NTSB Safety Recommendation P-87-015

NTSB safety recommendation P-87-015.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE WILLIAMS PIPELINE COMPANY: DEVELOP EMERGENCY RESPONSE PREPAREDNESS PLANS IN COORDINATION WITH LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES IN POPULATED AREAS ALONG ITS PIPELINES.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1987-09-09

Adopted Date: 1987-07-20

Overall Date Closed: 1990-07-05

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: 1990-07-05

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1989-02-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: AS PART OF WPL'S LIAISON PROGRAM WITH LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE OFFICIALS, SUPERVISORS FROM WILLIAMS HAVE DELIVERED INFORMATION PACKETS TO POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND COUNTY EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES WHICH HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THE ROUTE OF WILLIAMS' RIGHTS OF WAY, PUMP STATIONS, AND TERMINALS. THE INFORMATIONAL PACKET IS ENCLOSED FOR YOUR INFORMATION. THE PACKET INCLUDES A MAP DENOTING THE ROUTE OF WILLIAMS' PIPELINE THROUGH THAT COUNTY AND A COPY OF THE API BROCHURES, "DIG OUR MESSAGE" AND "WHEN YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PETROLEUM PIPELINE SAFETY." PERIODICALLY, BUT AT LEAST ONCE EACH YEAR, SUPERVISORS CONTACT THESE LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE PERSONNEL TO APPRISE THEM OF WILLIAMS' EMERGENCY RESPONSE RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES AND TO INFORM THEM OF ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED AT WILLIAMS' FACILITIES WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION. AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE VIDEO IS ALSO BEING DEVELOPED TO ASSIST IN EDUCATING LOCAL RESPONSE GROUPS ABOUT WILLIAMS FACILITIES. FURTHER, WILLIAMS INTENDS TO REQUEST EMERGENCY RESPONSE DRILLS IN SELECTED LOCALES. AS PART OF THIS ONGOING PUBLIC LIAISON PROGRAM WILLIAMS HAS ALSO DISTRIBUTED PIPELINE SAFETY BROCHURES TO APPROXIMATELY 150,000 URBAN RESIDENTS ONE-EIGHTH MILE EITHER SIDE OF ITS PIPELINE RIGHTS OF WAY AND TO LOCAL EXCAVATORS. THESE BROCHURES, A COPY OF WHICH IS ATTACHED, CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND SAFELY RESPOND TO A PIPELINE LEAK. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS THESE SAME BROCHURES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE APPROX. 17,000 RURAL LANDOWNERS ADJACENT TO WILLIAMS' PIPELINE RIGHTS OF WAY. SUBSEQUENT DISTRIBUTIONS WILL BE MADE ON A CONTINUING BASIS.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1989-10-10

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: OUR PREPAREDNESS PLANS HAVE BEEN COORDINATED WITH APPROPRIATE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS IS TO COORDINATE SITE SPECIFIC EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLANS SO THAT THESE AGENCIES WILL BE MORE FAMILIAR WITH OUR FACILITIES AND OUR AVAILABLE RESOURCES SO THAT THEY CAN BE BETTER PREPARED TO EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY RESPOND TO AN EMERGENCY INVOLVING OUR FACILITIES, SHOULD THE NEED EVER ARISE. THESE MEETINGS USUALLY INCLUDE A WALK THROUGH TOUR OF OUR FACILITIES AND INCORPORATE DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THE FOLLOWING CONCERNS: EMERGENCY ACCESS ROUTES, POTENTIAL HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH PETROLEUM PRODUCTS, EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS, AVAILABLE EMERGENCY RESOURCES (E.G. LIGHT WATER, WATER SUPPLIES, FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, SPILL RECOVERY EQUIPMENT, MANPOWER, ETC.) CONSIDERATION OF WORST CASE SCENARIOS, AND IN SOME CASES MOCK EMERGENCIES. WPL HAS PROVIDED APPROPRIATE LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES WITH MAPS, BROCHURES AND OTHER VITAL INFORMATION ABOUT ITS FACILITIES.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1990-07-05

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1989-07-12

Communication Type: Official Correspondence