NTSB Safety Recommendation P-84-001

NTSB safety recommendation P-84-001.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT YOU, AS GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: THROUGH THE ALASKA PIPELINE COMMISSION AND THE ALASKA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST MUNICIPALITIES WHERE UNDERGROUND FACILITIES EXIST TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A ONE-CALL EXCAVATION NOTIFICATION AND DAMAGE PREVENTION SYSTEM FOR ALL AREAS OF THE STATE WHERE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES ARE LOCATED.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1984-01-20

Adopted Date: 1984-01-10

Overall Date Closed: 1997-01-22

Synopsis: ON OCTOBER 7, 1982, A CONTRACTOR PUNCTURED THE ENSTAR NATURAL GAS COMPANY'S (GAS COMPANY) 5/8-INCH DIAMETER PLASTIC GAS SERVICE LINE TO A HOUSE AT 8520 EAST 17TH AVENUE IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA; THE CONTRACTOR HAD BEEN AUGERING HOLES FOR THE INSTALLATION OF PILING AROUND THE HOUSE. NATURAL GAS ESCAPING FROM THE RUPTURED SERVICE LINE AT 50 PSIG MIGRATED UNDERGROUND, ENTERED THE HOUSE, ACCUMULATED, AND IGNITED. ON JULY 20, 1982, SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE THIS ACCIDENT, AN ENGINEERING COMPANY HAD REQUESTED THE GAS COMPANY TO MARK THE LOCATION OF ITS GAS SERVICE LINE TO THE HOUSE ON EAST 17TH AVENUE. HOWEVER, A DIFFERENT CONTRACTOR WAS ENGAGED FOR THE WORK ON OCTOBER 7 AND THIS CONTRACTOR HAD NEITHER REQUESTED THE GAS COMPANY TO LOCATE ITS SERVICE LINE NOR GIVEN THE GAS COMPANY ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE EXCAVATION WORK. EIGHT MONTHS LATER, ON JUNE 15, 1983, ANOTHER ACCIDENT OCCURRED THIS TIME INVOLVING THE GAS COMPANY'S 12-INCH DIAMETER, HIGH-PRESSURE GAS PIPELINE. THE GAS COMPANY SERVES ABOUT 50,000 CUSTOMERS IN THE ANCHORAGE AREA AND RECEIVES ABOUT 1,100 REQUESTS FROM CONTRACTORS EACH MONTH TO LOCATE ITS GAS LINES. IN SPITE OF THIS EXTENSIVE LINE LOCATION ACTIVITY, NATURAL GAS PIPELINES IN THE ANCHORAGE AREA WERE STRUCK 410 TIMES IN THE COURSE OF EXCAVATION OPERATIONS IN THE 6-MONTH PERIOD FROM JANUARY TO JUNE 1983, ACCORDING TO THE GAS COMPANY STATISTICS.

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA83FP002

Report Number: None

Addressee Name: State of Alaska

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1997-01-22

Addressee Acronym: AK

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 1984-03-01

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: STATE OF ALASKA LETTER: THE COMMISSION HAS REVIEWED THE MERITS OF ONE-CALL SYSTEMS AND BELIEVE THAT IT IS MORE APPROPRIATE TO IMPLEMENT SUCH SYSTEMS ON A REGIONAL BASIS INSTEAD OF A STATEWIDE BASIS. WE WOULD ENCOURAGE UTILITIES TO IMPLEMENT ONE-CALL SYSTEMS IN REGIONS WHERE UTILITIES HAVE INSTALLED UNDERGROUND FACILITIES FOR DISTRIBUTION OF FLAMMABLE MATERIALS. THESE AREAS ARE THE ANCHORAGE AREA, EAGLE RIVER/CHUGIAK AREA, AND THE KENAI AREA. IN THE NEAR FUTURE THE WASILLA/PALMER AREA SHOULD BE INCLUDED WHERE AN UNDERGROUND NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. IN THE OTHER SUBURBAN AREAS AND IN REMOTE REGIONS OF THE STATE, ONE-CALL SYSTEMS WOULD NOT BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EFFECTIVE THAN THE CURRENT METHODS OF NOTIFICATION. THE ANCHORAGE AREA UTILITY ASSOCIATION IS IN THE INITIAL STAGES OF INVESTIGATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A ONE-CALL SYSTEM IN THE ANCHORAGE AND EAGLE RIVER/CHUGIAK AREAS. THE ASSOCIATION IS IN THE PROCESS OF COLLECTING FROM ITS MEMBERS THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR LOCATES, THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING THE LOCATE SERVICE, AND THE NUMBER AND COSTS OF EXCAVATION DAMAGES FOR LAST YEAR. THE ASSOCIATION INDICATED THAT IT WILL USE THIS DATA IN DETERMINING THE COST EFFECTIVENESS OF A ONE-CALL SYSTEM.

Addressee Acronym: AK

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 1996-07-18

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: IN RESPONSE TO P-84-01, THE STATE OF ALASKA HAS DEVELOPED & IMPLEMENTED A STATEWIDE ONE-CALL EXCAVATION NOTIFICATION & DAMAGE PREVENTION SYSTEM. ALTHOUGH THE PROGRAM IS STILL IN ITS INFANCY & THERE IS NO LEGISLATION REQUIRING PERSONS EXCAVATING OR DISCHARGING EXPLOSIVES TO CALL THE ONE-CALL IN ADVANCE, THE ONE-CALL SYSTEM HAS BEEN CREATED & IS LISTED IN THE ONE-CALL SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY.

Addressee Acronym: AK

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 1997-01-22

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: P-84-1 ASKED THAT THE GOVERNOR ALASKA, THROUGH THE ALASKA PIPELINE COMMISSION & THE ALASKA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, ENCOURAGE & ASSIST MUNICIPALITIES TO IMPLEMENT A ONE-CALL EXCAVATION NOTIFICATION & DAMAGE PREVENTION SYSTEM FOR ALL AREAS OF THE STATE WHERE UNDERGROUND UTILITIES ARE LOCATED. THE BOARD IS PLEASED TO LEARN THAT THE STATE OF ALASKA NOW HAS A STATEWIDE ONE-CALL SYSTEM. BASED ON THIS INFO, P-84-1 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."

Addressee Acronym: AK

Addressee Organization Type: S-State Government

Communication Date: 1984-05-31

Communication Type: Official Correspondence