NTSB Safety Recommendation P-87-018

NTSB safety recommendation P-87-018.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE WILLIAMS PIPELINE COMPANY: INSTALL REMOTE-OPERATED VALVES ON PIPELINE TO ALLOW PROMPT ISOLATION OF THOSE, SECTIONS THAT PASS THROUGH HIGHLY POPULATED AREAS.

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.

Keywords: Remote Operated Valves

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: IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE PROTECTION FOR RESIDENTIAL AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS ALONG THE PIPELINE RGHTS-OF WAY, WILLIAMS HAS INITIATED A MULTI-YEAR PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE STRATEGIC VALVE LOCATIONS TO EQUIP WITH REMOTE CONTROL CAPABILITIES. THE 12 EXISTING VALVE SITES SCHEDULED FOR 1989 WILL BE MODIFIED TO PROVIDE REMOTE; ACTUATION, STATUS, UPSTREAM TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, AND DOWNSTREAM TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE. THESE MODIFICATIONS WILL PROVIDE THE DISPATCHER WITH CRITICAL PARAMETER INFORMATION AND WILL ENABLE HIM TO IMMEDIATELY ISOLATE A HIGH EXPOSURE AREA AS SOON AS A MAIN LINE LEAK IS SUSPECTED, THEREBY MINIMIZING THE PRODUCT FLOW FROM THE PIPELINE AT THE FAILURE SITE.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1989-10-10

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE MAIN EMPHASIS OF WPL'S ONGOING REMOTE CONTROL VALVE PROJECT IS TO ENHANCE EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITIES. INSTALLATIONS ARE TARGETED FOR SENSITIVE REGIONS SUCH AS HEAVILY DEVELOPED INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL AREAS OR WHERE THE PIPELINE IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS SUCH AS LAKES, RIVERS OR RESERVOIRS. APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF OF THE 1989 INSTALLATIONS WERE LOCATED IN HEAVILY POPULATED URBAN AREAS; THE BALANCE WERE INSTALLED AT MAJOR RIVER CROSSINGS. CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO FACTORS SUCH AS COST VS. SAFETY BENEFIT, POPULATION DENSITY, PROXIMITY OF ADJACENT VALVES, LINE SIZE, TERRAIN, ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE, ETC. EACH INSTALLATION IS ANALYZED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS USING THESE GENERAL GUIDELINES, HOWEVER, DECISIONS ARE NECESSARILY HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY A JUDGEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL SITE SPECIFIC CONCERNS AND OTHER POTENTIALLY SUBJECTIVE FACTORS.

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