NTSB Safety Recommendation P-04-012

NTSB safety recommendation P-04-012.

TO AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER: Revise your emergency response plan to include areas, such as the ConocoPhillips Glenpool South tank farm, where pipeline transportation facilities are near American Electric Power facilities, and include a requirement that the American Electric Power emergency responders communicate and coordinate with the on-scene agency in charge.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 2004-11-04

Adopted Date: 2004-10-13

Overall Date Closed: 2005-04-27

Synopsis: On April 7, 2003, about 8:55 p.m., central daylight time, an 80,000-barrel storage tank at ConocoPhillips Company’s (ConocoPhillips) Glenpool South tank farm in Glenpool, Oklahoma, exploded and burned as it was being filled with diesel. The tank had previously contained gasoline, which had been removed from the tank earlier in the day. The tank contained between 7,397 and 7,600 barrels of diesel at the time of the explosion. The resulting fire burned for about 21 hours and damaged two other storage tanks in the area. The cost of the accident, including emergency response, environmental remediation, evacuation, lost product, property damage, and claims, was $2,357,483. There were no injuries or fatalities. Nearby residents were evacuated, and schools were closed for 2 days.

Probable Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the April 7, 2003, storage tank explosion and fire in Glenpool, Oklahoma, was ignition of a flammable fuel-air mixture within the tank by a static electricity discharge due to the improper manner in which ConocoPhillips Company conducted tank operations. Contributing to the extent of the property damage and the magnitude of the impact on the local community was the failure of American Electric Power employees to recognize the risk the tank fire posed to the nearby power lines and take effective emergency action.

Ntsbnumber: DCA03MP001

Report Number: PAR-04-02

Addressee Name: American Electric Power

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2005-04-27

Addressee Acronym: AEP

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 2005-04-27

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Safety Board staff contacted Mr. Steve Fate from the PSO staff to clarify some points in Mr. Solomon's January 27, 2005, letter. The Safety Board understands that the PSO revised its emergency response plan to identify tank farms and other pipeline transportation facilities adjacent to its power lines and has coordinated the response plans with representatives of these facilities. In the event of an emergency, power line operators will contact and coordinate appropriate actions with the on-scene commander immediately at the emergency site. Further, the PSO emergency response plan has been reviewed by local and area emergency response authorities and has been used successfully during several tabletop exercises. As these actions meet the intent of Safety Recommendation P-04-12, the recommendation is classified CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION.

Addressee Acronym: AEP

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 2005-01-27

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 2/9/2005 9:31:14 AM MC# 2050047 -From Stuart Solomon, President and Chief Operating Officer: In response to your recommendation, PSO has reviewed its Emergency Response Plan and made appropriate changes to address the issues identified in your recommendation. The Plan specifically requires: 1) the identification of facilities such as tank farms and other gas transportation facilities adjacent to PSO's facilities; 2) the coordination of (or development of, if necessary) specific emergency response plans with appropriate representatives of such facilities; and 3) in the event of an emergency, PSO's first responders contact and coordinate with the incident commander immediately upon arrival at the emergency site location. All procedures of the PSO Emergency Response Plan will be implemented in accordance with the National Electric Safety Code and all other applicable national, state and local requirements. We trust that these steps fully address your recommendations to AEP. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if you have any additional questions or concerns.