NTSB Safety Recommendation P-87-014

NTSB safety recommendation P-87-014.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE WILLIAMS PIPELINE COMPANY: REVISE THE OPERATING PROCEDURES TO INCLUDE POPULATED AREAS ALONG THE PIPELINE AS AREAS REQUIRING AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE FOR EMERGENCIES INVOLVING THE RELEASE OF PRODUCTS FROM ITS PIPELINE.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1987-09-09

Adopted Date: 1987-07-20

Overall Date Closed: 1990-11-19

Synopsis: ABOUT 4:20 A.M. ON JULY 8, 1986, LINE 2N, AN 8-INCH PRODUCTS PIPELINE OPERATED BY WILLIAMS PIPE LINE COMPANY (WPL) AT MOUNDS VIEW, MINNESOTA, RUPTURED. UNLEADED GASOLINE UNDER 1,434 PSIG SPEWED FROM A 7 1/2-FOOT-LONG OPENING ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL SEAM OF THE PIPE. VAPORIZED GASOLINE COMBINED WITH AIR AND LIQUID GASOLINE FLOWED ALONG NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS. ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER, THE GASOLINE VAPOR WAS IGNITED WHEN AN AUTOMOBILE ENTERED THE AREA. FOLLOWING AN EXPLOSION-LIKE NOISE, FIRE SPREAD RAPIDLY ALONG THE PATH OF THE LIQUID GASOLINE. TWO PERSONS WERE BURNED SEVERELY AND LATER DIED, AND ONE PERSON SUFFERED SERIOUS BURNS. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL PROPERTY DAMAGE AND SOIL AND WATER POLLUTION.

Ntsbnumber: DCA86AP014

Report Number: PAR-87-02

Addressee Name: Williams Pipeline Company

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1990-11-19

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1989-02-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: WILLIAMS CONTINUES TO FOLLOW A LONG STANDING POLICY WHICH DEMANDS THAT EMPLOYEES RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO ALL CREDIBLE REPORTS OF AN EMERGENCY, REGARDLESS OF THE LOCATION. APPROPRIATE LINES ARE SHUT DOWN; THEN BASED UPON THE ESTIMATE OF WHERE THE EMERGENCY IS OCCURRING, REMOTE CONTROLLED VALVES ARE CLOSED AND THE NEAREST EMPLOYEES ARE DISPATCHED TO THE SITE. WHEN APPROPRIATE, AIRCRAFT ARE DISPATCHED TO HELP SEARCH FOR THE LOCATION OF THE EMERGENCY. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED (P-87-13), WILLIAMS HAS REVISED ITS OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL TO STATE THAT WHEN THE SITE OF AN EMERGENCY IS UNKNOWN, FACILITIES LOCATED IN URBAN AREAS WILL BE INVESTIGATED FIRST PURSUANT TO A LOGICAL SEQUENCE FOR TRAVEL.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1989-10-10

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: AS INDICATED IN THE RESPONSE TO P-87-13, EXHIBIT #1 HAS THE REVISION APPLICABLE TO P-87-14.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1990-08-14

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE SENTENCE IN QUESTION WAS NOT INTENDED TO DISTRACT A RESPONDER FROM INVESTIGATING THE HIGHEST EXPOSURE SITES WITHIN THE SUSPECTED LEAK AREA, NOR TO DOWNPLAY THE NEED FOR AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. IT SIMPLY ADVISED THE RESPONDER TO INVESTIGATE THESE HIGH EXPOSURE SITES WITHIN THE SUSPECTED LEAK ARE A PURSUANT TO A LOGICAL SEQUENCE FOR TRAVEL, THEREBY MINIMIZING THE OVERALL RESPONSE TIME. THERE MAY BE INSTANCES WHERE SEVERAL AREAS OF EQUALLY HIGH EXPOSURE FALL WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF A LEAK SUSPECT AREA. IF MULTIPLE SITES ARE INVOLVED, AND OTHER ASSISTANCE IS NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE, THE RESPONDER HAS TO CHOSE WHICH SITE TO INVESTIGATE FIRST. IF THE ROUTES TO THE SITES LEAD IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM HIS PRESENT LOCALE, THE RESPONDER WILL OBVIOUSLY HEAD DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE SITE PERCEIVED TO BE OF GREATEST EXPOSURE. HOWEVER, IF THESE SITES LIE IN THE SAME GENERAL DIRECTION ALONG THE RESPONDER'S INTENDED ROUTE, HIS RESPONSE MAY BE DIFFERENT. IN SUCH A CASE, IT MAY BE BENEFICIAL TO PARALLEL THE RIGHT-OF-WAY WITHIN THE SUSPECT AREA & CHECK THE OTHER HIGH EXPOSURE AREAS WHILE EN ROUTE TO THE HIGHEST EXPOSURE SITE. THE RESPONDER WILL HAVE TO EXERCISE JUDGMENT IN MAKING THIS DECISION. IT WILL NECESSARILY BE INFLUENCED BY A NEED TO AVOID UNDUE DELAYS IN THE OVERALL RESPONSE. AFTER FURTHER CONSIDERATION, IT APPEARS THAT THE INTENT OF THIS PROCEDURE IS ADEQUATELY CONVEYED WITHOUT THE ADDITIONAL SENTENCE, AND IT HAS, THEREFORE, BEEN ELIMINATED TO AVOID ANY POTENTIAL CONFUSION. APPROPRIATE PROCEDURAL REVISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1990-07-05

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1990-11-19

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1989-07-12

Communication Type: Official Correspondence