NTSB Safety Recommendation P-89-002

NTSB safety recommendation P-89-002.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT KPL GAS SERVICE: PERFORM GAS DETECTOR SURVEYS AT LEAST ANNUALLY OVER UNCOATED, UNPROTECTED STEEL SERVICE LINES AND CAST-IRON MAINS UNTIL DATA OF SUFFICIENT QUANTITY AND TYPE HAVE BEEN GATHERED ON THE CAUSES OF LEAKS AND FAILURES AND HAVE BEEN ANALYZED TO IDENTIFY THOSE SECTIONS OF THE GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM THAT SHOULD BE REPLACED.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1989-03-30

Adopted Date: 1989-03-30

Overall Date Closed: 1995-08-21

Synopsis: THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD IS CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING FOUR ACCIDENTS INVOLVING HIGH PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES OPERATED BY THE KPL GAS SERVICE COMPANY (KPL). (1) A SEPTEMBER 16, 1988, NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION IN OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS, INVOLVING GAS LEAKING FROM CORROSION HOLES IN THE CUSTOMER-OWNED SERVICE LINE. GAS MIGRATED UNDERGROUND TO THE HOUSE AND WAS IGNITED. THE HOUSE WAS DESTROYED AND THE FOUR RESIDENTS WERE INJURED. (2) A NOVEMBER 25, 1988, NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION AND FIRE IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, INVOLVING A BREAK IN A CUSTOMER-OWNED SERVICE LINE AT A THREADED JOINT THAT WAS AFFECTED BY CORROSION. ONE PERSON WAS KILLED AND FIVE PERSONS INJURED IN THE EXPLOSION THAT SEVERELY DAMAGED THE RESIDENCE. (3) A DECEMBER 5, 1988, NATURAL GAS FIRE IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, INVOLVING A CRACKED, 6-INCH CAST-IRON GAS MAIN THAT WAS AFFECTED BY GRAPHITIC CORROSION. ONE PERSON WAS INJURED AND TWO VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED AFTER THE ESCAPING NATURAL GAS IGNITED IN A DRIVEWAY. (4) A FEBRUARY 10, 1989, NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION AND FIRE IN OAK GROVE, MISSOURI, INVOLVING THE FAILURE OF A CUSTOMER-OWNED SERVICE LINE AT A THREADED JOINT. TWO PERSONS WERE KILLED AND THEIR HOUSE WAS DESTROYED IN THE EXPLOSION.

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA88FP016

Report Number: None

Addressee Name: KPL Gas Service Company

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1995-08-21

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1995-06-19

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: IN OUR RESPONSE 11/2/89, WE STATED THAT ANNUAL INSTRUMENT LEAK DETECTION SURVEYS OF UNPROTECTED STEEL SERVICE LINES & CAST-IRON MAINS WERE BEING PERFORMED. THE PRACTICE OF ANNUALLY SURVEYING THESE FACILITIES CONTINUES & THE RESULTS OF THESE SURVEYS IS ENTERED INTO OUR LDS & PDS PROGRAMS FOR SYSTEM MANAGEMENT A STATED IN OUR RESPONSE TO P-89-1 ABOVE. IN ADDITION, STONE & WEBSTER CONCLUDED THE COMPANY EFFORT IN UTILIZING ITS FACILITY PRIORITY INDEX TO IDENTIFY & PRIOIRITIZED MAINS, INCLUDING CAST-IRON, CONSTITUTED "A GOOD PROBABLISTIC APPROACH" REPLACEMENT DECISIONS.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1989-11-02

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: KPL HAS PERFORMED FLAME IONIZATION TESTS OVER ALL OF ITS UNCOATED, UNPROTECTED STEEL SERVICE LINES, PURSUANT TO ORDERS OF THE KANSAS AND MISSOURI COMMISSIONS, AND ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS IN OKLAHOMA. SUCH SURVEYS WILL BE DONE ANNUALLY IN THE FUTURE AS THE COMPANY'S REPLACEMENT PROGRAM PROGRESSES. THE COMPANY IS SURVEYING ITS CAST-IRON MAINS ANNUALLY, WITH DATA SO PRODUCES ANALYZED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMPANY'S PRE-EXISTING CAST-IRON MAIN REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT PROGRAM. THE COMPANY EXPECTS THAT THE TREATMENT OF CAST-IRON MAINS WILL BE ONE OF THE SUBJECTS DEALT WITH BY THE STONE & WEBSTER ANALYSIS.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1989-10-10

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The National Transportation Safety Board is reviewing its safety recommendation files to identify those recommendations on which there has been no correspondence for an extended time. On March 30, 1989, the Safety Hoard issued Safety Recommendations P-89-l through -4 to the KPL Gas Service Company W-1 concerning four accidents involving high pressure distribution facilities operated by KPL. The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent Federal agency with the statutory responsibility "...to promote transportation safety by conducting independent accident investigations and by formulating safety improvement recommendations" (Public Law 93-633). We would appreciate being informed as to what efforts were made or are being made to implement these recommendations. The Safety Board's letter transmitting these recommendations is enclosed for your information.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1990-04-02

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Safety Recommendation P-89-2 concerns annual gas detector surveys over uncoated, unprotected steel service lines and cast-iron mains. The Safety Board notes that KPL has instituted a program to perform annual flame ionization tests over all of its uncoated, unprotected steel service lines, and will survey its cast-iron mains annually in accordance with an existing company replacement program. Inasmuch as the treatment of cast-iron mains will be one of the subjects of the management consultant's analysis, we will hold this safety recommendation in an "Open--Acceptable Action" status, pending the results of that study.

Addressee Organization Type: P-Private Industry

Communication Date: 1995-08-21

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE BOARD UNDERSTANDS THAT WESTERN RESOURCES CONDUCTS ANNUAL INSTRUMENT LEAK DETECTION SURVEYS ON UNPROTECTED STEEL SERVICE LINES & CAST-IRON MAINS. WE FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT THE SURVEY RESULTS ARE ENTERED INTO YOUR GAS SAFETY PROGRAM SYSTEM TO TRACK LEAK INFO PROVIDE COMPARISONS OF REPLACEMENT PROJECTS, & PLACE EMPHASIS ON THE MOST URGENT WORK. P-89-2 IS THEREFORE CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."