PAST CORRESPONDENCE. NTSB'S DECEMBER 2, 1977 LETTER RE QUESTING INFORMATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDA TIONS. PENNSYLVANIA GAS LETTER OF DECEMBER 15, 1977. PENN SYLVANIA GAS LETTER OF JANUARY 16, 1978. PENNSYLVANIA GAS LETTER OF MAY 25, 1978. NTSB LETTER OF DECEMBER 15, 1978. PENNSYLVANIA GAS LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 19, 1979. NTSB LETTER OF OCTOBER 29, 1979. NTSB LETTER OF DECEMBER 5, 1979. Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1979-10-29 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1986-09-22 Communication Type: Official Correspondence ## Provenance - Official: Yes - Source: - Source ID: `ntsb-pipeline` - SHA-256: `2128420d8ae86bc689742149601e09b41e763510d4591cde8000a34da007c9b6` - Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:57:24.741Z - Exported: 2026-08-22T21:36:36.642Z - Document slug: `ntsb-recommendation-p-77-040` ### Source metadata ```json { "recordKind": "ntsb_safety_recommendation", "safetyRecommendationNumber": "P-77-040", "recommendationMode": "Pipeline", "topicMode": "Pipeline", "ntsbNumber": "DCA77MP011", "priority": "CLASS II", "overallStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "overallStatusAcronym": "CAA", "overallDateClosed": "1986-09-22", "lastModifiedDate": "2016-11-15", "reportNumber": "PAR-77-04", "reportUrl": "https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA77MP011.aspx", "transmittalLetterUrl": "http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/P77_38_40.pdf", "addressees": [ { "addresseeName": "Pennsylvania Gas and Water Company", "addresseeStatusAcronym": "CAA", "addresseeStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "addresseeDateClosed": "1986-09-22", "addresseeDetails": [ { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "1978-01-16", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "PENNSYLVANIA GAS AND WATER COMPANY LTR: THE PENNSYLVANIA GAS AND WATER COMPANY CANNOT AGREE TO YOUR PROPOSAL TO \"VERIFY THE LOCATION OF ALL HIGH PRESSURE SHUTOFF VALVES SHOWN ON GAS MAIN ATLASES\". MOST OF THE VALVES IN OUR SYSTEM WERE INSTALLED PRIMARILY TO FACILITATE CONSTRUCTION AND NOT AS EMERGENCY SYSTEM CONTROL VALVES. AS A RESULT, MOST OF THE VALVES ARE BURIED AND NOT IN ROADWAY COVERS. TO \"VERIFY THE LOCATION\" WOULD REQUIRE DIGGING UP MUNICIPAL STREETS ALL OVER THE SYSTEM FOR NO APPARENT COST-BENEFIT ADVANTAGE. THE PENNSYLVANIA GAS AND WATER COMPANY DOES NOT FEEL THIS SPECIFIC REQUEST IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT OF THE PIPELINE SAFETY ACT. 9/19/79 - PENNSYLVANIA GAS AND WATER COMPANY LTR IN RESPONSE TO NTSB 12/15/78 FOLLOWUP LETTER: WE HAVE UNDER TAKEN A PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY AND VERIFY THE LOCATION OF ALL VALVES INSTALLED THAT WERE INTENDED TO BE USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF EMERGENCY SHUTOFF. ONCE VERIFIED, THE LOCATION OF THESE VALVES WILL BE IDENTIFIED IN RECORDS MADE AVAILABLE TO FIELD PERSONNEL FOR THEIR USE IN LOCATING THESE VALVES IF THE NEED FOR THEIR USE SHOULD ARISE." }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "1986-09-22", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "THIS IS ACTUALLY A FOLLOWUP AND THE FOLLOWING IS A HISTORY OF PAST CORRESPONDENCE. NTSB'S DECEMBER 2, 1977 LETTER RE QUESTING INFORMATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDA TIONS. PENNSYLVANIA GAS LETTER OF DECEMBER 15, 1977. PENN SYLVANIA GAS LETTER OF JANUARY 16, 1978. PENNSYLVANIA GAS LETTER OF MAY 25, 1978. NTSB LETTER OF DECEMBER 15, 1978. PENNSYLVANIA GAS LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 19, 1979. NTSB LETTER OF OCTOBER 29, 1979. NTSB LETTER OF DECEMBER 5, 1979." }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "1979-10-29", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "" }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "1986-09-22", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "" } ] } ], "jurisdiction": "US" } ```