NTSB Safety Recommendation P-86-014

NTSB safety recommendation P-86-014.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION AND THE INTERSTATE NATURAL GAS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA: URGE ITS MEMBER COMPANIES TO REVIEW THEIR SYSTEMS WHERE CATHODIC PROTECTION SHIELDING CONDITIONS COULD EXIST (CASING, ROCKY ENVIRONS, BURIED STRUCTURES, ETC.), ADVISE THEM TO USE METHODS SUCH AS IN-LINE INSPECTION TECHNIQUES AND CLOSE INTERVAL (2.5-FOOT) CORROSION SURVEYS TO DETERMINE IF CORROSIVE CONDITIONS EXITS, AND, WHERE SUCH CONDITIONS ARE IDENTIFIED, URGE THAT PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION BE TAKEN. (URGENT)

Priority: CLASS I

Overall Status: Closed - Unacceptable Action

Issued Date: 1986-07-08

Adopted Date: 1986-06-26

Overall Date Closed: 1987-03-20

Synopsis: ABOUT 2:05 A.M. ON FEBRUARY 21, 1986, NATURAL GAS AT ABOUT THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION AND 987 PSIG RUPTURED A 30-INCH-DIAMETER PIPELINE, TORE ABOUT THE INTERSTATE NATURAL GAS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA: URGE ITS 480 FEET OF PIPE OUT THE OF GROUND, EXPOSED ABOUT 40 FEET OF MEMBER COMPANIES TO REVIEW THEIR SYSTEMS WHERE CATHODIC AN ADJACENT PARALLEL PIPELINE, AND IGNITED. THE FIRE PROTECTION SHIELDING CONDITIONS COULD EXIST (CASING, ROCKY DESTROYED TWO HOUSES, ONE HOUSE TRAILER, AND SIX ENVIRONS, BURIED STRUCTURES, ETC.), ADVISE THEM TO USE AUTOMOBILES, AND DAMAGED OTHER BUILDINGS NEAR STATE ROUTE METHODS SUCH AS IN-LINE INSPECTION TECHNIQUES AND CLOSE (SR) 52, NEAR LANCASTER, KENTUCKY. THREE PERSONS WERE INTERVAL (2.5-FOOT) CORROSION SURVEYS TO DETERMINE IF INJURED, TWO SERIOUSLY. SEVENTY-SEVEN PERSONS WERE CORROSIVE CONDITIONS EXITS, AND, WHERE SUCH CONDITIONS ARE EVACUATED FROM THE AREA. VALVES WERE CLOSED AT 2:16 A.M. AT IDENTIFIED, URGE THAT PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION BE TAKEN. A COMPRESSOR STATION LOCATED 7 MILES AWAY AND CROSSOVER VALVES WERE CLOSED AT 2:46 A.M., ISOLATING THE RUPTURED PIPE WITHIN AN 18-MILE SECTION. GAS-FED FIRES BURNED OUT AT 3:14 A.M., AND THE EVACUATED PERSONS WERE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES THE NEXT DAY.

Ntsbnumber: DCA86AP008

Report Number: PAR-87-01

Addressee Name: Interstate Natural Gas Association of America

Addressee Status: Closed - Unacceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1986-10-29

Addressee Acronym: INGAA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1986-10-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE RECOMMENDATION, IN OUR JUDGMENT, CONTAINS A STATEMENT WHICH TO AN UNKNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON COULD RESULT IN ERRONEOUS CONCLUSIONS. THIS PERTAINS TO THE "...IN-LINE INSPECTION TECHNIQUES AND CLOSE INTERVAL (2.5-FT) CORROSION SURVEYS TO DETERMINE IF CORROSIVE CONDITIONS EXIST...." WITHOUT KNOW ING THE RELIABILITY OF EACH OF THESE METHODS AND THE RAMIFICATIONS INVOLVED THEREIN, IT IS VERY EASY TO CONCLUDE THE APPLICATION OF EITHER CAN BE PRACTICALLY APPLIED AND WILL IDENTIFY CORROSION. IN FACT, THESE ARE MERELY STEPS TAKEN TO ATTEMPT TO INDICATE POSSIBLE CORROSION AND, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE HELPFUL, NEITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR (SIC) COLLECTIVELY ARE CONCLUSIVE. THE ONLY ABSOLUTE METHOD FOR DETERMINING CORROSION IS THE DIGGING UP OF THE PIPELINE FOR VISUAL AND OTHER INSPECTION. AS SUCH WE BELIEVE IT IS IMPROPER FOR INGAA TO FORWARD THIS RECOMMENDATION WITHOUT COMMENTS. IN CONTINUING OUR EFFORTS TO PROMOTE PIPELINE SAFETY, INGAA IS FORWARDING TO OUR MEMBERSHIP THE RECOMMENDATION ALONG WITH THIS LETTER EXPRESSING OUR CONCERNS. WE HOPE YOU RECOGNIZE OUR POSITION IN THIS MATTER AND ASSUME OUR ACTION IS SATISFACTORY.

Addressee Acronym: INGAA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1987-03-20

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Name: American Gas Association

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1986-11-04

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1986-11-04

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: WE CONCUR WITH THE INTENT OF THIS RECOMMENDATION; HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE IT IS INAPPROPRIATE TO ADOPT THE TWO SPECIFIC METHODS MENTIONED IN THE REC. FOR DETERMINING IF CORROSIVE CONDITIONS EXIST. SINCE THE TECHNIQUES ARE NOT FEASIBLE IN MANY CASES. WHILE INLINE INSPECTION HAS BEEN USED SUCESS FULLY IN SOME TRANSMISSION LINES, MANY PIPELINES ARE NOT DESIGNED TO ACCOMODATE THE INSPECTION TOOL. IN-LINE INSPECTION IS GENERALLY NOT FEASIBLE FOR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS, WHICH REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF GAS PIPELINE MILEAGE IN THE U.S. CONSEQUENTLY, MOST OF OUR MEMBERS WILL BE UNABLE TO FOLLOW THIS RECOMMENDATION. WE HAVE REFERRED YOUR SAFETY RECOMMENDATION TO OUR MEMBERS FOR THEIR INFORMATION, TO GETHER WITH OUR RESERVATIONS CONCERNING THE FEASIBLILITY OF IMPLEMENTING THE SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES MENTIONED AND OUR OWN RECOMMENDATION FOR THE USE OF APPROPRIATE TECHNICAL MEASURES FOR DETECTION OF CORROSIVE AREAS.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1987-02-18

Communication Type: Official Correspondence