NTSB Safety Recommendation P-10-007

NTSB safety recommendation P-10-007.

TO THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION: Through appropriate and expeditious means, including posting on your website, immediately inform California intrastate natural gas transmission operators of the circumstances leading up to and the consequences of the September 9, 2010, pipeline rupture in San Bruno, California, and the National Transportation Safety Board’s urgent safety recommendations to Pacific Gas and Electric Company so that pipeline operators can proactively implement corrective measures as appropriate for their pipeline systems. (Urgent)

Priority: CLASS I

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 2011-01-03

Adopted Date: 2010-12-30

Overall Date Closed: 2011-03-29

Synopsis: On September 9, 2010, about 6:11 p.m. Pacific daylight time,1 a 30-inch-diameter natural gas transmission pipeline (Line 132) owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) ruptured in a residential area in the city of San Bruno, California. The accident killed eight people, injured many more, and caused substantial property damage. The rupture on Line 132 occurred near milepost 39.33, at the intersection of Earl Avenue and Glenview Drive in San Bruno. About 47.6 million standard cubic feet of natural gas were released as a result of the rupture. The rupture created a crater about 72 feet long by 26 feet wide. A ruptured pipe segment about 28 feet long was found about 100 feet away from the crater. The released natural gas was ignited sometime after the rupture; the resulting fire destroyed 37 homes and damaged 18.

Probable Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) (1) inadequate quality assurance and quality control in 1956 during its Line 132 relocation project, which allowed the installation of a substandard and poorly welded pipe section with a visible seam weld flaw that, over time grew to a critical size, causing the pipeline to rupture during a pressure increase stemming from poorly planned electrical work at the Milpitas Terminal; and (2) inadequate pipeline integrity management program, which failed to detect and repair or remove the defective pipe section.

Ntsbnumber: DCA10MP008

Report Number: PAR-11-01

Addressee Name: State of California, Public Utilities Commission

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2011-03-29

Addressee Acronym: CPUC

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 2011-02-02

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: CC# 201100046: - From Paul Clanon, Executive Director: On January 3, 2011, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued safety recommendations 10•5 , 10-6 and 10-7 to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) concerning the San Bruno pipeline explosion of September 9, 2010. Immediately following the issuance of the NTSB recommendations the CPUC directed PG&E to undertake a plan of action to comply with NTSB Recommendation P-10-2, and to provide the CPUC with a status report on PG&E's efforts by February 1st, (Copy attached) Also, on January 3, 2011, the CPUC complied with NTSB Recommendation P-10-7 by informing all of California's intrastate natural gas transmission operators (Southern California Gas Company, San Diego Gas& Electric, and South West Gas Company) of the NTSB recommendations, directing the operators to undertake compliance with NTSB Recommendation 10-2 to PG&E, and to report on the status of their efforts by February 1st. (Copies attached) On February 1st all of the intrastate natural gas operatorsin California reported their implementation schedules to the CPUC. (Copies attached) The CPUC remains committed to aggressively and urgently implementing the NTSB Safety Recommendations P-10-5 thru P-10-7 (Urgent).

Addressee Acronym: CPUC

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 2012-05-07

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: -Paul Clanon, Executive Director: The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) thanks the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for its thorough and thoughtful analysis of the tragic rupture of the natural gas pipeline, Line 132 located in San Bruno, owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). The CPUC is committed to implementing each of the NTSB recommendations directed at our agency. Our goals are simple: • Reform the CPUC to make safety its first priority; • Ensure the safety of existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure; • Upgrade and replace existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure to improve safety; and • Instill safety culture in the natural gas pipeline operators we oversee. This letter serves as an update on our progress. Urgent Recommendation NTSB P-10-7 required the CPUC to notify operators of the circumstances of the San Bruno pipeline rupture and the NTSB urgent safety recommendations. Operators were immediately notified by Letter from Executive Director Clanon along with a posting on the CPUC Website on January 3, 2011.

Addressee Acronym: CPUC

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 2011-03-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The NTSB is pleased that the CPUC has (1) informed all of California’s intrastate natural gas transmission operators of these recommendations and (2) directed the operators to comply with Safety Recommendation P-10-2 to PG&E and to report to the CPUC on the status of their efforts. We are further pleased that, by February 1, 2011, all operators had reported their implementation schedules to the CPUC. We note that the CPUC has posted on its website the NTSB recommendations associated with this accident and the operating companies’ actions taken thus far. Because the CPUC’s combined actions satisfy the intent of Safety Recommendation P-10-7, it is classified CLOSED – ACCEPTABLE ACTION.

Addressee Acronym: CPUC

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 2012-08-02

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: On March 29, 2011, based on information contained in the CPUC’s February 2, 2011, letter (see enclosures), Safety Recommendation P-10-7 was classified “Closed—Acceptable Action.”