NTSB Safety Recommendation P-90-024

NTSB safety recommendation P-90-024.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION: ADDRESS, IN THE ONGOING STUDY TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND TEST REQUIREMENTS FOR CHECK VALVES, THE LACK OF DEFINITIONS FOR THE VARIOUS TERMS USED FOR VALVES IN THE PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1990-07-20

Adopted Date: 1990-06-19

Overall Date Closed: 1999-06-18

Synopsis: ABOUT 7:36 A.M., PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, ON MAY 12, 1989, SOUTHERN PACIFIC TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (SP) FREIGHT TRAIN 1-MJLBP-111, WHICH CONSISTED OF A FOUR-UNIT LOCOMOTIVE ON THE HEAD END OF THE TRAIN, 69 HOPPER CARS LOADED WITH TRONA, AND A TWO-UNIT HELPER LOCOMOTIVE ON THE REAR OF THE TRAIN, DERAILED AT MILEPOST 486.8, IN SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA. THE ENTIRE TRAIN WAS DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF THE DERAIL MENT. SEVEN HOMES LOCATED IN THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOOD WERE TOTALLY DESTROYED AND FOUR OTHERS WERE EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. OF THE FIVE CREWMEMBERS ON BOARD THE TRAIN, TWO ON THE HEAD END OF THE TRAIN WERE KILLED, ONE RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES, AND THE TWO ON THE REAR END OF THE TRAIN RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. OF EIGHT RESIDENTS IN THEIR HOMES AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, TWO WERE KILLED AND ONE RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AS A RESULT OF BEING TRAPPED UNDER DEBRIS FOR 15 HOURS. LOCAL OFFICIALS EVACUATED HOMES IN THE SURROUNDING AREA BECAUSE OF A CONCERN THAT A 14-INCH PIPELINE OWNED BY THE CALNEV PIPE LINE COMPANY, WHICH WAS TRANSPORTING GAS OLINE AND WAS LOCATED UNDER THE WRECKAGE, MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE OR WAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO BEING DAMAGED DURING WRECKAGE CLEARING OPERATIONS. RESI DENTS WERE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE DERAILMENT. ABOUT 8:05 A.M., ON MAY 25, 1989, 13 DAYS AFTER THE TRAIN DERAILMENT, THE 14-INCH PIPELINE RUPTURED AT THE SITE OF DERAILMENT RELEASED ITS PRODUT, AND IGNITED.

Ntsbnumber: DCA89MR004

Report Number: RAR-90-02

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: 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: PENDING YOUR COMPLETION OF THE CHECK VALVE STUDY, RECOMMENDATION P-90-24 WILL REMAIN "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE."

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1999-06-18

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE SAFETY BOARD IS AWARE THAT RSPA PUBLISHED THE 1989 ALERT NOTICE, THE 1997 ADVISORY BULLETIN, AND THE 1997 STUDY OF DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES FOR CHECK VALVES. THE SAFETY BOARD ALSO UNDERSTANDS THAT, FOLLOWING ON-SITE INSPECTION OF CHECK VALVES, RSPA ADVISED OPERATORS OF GAS AND HAZARDOUS LIQUID PIPELINES TO PERFORM A THOROUGH QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF THEIR REMANUFACTURED CHECK VALVES, FOLLOWED BY A TEST OR INSPECTION TO ENSURE THAT TOLERANCES ARE WITHIN DESIGN PARAMETERS, PARTICULARLY VALVES, SUCH THAT THE SHAFT IS KEPT INSIDE THE VALVE BY SET SCREWS. IN ADDITION, THE REGULATIONS IN 49 CFR PART 195.402, PROCEDURAL MANUAL FOR OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, AND EMERGENCIES; AND PART 195.420, VALVE MAINTENANCE, REQUIRE OPERATORS TO ENSURE THAT VALVES OPERATE AND FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE BOARD IS PLEASED TO LEARN THAT RSPA'S PIPELINE SAFETY INSPECTORS WILL CONTINUE TO ROUTINELY CHECK PIPELINE OPERATORS FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE REGULATIONS, THE 1989 ALERT NOTICE, AND THE 1997 ADVISORY BULLETIN. FURTHERMORE, RSPA ADDRESSED THE DEFINITIONS OF VALVE TERMS IN ITS 1997 STUDY. ACCORDINGLY P-89-6 AND P-90-24 HAVE BOTH BEEN CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1998-07-01

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: WE FULLY ADDRESSED THE DEFINITIONS OF VARIOUS VALVE TERMS USED IN THE PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS IN RSPA'S CHECK VALVE STUDY, DATED JUNE 1997. MOST OF THE VALVE TERMS USED IN THE PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS HAVE ACCEPTED INDUSTRY MEANINGS. IT IS OUR POLICY NOT TO DEFINE COMMONLY UNDERSTOOD TERMS IN THE PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS. THEREFORE, RSPA DOES NOT PLAN TO INITIATE A RULEMAKING ON DEFINITIONS OF VALVE TERMS. RSPA REQUESTS THAT P-90-24 BE RECLASSIFIED AS "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1992-04-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: GIVEN THE REGULATORY BACKLOG ATTRIBUTED LARGELY TO THE PIPELINE SAFETY REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1988, COMPLETION OF THE CHECK VALVE STUDY HAS BEEN GIVEN A LOWER PRIORITY. AT THIS POINT, WE EXPECT TO COMPLETE THE STUDY IN THE SUMMER OF 1992.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1991-04-02

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1990-11-27

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1992-08-31

Communication Type: Official Correspondence