NTSB Safety Recommendation P-90-016

NTSB safety recommendation P-90-016.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION: DEVELOP AND MAKE PUBLIC THROUGH ADVISORIES OR OTHER MEANS GUIDANCE DETAILING THE TYPES OF ACTIONS EXPECTED OF PIPELINE OPERATORS AND THE BASIS THAT WILL BE USED IN ASSESSING COMPLIANCE FOR ALL PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS THAT DO NOT CONTAIN EXPLICIT OBJECTIVES AND CRITERIA AGAINST WHICH ACCOMPLISHMENT IS TO BE MEASURED.

Priority: CLASS III

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1990-04-20

Adopted Date: 1990-03-27

Overall Date Closed: 1999-06-18

Synopsis: IN A 7-MONTH PERIOD BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 16, 1988, THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATED 5 NATURAL GAS ACCIDENTS IN THE KANSAS CITY-TOPEKA AREA THAT INVOLVED THE GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS OWNED BY KANSAS POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY (KPL). CORROSION DAMAGE WAS INVOLVED ON EACH OF THE 3 GAS SERVICE LINES AND THE 2 CAST IRON GAS MAINS. EACH OF THE GAS LINES INVOLVED WERE INSTALLED BEFORE THE FEDERAL MINIMUM GAS PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS BECAME EFFECTIVE AND THE FAILURES ON THE GAS SERVICE LINES INVOLVED CUSTOMER-OWNED PIPE THAT HAD NOT BEEN PROTECTED AGAINST CORROSION DAMAGE. THESE ACCIDENTS KILLED 4 PEOPLE, INJURED 12 OTHERS AND DESTROYED 4 HOUSES.

Probable Cause: None

Ntsbnumber: DCA89MP014

Report Number: PAR-90-03

Addressee Name: RSPA

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1999-06-18

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1993-03-08

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE BOARD IS PLEASED THAT THE OPS OPERATIONS & ENFORCEMENT MANUAL IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION (AGA); HOWEVER, WE HAD HOPED THAT THE OPS WOULD MAKE THE MANUAL DIRECTLY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. SINCE THE NAPSR FINAL REPORT ON UNENFORCEABLE SAFETY REGULATIONS WAS RECENTLY COMPLETED & WILL BE ISSUED SHORTLY IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER, WE WILL HOLD THIS RECOMMENDATION "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE" PENDING THE RSPA REVIEW OF THE REPORT.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1999-06-18

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE SAFETY BOARD UNDERSTANDS THAT RSPA HAS DEVELOPED AND DISTRIBUTED A MANUAL FOR NONTECHNICALLY TRAINED OPERATORS OF MASTER METER SYSTEMS AND SMALL MUNICIPAL OR INDEPENDENT NATURAL GAS SYSTEMS TO ASSIST THEM IN ACHIEVING COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS. IN ADDITION, RSPA DISTRIBUTED THIS MANUAL TO ALL STATE PIPELINE SAFETY PROGRAM OFFICERS AND MADE IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON THE RSPA WEB SITE. BASED ON THESE ACTIONS, P-90-16 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1997-10-31

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1998-06-30

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 7/2/98 1:03:47 PM MC# 980837 THE PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS ARE WRITTEN MAINLY IN PERFORMANCE LANGUAGE, AND DO NOT GENERALLY CONTAIN PRESCRIPTIVE REQUIREMENTS AND COMPLIANCE OBJECTIVES. WE BELIEVE THAT THE PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS SHOULD ALLOW GAS AND HAZARDOUS LIQUID PIPELINE OPERATORS TO ACHIEVE THE REQUIRED PERFORMANCE STANDARD USING A VARIETY OF MEATS. IN ADDITION, RSPA IS PURSUING RISK-BASED APPROACHES TO REGULATION THAT WILL REQUIRE OPERATORS TO DETERMINE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO ADDRESS SAFETY RISKS TO THEIR PIPELINE SYSTEMS. THIS APPROACH IS CONSISTENT WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON'S REGULATORY REINVENTION INITIATIVE (RRI). THIS REQUIRES FEDERAL AGENCIES TO , AMONG OTHER THINGS, CONDUCT A PAGE-BY-PAGE REVIEW OF ALL AGENCY REGULATIONS, CUTTING OR REVISING THOSE THAT ARE OBSOLETE, INTRUSIVE, OR BETTER HANDLED BY PARTIES OTHER THAN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (I.E., PRIVATE BUSINESS, STATE, OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT). IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT'S DIRECTIVE, RSPA CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE REGULATORY REFORM EFFORTS THAT FOCUSED ON STREAMLINING GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS AND ELIMINATING AND REVISING THOSE THAT WERE OUTDATED OR IN NEED OF REFORM. RSPA REVIEWED THE PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS AND PUBLISHED FIVE REGULATORY ACTIONS THAT LESSENED UNNECESSARY BURDENS ON THE PIPELINE INDUSTRY BY REVISING OR UPDATING REGULATIONS ADDRESSING GAS AND HAZARDOUS LIQUID PIPELINE AND LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS SAFETY STANDARDS, ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES, INDUSTRY STANDARDS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE, AND GENERAL UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS TO THE PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS. IN KEEPING WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE RRI, THESE REGULATORY REVISIONS PROVIDE LATITUDE FOR PIPELINE OPERATORS TO ADDRESS RISKS, RATHER THAN REQUIRING MERE ADHERENCE TO PRESCRIPTIVE REGULATIONS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE IN A PARTICULAR SITUATION. RSPA'S PIPELINE SAFETY COMPLIANCE ACTIVITIES ARE FOCUSED ON WORKING WITH PIPELINE OPERATORS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE REGULATIONS. IN ADDITION, RSPA'S TRANSPORTATION SAFETY INSTITUTE (TSI) TRAINS BOTH GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY PERSONNEL ON THE PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS. RSPA HAS ALSO REVISED AND DISTRIBUTED THE MANUAL TO ASSIST SMALL OPERATORS IN ACHIEVING COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS. THE MANUAL PROVIDES A BROAD OVERVIEW OF COMPLIANCE RESPONSIBILITIES, AND IS DESIGNED FOR NON-TECHNICALLY TRAINED PEOPLE WHO OPERATE MASTER METER SYSTEMS AND SMALL MUNICIPAL OR INDEPENDENT NATURAL GAS SYSTEMS. THE MANUAL WAS DISTRIBUTED TO ALL STATE PIPELINE SAFETY PROGRAMS AND IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON THE RSPA'S INTERNET HOME PAGE. IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, RSPA REQUESTS THAT P-90-15 AND -16 BE CLASSIFIED AS "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1990-09-28

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE NAPSR COMMITTEE THAT WILL BE REVIEWING THE GAS PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS NEXT YEAR WILL IDENTIFY THOSE REGULATIONS WHICH DO NOT CONTAIN EXPLICIT OBJECTIVES AND CRITERIA. AS THESE REGULATIONS ARE IDENTIFIED, OPS WILL DEVELOP, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE. ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE. THIS MATERIAL WILL BE MADE PUBLIC BY ISSUING ALERT NOTICES AND BY PUBLIC INTERPRETATION LETTERS. IN ADDITION, THE GUIDANCE MATERIAL IN OPS'S OPERATION AND ENFORCEMENT MANUAL DETAILING PROCEDURES WHICH ARE ACCEPTABLE FOR COMPLIANCE WITH CERTAIN REGULATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE IN THE RSPA PUBLIC DOCKET.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1992-04-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: WE EXPECT A FINAL NAPSR REPORT ON UNENFORCEABLE REQULATIONS BY THE END OF 1992. OPS DISTRIBUTES THE OPERATIONS AND ENFORCEMNT MANUAL TO FEDERAL AND STATE PIPELINE SAFETY INSPECTORS BUT HAS NOT GENERALLY MADE IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. THE MANUAL CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE AGA. OPS DOES NOT CONTEMPLATE ANY WIDER OPS DISTRIBUTION TO THE PUBLIC OF OPERATION AND ENFORCEMENT GUIDANCE DETAILING THE TYPES OF ACTION EXPECTED OF PIPELINE OPERATORS.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1991-05-07

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1990-09-26

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1992-08-31

Communication Type: Official Correspondence