NTSB Safety Recommendation P-83-029

NTSB safety recommendation P-83-029.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION AND THE AMERICAN PUBLIC GAS ASSOCIATION: NOTIFY ITS MEMBER COMPANIES OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS ACCIDENT AND URGE THEM WITH RESPECT TO CUSTOMER OWNED SERIVCE LINES NOT SUBJECT TO FEDERAL INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS (1) TO ENCOURAGE THEIR CUSTOMERS TO ARRANGE FOR PERIODIC INSPECTIONS OF BURIED GAS SERVICE LINES FOR CORROSION AND (2) TO ENCOURAGE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO INSTITUTE REQUIREMENTS FOR PERIODIC INSPECTIONS OF BURIED GAS SERVICE LINES FOR CORROSION.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1983-11-04

Adopted Date: 1983-10-07

Overall Date Closed: 2001-03-29

Synopsis: ON FEBRUARY 1, 1983, A NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION AND FLASH FIRE DESTROYED A HOUSE, KILLED TWO PERSONS, AND INJURED THREE PERSONS AT 705 S.W. FIRST STREET, IN PRYOR, OKLAHOMA, AND DAMAGED AN ADJACENT HOUSE. NATURAL GAS, ESCAPING FROM A CORRODED 1/2-INCH RESIDENTIAL SERVICE LINE LOCATED BENEATH THE HOUSE, FILLED THE ENCLOSED CRAWL SPACE, AND MIGRATED THROUGH THE FLOOR AND INTO THE HOUSE WHERE IT WAS IGNITED BY ONE OF SEVERAL APPLIANCE PILOT LIGHTS.

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA83FP010

Report Number: None

Addressee Name: American Gas Association

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2001-03-29

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1984-06-15

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: AGA LETTER: WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED BY A SIMPLE RECOMMENDATION. THE GUIDELINES UTILIZED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DO NOT ALWAYS INCLUDE APPROPRIATE INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS FOR CUSTOMER OWNED GAS LINES. LOCAL GOVERNMENTS NORMALLY RELY ON ONE OR MORE OF THE NATIONAL MODEL CODES FOR GUIDANCE. WE BELIEVE THE OPTIMUM LONG RANGE STRATEGY IS TO ENCOURAGE THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NATIONAL FUEL GAS CODE TO DEVELOP INSPECTION STANDARDS.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1984-12-05

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: AGA LTR: WITH RESPECT TO THE LONG RANGE GOAL OF INCORPORATING INSPECTION STANDARDS FOR CUSTOMER-OWNED GAS SERVICE LINES WITHIN THE NATIONAL FUEL GAS CODE (ANSI Z223.1), THE APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN PROVIDED WITH THE NTSB RECOMMENDATION AND THE AGA COMMENT. THE COMMITTEE WILL CONSIDER THE SUBJECT OF INCORPORATING INSPECTION GUIDELINES WITHIN THE STANDARD AT THEIR NEXT MEETING, WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE HELD SOMETIME IN 1985. THE GAS SERVICE LINES NOT PRESENTLY REGULATED ARE, OF COURSE, THE CUSTOMER-OWNED LINES. WE HESITATE TO SPEND CONSIDERABLE RESOURCES FOR AN ITEM WHICH HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE DOT AS A "NATIONAL" PROBLEM.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1985-07-23

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: WE REMAIN CONVINCED THAT THE SUREST AND MOST EFFICIENT MEANS OF PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS REGARDING CUSTOMER-OWNED PIPING IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF APPROPRIATE ANSI INSPECTION STANDARDS UPON WHICH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS MIGHT RELY.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2000-08-23

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: MC2001184. The NTSB initially issued this recommendation in 1983. After AGA notified member company representatives of the accident and the NTSB recommendation, the association initiated an effort to develop appropriate ANSI inspection standards for customer owned service lines upon which local governments might rely. Efforts to enhance the safety of customer owned service lines have changed over the intervening years. Impacted stakeholders and AGA worked with the Research and Special Programs Administration's office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) to develop and adopt regulations for the inspection of customer owned service lines. Therefore, AGA believes that while the initial recommendation successfully spurred action, federal regulations render this recommendation no longer necessary. Regulatory action on customer owned service lines included: • Public meeting and supplemental notice of proposed rule making, 59 Fed Erg 13300, 3/21/1994 • Final rule in response to petition from AGA, 60 Fed Erg 63450, 12/11/1995 • Direct final rule modifying the language of 49 CFR 191.16, 63 Fed Erg 7721, 2/17/1998. With the codification of 49 CFR. 192.16 Customer Notification, we believe the issue of safety inspections of customer owned service lines has been fully addressed. Therefore, we urge the NTSB to classify safety recommendation P 83-29 as "Closed".

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1984-09-17

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board understands that the guidelines used by local governments do not always include appropriate inspection requirements for customer-owned gas lines. In that regard, we endorse AGA*s long-range effort to encourage the standards committee responsible for the National Fuel Gas Code to develop inspection standards for buried gas pipelines, which could be used by local governments. We would appreciate information regarding your effort such as an outline or schedule of proposed activities. The Safety Board believes, however, that since numerous buildings nationwide are served with natural gas through buried customer-owned, noncathodically protected service lines, immediate interim action is necessary. Your member companies now are required to cathodically protect much of their buried gas distribution systems and therefore are experienced in the types of inspections to perform to check for corrosion. Consequently, we urge the AGA to encourage its member companies to discuss with local governments the potential problems associated with customer owned service lines which are not cathodically protected and to assist them in the development of interim inspection standards. We suggest that AGA might facilitate the process by developing a model presentation that could be used by the companies when approaching local governments on this issue. This recommendation has been placed in an “Open-Acceptable Alternate Action” pending your review of our comments. The Safety Board appreciates your concern for pipeline transportation safety and your positive actions to correct unsafe conditions.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1985-03-13

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board appreciates receiving the information concerning the activity within the ANSI 2223.1 Committee to incorporate inspection guidelines into existing standards. With regard to the subject of inspection programs, the Safety Board will maintain liaison with the Department of Transportation in its efforts to determine more precisely the scope of the safety problem posed by of customer-owned service lines. In the interim, however, we continue to believe that AGA should encourage its member companies to discuss with local governments the potential problems associated with customer-owned service lines which are not cathodically protected. This recommendation will remain in an “Open-Acceptable Alternate Action” status pending the outcome of the committee’s activity to incorporate inspection guidelines within existing standards and your further evaluation of the merits of member companies discussion with local governments regarding gas lines which are not cathodically protected. Your commitment toward enhancing transportation safety is appreciated.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1986-01-14

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board agrees with the AGA that the most efficient, but long-range means of providing assistance to local governments regarding customer-owned piping is the development of appropriate ANSI inspection standards. We look to the AGA for its support in the development of these standards. However, the ANSI 2223.1 committee's activity to incorporate inspection guidelines within existing standards has been lengthy and time-consuming. As emphasized in all of our previous correpondence, we believe that AGA should in the interim, encourage its member companies to discuss with local governments the potential problems associated with customer-owned service lines which are not cathodically protected. Your response indicates that AGA's member companies were notified of the ircumstances of this accident via your letter of June 15, 1984. This action fulfills the first part of our recommendation. The Safety Board understands that one of the primary missions of the AGA is to promote employee and public safety. In that regard, we would welcome a separate memo from your office to your member companies urging them to comply with the remaining two parts of this recommendation. convenience, This would meet the intent of P-83-29. For your the Safety Board has enclosed a copy of the memo used by the American Public Gas Association (APGA) in response to this recommendation. Pending a further response from your office, P-83-29 will be classified as "Open--Unacceptable Action."

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2000-06-14

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE SAFETY BOARD WOULD APPRECIATE LEARNING OF ANY ACTIONS TAKEN OR PLANNED TO COMPLY WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2001-03-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board understands that the AGA notified member company representatives of the accident and the Board’s recommendation, and initiated an effort to develop appropriate American National Standards Institute inspection standards for customer-owned service lines upon which local governments might rely. The Safety Board agrees that appropriate efforts to enhance the safety of customer-owned service lines have changed over the intervening years and, with the codification of 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 192.16 Customer Notification, the issue of safety inspections of customer-owned service lines has been addressed. Accordingly, Safety Recommendation P?83?29 is classified “Closed--Acceptable Action.”

Addressee Name: American Public Gas Association

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1983-11-08

Addressee Acronym: APGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1983-11-08

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: AMERICAN PUBLIC GAS ASSOCIATION LETTER: THE ENCLOSED NOTICE FROM THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) DATED NOVEMBER 4, 1983 IS SELF-EXPLANATORY. IF YOU ARE AWARE OF INSTALLATIONS CONNECTED TO YOUR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM WHICH MIGHT BE SUBJECT TO SIMILAR ACCIDENT POTENTIAL, WE WOULD URGE YOU TO FOLLOW THE SUGGESTIONS MADE BY THE NTSB ON PAGE 2. (WE HAVE BRACKETED THE RECOMMENDED SUGGESTIONS.)

Addressee Acronym: APGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1984-01-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Thank you for sending us a copy of your November 8, 1983, memorandum to aII APGA members regarding this recommendation. Based on this action to urge APGA member companies to comply with the intent of the Safety Recommendation, the Safety Board has classified P-83-29 as ‘Closed-Acceptable Action.” We appreciate your concern for pipeline transportation safety and your positive actions to promote correction of unsafe conditions.