NTSB Safety Recommendation P-90-020

NTSB safety recommendation P-90-020.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION: REQUIRE, BY A TIME CERTAIN, THAT EXISTING BURIED, UNPROTECTED GAS PIPING BE PROTECTED AGAINST DAMAGE FROM CORROSION OR BE REPLACED WITH PIPING RESISTANT TO CORROSION DAMAGE.

Priority: CLASS III

Overall Status: Closed - Unacceptable Action

Issued Date: 1990-04-20

Adopted Date: 1990-03-27

Overall Date Closed: 1998-07-27

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 - Unacceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1998-07-27

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1997-10-31

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: NTSB REQUESTED A FOLLOWUP ON THIS DATE 10/31/97.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1993-03-08

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE BOARD BELIEVES THAT WITHOUT A TIME CONSTRAINT FOR REPLACEMENT, OR AN EFFECTIVE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM, OPERATORS MAY CONTINUE TO RISK PUBLIC SAFETY. PENDING FINAL ACTIONS ON SURVEILLANCE, THIS RECOMMENDATION REMAINS "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE."

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1998-07-27

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE BOARD REGRETS THAT RSPA CONTINUES TO BELIEVE THAT A REALISTIC CAST IRON & DUCTILE IRON REPLACEMENT PROGRAM SHOULD BE CONDUCTED ON A CASE-CASE, BASIS, RECOGNIZING THE VARIOUS PIPELINE CHARACTERISTICS & THE RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY, & THAT REPLACEMENT SHOULD BE BASED ON NEED RATHER THAN ON AN ARBITRARY DATE. THE BOARD MAINTAINS THAT WITHOUT A TIME FRAME FOR REPLACEMENT OR AN EFFECTIVE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM, DAMAGED PIPELINE MAY CONTINUE TO ENDANGER PUBLIC SAFETY. BECAUSE RSPA OFFERS NO ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE ACTION & ASKS THAT THE RECOMMENDATION BE CLOSED, P-90-20 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--UNACCEPTABLE ACTION."

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1998-03-11

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: (Letter Mail Controlled 3/17/98 5:55:08 PM MC# 980349) EXCEPT FOR CAST IRON OR DUCTILE IRON, EXISTING BURIED, UNPROTECTED GAS PIPE MUST BE CATHODICALLY PROTECTED IN AREAS OF ACTIVE CORROSION (49 CFR 192.457(B)). & IN AREAS WHERE PIPE IS REPAIRED BECAUSE OF CORROSION (49 CFR 192.483(C)). CAST IRON & DUCTILE IRON PIPE IS GENERALLY NOT COATED, & IF UNCOATED CANNOT BE CATHODICALLY PROTECTED. ESSENTIALLY, THE RECOMMENDATION CALLS FOR THE SCHEDULED REPLACEMENT OF CAST IRON & DUCTILE IRON PIPE, & THE SCHEDULED CATHODIC PROTECTION OF OTHER UNPROTECTED METALLIC PIPE (MOSTLY STEEL) REGARDLESS OF THE OCCURRENCE OF ACTIVE CORROSION OR CORROSION-CAUSED REPAIR HISTORY. RSPA BELIEVES THAT A CAST IRON & DUCTILE IRON REPLACEMENT PROGRAM SHOULD BE CONDUCTED ON A CASE-BY-CASE, BASE RECOGNIZEING THE VARIOUS PIPELINE CHARACTERISTICS & THE RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY, & THAT REPLACEMENT SHOULD BASED ON NEED RATHER THAN ON AN ARBITRARY DATE. OUR PIPELINE SAFETY ALERT NOTICE (ALN-92-02; 6/26/92) HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED TO REPLACE PIPELINES IN UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION THAT POSE NO IMMEDIATE HAZARD & PIPELINES THAT HAVE GRAPHITIZATION & MIGHT EXPERIENCE A LEAK OR FRACTURE. OPERATORS ARE REQUIRED TO CARRY OUT A CONTINUING SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM TO REDUCE THE RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY (49 CFR 192.613). FOR CAST IRON & DUCTILE IRON PIPELINES, THIS PROGRAM CONSIDERS FAILURE, LEAKAGE HISTORY, GRAPHITIZATION, & OTHER UNUSUAL OPERATING & MAINTENANCE CONDITIONS TO DETERMINE IF A SEGMENT OF PIPELINE IS IN UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION. IF THE CONDITION IS UNSATISFACTORY BUT NO IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION IS REQUIRED, THE OPERATOR MUST INITIATE A PROGRAM TO RECONDITION OR PHASE-OUT THE IDENTIFIED SEGMENTS. WITH RESPECT TO OTHER METALLIC PIPE (MOSTLY STEEL), WE BELIEVE THE EXISTING REGULATIONS ARE ADEQUATE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM THE RISK OF UNPROTECTED PIPELINES. IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, WE ASK THAT YOU CLASSIFY THIS RECOMMENDATION AS "CLOSED ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE."

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1990-09-28

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: WE WILL CONSIDER DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANPRM FOR INCLUSION ON NEXT YEAR'S REGULATORY AGENDA TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY AND ASSOCIATED COSTS OF REPLACING CAST IRON OR DUCTILE IRON PIPE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1992-04-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: WE BELIEVE THAT A REALISTIC CAST IRON REPLACEMENT PROGRAM NEEDS TO BE CONDUCTED ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT VARIOUS PIPELINE CHARACTERISTICS(AGE, PIPE DIAMETER, OPERATING PRESSURE, ETC.) AND RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THAT THE REPLACEMENT BE BASED ON THE NEED TO REPLACE PIPE THAT MAY NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT OF CAST IRON DUCTILE IRON ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS RATHER THAN ON AT TIME-CERTAIN BASIS IS FURTHER SUPPORTED BY THE SIGNIFICANT COAST INVOLVED IN A REPLACEMENT PROGRAM. WITH RESPECT TO STEEL PIPE, WE BELIEVE THE EXISTING REGULATIONS ARE ADEQUATE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM THE RISKS OF UNPROTECTED PIPELINES.

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