NTSB Safety Recommendation P-09-003

NTSB safety recommendation P-09-003.

TO THE PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION: Initiate a program to evaluate pipeline operators’ public education programs, including pipeline operators’ self-evaluations of the effectiveness of their public education programs. Provide the National Transportation Safety Board with a timeline for implementation and completion of this evaluation.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 2009-10-27

Adopted Date: 2009-10-14

Overall Date Closed: 2011-10-19

Synopsis: On November 1, 2007, at 10:35:02 a.m. central daylight time, a 12-inch-diameter pipeline segment operated by Dixie Pipeline Company (Dixie) was transporting liquid propane at about 1,405 pounds per square inch, gauge (psig), when it ruptured in a rural area near Carmichael, Mississippi. The resulting gas cloud expanded over nearby homes and ignited, creating a large fireball that was heard and seen from miles away. About 10,253 barrels (430,626 gallons) of propane were released. As a result of the ensuing fire, two people were killed and seven people sustained minor injuries. Four houses were destroyed, and several others were damaged. About 71.4 acres of grassland and woodland were burned. Dixie reported that property damage resulting from the accident, including the loss of product, was $3,377,247.

Probable Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the November 1, 2007, rupture of the liquid propane pipeline operated by Dixie Pipeline Company near Carmichael, Mississippi, was the failure of a weld that caused the pipe to fracture along the longitudinal seam weld, a portion of the upstream girth weld, and portions of the adjacent pipe joints.

Keywords: Training and Education

Ntsbnumber: DCA08MP001

Report Number: PAR-09-01

Addressee Name: PHMSA

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2011-10-19

Addressee Acronym: PHMSA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 2011-10-19

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The NTSB is pleased that PHMSA and state pipeline safety agencies have initiated public awareness inspections in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011 and that you are training additional Federal and state inspectors in using the inspection forms and conducting public awareness inspections. We also note that PHMSA is planning to complete all Federal public awareness inspections, including interstate agent agreement inspections, by December 31, 2012, and is encouraging states to develop an inspection plan and conduct public awareness inspections, if possible, within the same timeframe. Because these actions satisfy Safety Recommendation P-09-3, this recommendation is classified CLOSED—ACCEPTABLE ACTION.

Addressee Acronym: PHMSA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 2010-05-18

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The NTSB is pleased that, in the second half of 2010, state and federal inspection programs will be expanded to include a review of operator effectiveness evaluations. PHMSA will prepare an advisory bulletin detailing guidance for pipeline safety inspectors and will prioritize inspections based on pipeline mileage by operator and the type of commodity transported. In June 2010, following the initial 4-year implementation cycle, PHMSA will hold a public awareness workshop to (1) review implementation progress, (2) identify what is working and what is not, and (3) identify critical elements of a successful operator public awareness program. PHMSA will remind operators that public awareness regulations require them to show continuous improvement and that performance metrics are critical in assessing the effectiveness of their programs. In addition, PHMSA will reinforce the need for accurate mapping and the development of mailing lists for distribution of public awareness materials, especially in rural locations and in verifying the identification of residents living at elevations lower than, and within 1 mile of, the pipeline. Further, PHMSA will ensure that public awareness programs include provisions for addressing 911 operators. The NTSB believes that these actions will satisfy Safety Recommendation P-09-3; accordingly, pending their completion, this recommendation is classified OPEN -- ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

Addressee Acronym: PHMSA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 2010-12-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The NTSB is aware that PHMSA has worked on the issue of pipeline public awareness, has published regulations at 49 Code of Federal Regulations 192.6 and 195.440, and has issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-06-02 requesting pipeline operators to submit their written public awareness programs to PHMSA’s Public Awareness Program Clearinghouse for review, using American Petroleum Institute’s Recommended Practice (RP) 1162 as the comparison document. PHMSA now reports that, since the adoption of the RP, Federal and state inspection staffs review public awareness elements during standard inspections of pipeline operators, and these inspections generally include a review of written programs and/or a review of records verifying program implementation. The NTSB notes that trade associations and pipeline operators have shared lessons learned from implementing their public awareness programs consistent with RP 1162 and the RP’s incorporation by reference into the Federal pipeline safety regulations and that a June 2010 workshop was held in Houston, Texas, by representatives from the Pipeline Safety Trust, the results of which will aid in the development of an evaluation plan for public awareness programs. These inspections will focus on how operators evaluated their program for effectiveness, the results and documentation, and any improvements that were identified and/or implemented. Inspector training and data collection will also be addressed and, starting in the first and second quarters of FY 2011, pilot inspections will be conducted to gain more insight and validate the inspection tools. Pending completion of these efforts, Safety Recommendation P-09-3 is classified OPEN -- ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

Addressee Acronym: PHMSA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 2010-01-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 2/3/2010 6:14:55 PM MC# 2100043: - From Cynthia L. Quaterman, Administrator: PHMSA established and required adherence to a 12-step guide for the development and management of pipeline operator public awareness programs in 2005 when the agency incorporated by reference, the American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommended Practice (RP) 1162, “Public Awareness Programs for Pipeline Operators” (49 CFR 192.6 and 49 CFR 195.440). This Recommended Practice was developed with participation from all relevant stakeholders, including State and Federal safety regulators, and is based on the knowledge and experience of subject matter experts. PHMSA will analyze, through both inspection and enforcement, the extent to which the adoption of this Recommended Practice adequately addresses public awareness needs and where improvements are required. As appropriate, PHMSA can make changes to the regulatory requirements based on this analysis and urge the pipeline industry to modify the Recommended Practice as appropriate. The regulations currently require that operators evaluate their programs for effectiveness at four-year intervals, with the first evaluation due in June 2010. PHMSA will have a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the existing public awareness requirements after reviewing operator effectiveness evaluations. In June 2005, PHMSA issued Advisory Bulletin ADB-06-02 requesting pipeline operators submit their written public awareness programs to the PHMSA Public Awareness Program Clearinghouse for review. The Clearinghouse review team compared these programs with API RP 1162 using criteria developed by pipeline safety staff from PHMSA and State pipeline safety agencies. The review team also compared each written public awareness program with the baseline elements in API RP 1162. The outcome of this first review was that most industry operators had not defined metrics for measuring program effectiveness at that rime. Since the adoption of the Recommended Practice, Federal and State inspection staff have been reviewing public awareness elements during standard inspections of pipeline operators. These inspections generally include a review of written programs and/or a review of records verifying program implementation. In the second half of 2010, State and Federal inspection programs will be expanded to include a review of operator effectiveness evaluations. We will also prepare an advisory bulletin, detailed guidance for pipeline safety inspectors, and prioritize inspections based on pipeline mileage by operator and the type of commodity transported. PHMSA is planning a June 2010 Public Awareness Workshop. The workshop will be the first opportunity after the initial four-year implementation cycle to review implementation progress, identify what is working and not working, and jointly identify critical elements of a successful operator public awareness program. PHMSA will use the results from this event and further develop our program for evaluating pipeline operator public awareness programs. At the workshop, PHMSA will remind operators that public awareness regulations require operators to show continuous improvement and that performance metrics are critical in assessing the effectiveness of their programs. We will reinforce the need of accurate mapping and development of mailing lists for distribution of public awareness materials, especially for rural locations and to verify the identification of residents living at elevations lower than and within one mile of the pipeline. PHMSA agrees with NTSB that 911 operators represent an important stakeholder audience and will ensure public awareness programs include provisions for addressing this group.

Addressee Acronym: PHMSA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 2011-08-04

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: CC# 201100307: - From Cynthia L. Quarterman, Administrator: The safety recommendation P-09-3 recommends PHMSA "initiate a program to evaluate pipeline operators' public education programs, including pipeline operators' self-evaluations of the effectiveness of their public education programs and provide the NTSB with a time line for implementation and completion of this evaluation." PHMSA and State pipeline safety agencies initiated public awareness effectiveness inspections in the first quarter of FY 2011. In addition, we are training additional Federal and State inspectors on the inspection forms and how to conduct public awareness effectiveness inspections. Our plan is to complete all Federal public awareness inspections, including Interstate Agent Agreement inspections, by December 31, 2012. We are encouraging States to develop an inspection plan and conduct their public awareness inspections, if possible, in a similar timeframe.

Addressee Acronym: PHMSA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 2010-09-01

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: 201000347: - From Cynthia L. Quaterman, Administrator: In November 2009 PHMSA solicited for a comprehensive study on low frequency Electric Resistance Welded pipe recommended by the NTSB and from technical consensus reached during the 2009 Pipeline R&D Forum. PHMSA received four white papers on that topic, requested proposals from two offerors but only received a proposal from one offeror. Unfortunately that sole offeror was not recommended for award by the diverse Merit Review Panel formed for the solicitation based on the criteria used to evaluate the submissions. PHMSA will try again to solicit for a comprehensive study on low frequency Electric Resistance Welded pipe starting in early FY 2011. NTSB also recommended PHMSA initiate a program to evaluate pipeline operators’ public education programs, including pipeline operators’ self-evaluations of the effectiveness of their public education programs, and to provide the NTSB with a timeline for implementation and completion of this evaluation (NTSB safety Recommendation P-09-3). PHMSA co-sponsored a public awareness workshop with the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR) on June 30, 2010, in Houston, Texas. The workshop provided an opportunity for PHMSA and the NAPSR representatives to hear about the implementation progress and ascertain what is working and not working regarding the use of the RP 1162 for developing, implementing and evaluating public awareness programs as well as jointly identify critical elements of a successful operator public awareness program. Trade associations and pipeline operators shared lessons learned from implementing their public awareness programs based on the RP 1162 and its incorporation by reference into the Federal pipeline safety regulations. The interests of the public were largely represented at the workshop by representatives from the Pipeline Safety Trust. PHMSA and State Partners discussed the timelines for conducting effectiveness evaluations and the plans to use the results from this event in addition to inspection activities to further develop our program for evaluating pipeline operator public awareness programs. In addition, PHMSA along with our State pipeline partners have formed an ad hoc public awareness team to develop policy and guidance material for upcoming public awareness effectiveness inspections of pipeline operator public awareness programs. The inspections will focus on how operators evaluated their program for effectiveness, what were the results, were results documented, and what improvements were identified and/or implemented. Inspector training and data collection will also be addressed in these plans. Pilot inspections will be conducted to gain more insight and validate the inspection tools and are expected to take place in the first and second quarter of FY 2011. PHMSA takes the NTSB safety recommendations seriously and works hard to fulfill the requirements of each recommendation. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at 202-366-4433.