# NTSB Safety Recommendation P-78-067 **Citation:** P-78-067 **Type / status:** guidance / guidance **Agency:** National Transportation Safety Board **Effective:** 1978-11-07 **Published:** 1978-11-07 CONDUCT PERIODIC TRAINING FOR PUBLIC EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES ALONG THE ROUTE OF ITS PIPELINES. AS A MINIMUM, THIS TRAINING SHOULD BE CONDUCTED ANNUALLY AND BE SUFFICIENT TO INFORM EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES OF THE PROPERTIES OF THE VARIOUS PRODUCTS TRANSPORTED, THE EXPECTED BEHAVIOR OF EACH PRODUCT WHEN RELEASED TO THE ATMOSPHERE, THE LOCATIONS OF SHUTDOWN VALVES, THE RESIDENTS DESIGNATED TO OPERATE EACH VALVE, ## Document text NTSB safety recommendation P-78-067. CONDUCT PERIODIC TRAINING FOR PUBLIC EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES ALONG THE ROUTE OF ITS PIPELINES. AS A MINIMUM, THIS TRAINING SHOULD BE CONDUCTED ANNUALLY AND BE SUFFICIENT TO INFORM EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES OF THE PROPERTIES OF THE VARIOUS PRODUCTS TRANSPORTED, THE EXPECTED BEHAVIOR OF EACH PRODUCT WHEN RELEASED TO THE ATMOSPHERE, THE LOCATIONS OF SHUTDOWN VALVES, THE RESIDENTS DESIGNATED TO OPERATE EACH VALVE, AND OTHER INFORMATION NECESSARY FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE PERSONNEL TO TAKE EFFECTIVE ACTIONS AND MINIMIZE LOSSES. (URGENT) Priority: CLASS I Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Issued Date: 1978-11-07 Adopted Date: 1978-11-06 Overall Date Closed: 1988-04-01 Synopsis: ON AUGUST 4, 1978, PROPANE THAT HAD VAPORIZED AND SPREAD WIDELY FROM A RUPTURED 8-INCH LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS PIPELINE OWNED BY THE MIDAMERICA PIPELINE SYSTEM WAS IGNITED BY AN UNKNOWN SOURCE IN A RURAL AREA NEAR DONNELLSON, IOWA. THE INTENSE FIRE KILLED TWO PERSONS AND CRITICALLY BURNED THREE OTHERS AS THEY FLED THEIR HOMES; ONE OF THE CRITICALLY BURNED PERSONS LATER DIED. A FARMHOUSE AND SIX BUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED, AND TWO ADJACENT HOMES WERE DAMAGED. Keywords: Firefighting,Training and Education Ntsbnumber: DCA78MP021 Report Number: PAR-79-01 Addressee Name: Mid-America Pipeline System Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action Addressee Date Closed: 1988-04-01 Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1986-12-03 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: THIS IS ACTUALLY A FOLLOWUP AND THE FOLLOWING IS A HISTORY OF PAST CORRESPONDENCE. MID-AMERICA'S AUGUST 7, 1979, RE QUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION AND RESPONSE TO RECOMMENDATION. NTSB'S AUGUST 30, 1979, LETTER INDICATING THAT THE REQUEST WAS BEING REVIEWED. NTSB'S NOVEMBER 14, 1979, LETTER IN DICATING THAT THE REVIEW OF THE REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED DUE TO A NUMBER OF ONGOING INVESTI GATIONS. NTSB'S MAY 24, 1984, RESPONSE TO THE REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATIONS AND DISCUSSION OF RECOMMENDATIONS. Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1987-05-19 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: MID-AMERICA ANNUALLY CONDUCTS TRAINING FOR PUBLIC EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES. THESE AGENCIES ARE INFORMED OF THE PRO PERTIES OF THE VARIOUS PRODUCTS TRANSPORTED, THE EXPECTED BEHAVIOR OF EACH PRODUCT WHEN RELEASED TO THE ATMOSPHERE, MAPS SHOWING THE LOCATION OF VALVES AND NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS OF MID-AMERICA PERSONNEL TO CONTACT IN AN EMERGENCY. Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1987-11-16 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Communication Contents: EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES ARE CONTACTED ANNUALLY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTACT IS TO OFFER OUR TRAINING PROGRAM TO THEIR DEPARTMENTS. SOME AGENCIES, SUCH AS FIRE DEPARTMENTS, HAVE A HIGH PERSONNEL TURNOVER RATE AND NORMALLY REQUEST THE PROGRAM ANNUALLY. THE SHERIFFS' DEPARTMENTS DON'T HAVE AS HIGH A TURNOVER RATE AND TYPICALLY HAVE VIEWED THE PROGRAM BEFORE. THE BASIC TRAINING CONSISTS OF A SLIDE-TAPE PROGRAM THAT COVERS PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS, EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND SPECIFIC COMPANY INFORMATION. IN ADDITION, SPECIFIC INFORMATION IS PROVIDED RELATIVE TO OUR FACILITIES IN THE RESPONSE AREAS. STRIP MAPS, USUALLY TWO INCHES TO THE MILE, ARE PROVIDED WITH THE PIPELINES AND FACILITIES IDENTIFIED BY HIGHLIGHTING. ALSO IDENTIFIED ON THE STRIP MAPS ARE THE BOUNDARIES, AS WE KNOW THEM, OF THEIR AREAS OF RESPONSE. A COPY OF THE SLIDE-TAPE PROGRAM AND A VIDEOTAPE OF AN ACTUAL PRESENTATION ARE BEING SENT TO YOU UNDER SEPARATE COVER. ALL OF THE INFORMATION BEING PROVIDED IS THE PROPERTY OF MID-AMERICA PIPELINE COMPANY AND IS INTENDED FOR USE BY OUR COMPANY PERSONNEL. ANY USE OF THIS INFORMATION WITHOUT THE SPECIFIC WRITTEN CONSENT OF MID-AMERICA PIPELINE COMPANY IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1988-04-01 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1987-08-19 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1986-12-03 Communication Type: Official Correspondence Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry Communication Date: 1982-10-08 Communication Type: Official Correspondence ## Provenance - Official: Yes - Source: - Source ID: `ntsb-pipeline` - SHA-256: `8af4b202de62a17d164dd3148aa9c78f7cf541dfa30f55c470b6345cd45d5c0b` - Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:57:24.741Z - Exported: 2026-08-25T18:03:01.468Z - Document slug: `ntsb-recommendation-p-78-067` ### Source metadata ```json { "recordKind": "ntsb_safety_recommendation", "safetyRecommendationNumber": "P-78-067", "recommendationMode": "Pipeline", "topicMode": "Pipeline", "ntsbNumber": "DCA78MP021", "priority": "CLASS I", "overallStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "overallStatusAcronym": "CAA", "overallDateClosed": "1988-04-01", "lastModifiedDate": "2017-09-06", "reportNumber": "PAR-79-01", "reportUrl": "https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA78MP021.aspx", "transmittalLetterUrl": "http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/P78_66_67.pdf", "addressees": [ { "addresseeName": "Mid-America Pipeline System", "addresseeStatusAcronym": "CAA", "addresseeStatus": "Closed - Acceptable Action", "addresseeDateClosed": "1988-04-01", "addresseeDetails": [ { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "1986-12-03", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "THIS IS ACTUALLY A FOLLOWUP AND THE FOLLOWING IS A HISTORY OF PAST CORRESPONDENCE. MID-AMERICA'S AUGUST 7, 1979, RE QUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION AND RESPONSE TO RECOMMENDATION. NTSB'S AUGUST 30, 1979, LETTER INDICATING THAT THE REQUEST WAS BEING REVIEWED. NTSB'S NOVEMBER 14, 1979, LETTER IN DICATING THAT THE REVIEW OF THE REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED DUE TO A NUMBER OF ONGOING INVESTI GATIONS. NTSB'S MAY 24, 1984, RESPONSE TO THE REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATIONS AND DISCUSSION OF RECOMMENDATIONS." }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "1987-05-19", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "MID-AMERICA ANNUALLY CONDUCTS TRAINING FOR PUBLIC EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES. THESE AGENCIES ARE INFORMED OF THE PRO PERTIES OF THE VARIOUS PRODUCTS TRANSPORTED, THE EXPECTED BEHAVIOR OF EACH PRODUCT WHEN RELEASED TO THE ATMOSPHERE, MAPS SHOWING THE LOCATION OF VALVES AND NAMES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS OF MID-AMERICA PERSONNEL TO CONTACT IN AN EMERGENCY." }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": false, "communicationDate": "1987-11-16", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES ARE CONTACTED ANNUALLY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTACT IS TO OFFER OUR TRAINING PROGRAM TO THEIR DEPARTMENTS. SOME AGENCIES, SUCH AS FIRE DEPARTMENTS, HAVE A HIGH PERSONNEL TURNOVER RATE AND NORMALLY REQUEST THE PROGRAM ANNUALLY. THE SHERIFFS' DEPARTMENTS DON'T HAVE AS HIGH A TURNOVER RATE AND TYPICALLY HAVE VIEWED THE PROGRAM BEFORE. THE BASIC TRAINING CONSISTS OF A SLIDE-TAPE PROGRAM THAT COVERS PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS, EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND SPECIFIC COMPANY INFORMATION. IN ADDITION, SPECIFIC INFORMATION IS PROVIDED RELATIVE TO OUR FACILITIES IN THE RESPONSE AREAS. STRIP MAPS, USUALLY TWO INCHES TO THE MILE, ARE PROVIDED WITH THE PIPELINES AND FACILITIES IDENTIFIED BY HIGHLIGHTING. ALSO IDENTIFIED ON THE STRIP MAPS ARE THE BOUNDARIES, AS WE KNOW THEM, OF THEIR AREAS OF RESPONSE. A COPY OF THE SLIDE-TAPE PROGRAM AND A VIDEOTAPE OF AN ACTUAL PRESENTATION ARE BEING SENT TO YOU UNDER SEPARATE COVER. ALL OF THE INFORMATION BEING PROVIDED IS THE PROPERTY OF MID-AMERICA PIPELINE COMPANY AND IS INTENDED FOR USE BY OUR COMPANY PERSONNEL. ANY USE OF THIS INFORMATION WITHOUT THE SPECIFIC WRITTEN CONSENT OF MID-AMERICA PIPELINE COMPANY IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN." }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "1988-04-01", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "" }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "1987-08-19", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "" }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "1986-12-03", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "" }, { "addresseeAcronym": null, "addresseeOrganizationType": "P-Private Industry", "isFromNtsb": true, "communicationDate": "1982-10-08", "communicationType": "Official Correspondence", "communicationContents": "" } ] } ], "jurisdiction": "US" } ```