NTSB Safety Recommendation P-01-004

NTSB safety recommendation P-01-004.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE: INFORM YOUR PARTICIPATING RURAL 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: 2002-02-04

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 RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE. 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: Rural Utilities Service

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2002-02-04

Addressee Acronym: RUS

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 2002-01-08

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 02/12/2002 6:45:00 PM MC# 2020151: This is in response to Elaine B. Weinstein’s letter of November 16,2001, requesting information on the Rural Utilities Service’s (RUS) actions related to the National Transportation Safety Board’s Recommendation (NTSB) P-O l-4. This recommendation concerned the July 7, 1998, pipeline accident that occurred in South Riding, Virginia. Please excuse the late response to Ms. Weinstein’s letter which only arrived from the Anthrax decontamination center recently. RUS responded to NTSB’s recommendation in an October 4,2001, letter to all borrowers where we informed participating rural electric cooperatives of the incident and the NTSB’s recommendation regarding Case P-01-4. We are providing the enclosed copy of the letter and its attachments for your records.

Addressee Acronym: RUS

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 2001-11-03

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 12/14/2001 5:58:30 PM MC# 2010972 In an October 4, 2001, letter to all borrowers, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) informed all RUS Electric Borrowers of the pipeline accident and the National Transportation Safety Board's recommendation regarding Case P-01-4. A copy of this letter is enclosed. USDA's RUS wrote: The NTSB provided RUS with a June 22, 2001, safety recommendation regarding a natural gas explosion and fire that occurred on July 7, 1998, in South Riding, Virginia. NTSB recommended that we provide all RUS borrowers with the details surrounding the accident, and we believe the best way to do this is to provide for you the attached copy of the NTSB's Safety Recommendation itself. NTSB also recommended that RUS advise borrowers of the need to ensure that underground electric facilities are installed and maintained with separations between the electric facilities and plastic gas pipelines that are in compliance with the requirements of the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC). RUS cannot overstress the need for borrowers to observe NESC separation requirements and all applicable provisions of the NESC and any other codes imposed by local authorities. Borrowers should refer to 7 CFR 1724.50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for RUS requirements regarding electric facility design, construction, and operation code compliance policy. Borrowers should consider reflecting on their current procedures and operations with respect to code compliance assurance. We suggest that this reflection should include examination and evaluation of the checks and balance schemes, training, and other measures implemented to make certain that everyone involved in installing, operating, and maintaining the company electric facilities are fully aware of the code provision pertinent to their part of the business.

Addressee Acronym: RUS

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 2002-02-04

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board is pleased to learn that the RUS has disseminated this recommendation to its constituency and has emphasized the need to ensure that underground electrical facilities are installed and maintained with separation between those facilities and plastic gas pipelines. Accordingly, Safety Recommendation P-01-4 is classified "Closed--Acceptable Action."