NTSB Safety Recommendation P-90-031

NTSB safety recommendation P-90-031.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION: EVALUATE, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY PLANNING AND COORDINATION BETWEEN OFFSHORE PIPELINE OPERATORS AND PRODUCERS, AND THEN IMPLEMENT, IF NECESSARY, APPROPRIATE SAFETY REGULATIONS.

Priority: CLASS III

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1990-10-01

Adopted Date: 1990-09-11

Overall Date Closed: 1999-06-18

Synopsis: ON OCTOBER 3, 1989, THE UNITED STATES FISHING VESSEL NORTHUMBERLAND STRUCK AND RUPTURED A 16-INCH-DIAMETER NATURAL GAS TRANSMISSION PIPELINE ABOUT 1/2 NAUTICAL MILE OFFSHORE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, AND ABOUT 5 1/3 NAUTICAL MILES WEST OF THE JETTIES AT THE ENTRANCE TO SABINE PASS, TEXAS. NATURAL GAS UNDER A PRESSURE OF 835 PSIG WAS RELEASED. AN UNDETERMINED SOURCE ON BOARD THE VESSEL IGNITED THE GAS, AND WITHIN SECONDS, THE ENTIRE VESSEL WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE ON THE VESSEL BURNED ITSELF OUT ON OCTOBER 4. LEAKING GAS FROM THE PIPELINE ALSO CONTINUED TO BURN UNTIL OCTOBER 4. OF THE 14 CREW MEMBERS, 11 DIED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT.

Ntsbnumber: DCA90MM001

Report Number: PAR-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: WE WOULD APPRECIATE RECEIVING THE ADVISORY BULLETIN & AN UPDATE ON THE RSPA'S PLANS TO IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE SAFETY REGULATIONS & AN EMERGENCY 24-HOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR PIPELINE OPERATORS & PRODUCERS. PENDING FURTHER RESPONSE, THIS RECOMMENDATION 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 UNDERSTANDS THAT RSPA AND THE MMS, AFTER EVALUATING RESPONSE PLANS DEALING WITH SPILL PLANNING AND SPILL RESPONSE, IMPLEMENTED A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU), WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER ON 3/16/98 (63 FR 12659). THE MOU HAS REDUCED OVERLAP IN SPILL RESPONSE AND RESPONSIBILITIES. FURTHERMORE, RSPA ISSUED AN ADVISORY BULLETIN ON 4/5/94, REGARDING THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY PLANNING AND COORDINATION BETWEEN OFFSHORE PIPELINE OPERATORS AND PROCEDURES. BASED ON THESE ACTIONS, P-90-31 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION."

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1991-04-03

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: PERSONNEL FROM THE OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY AND THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE MET IN MARCH 1991 TO DISCUSS CURRENT OFFSHORE PIPELINE REGULATIONS. THE NEXT MEETING WILL INCLUDE A DISCUSSION ON EMERGENCY/24 HOUR TELEPHONE NUMBERS FOR PIPELINE OPERATORS AND PRODUCERS.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1998-07-01

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: RSPA ISSUED AN ADVISORY BULLETIN (ADB-94-04) ON 4/5/94 REGARDING THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY PLANNING AND COORDINATION BETWEEN PIPELINE OPERATORS AND OFFSHORE PRODUCERS. RSPA IS INCREASING ITS EFFORTS WITH THE COAST GUARD, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, THE MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE (MMS) AND OTHERS TO CLARIFY JURISDICTIONS AND AUTHORITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) WAS SIGNED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR AND THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION ON 12/10/96. THIS MOU REVISED AND CLARIFIED AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES PLACING TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PRACTICABLE, PRODUCING OPERATORS UNDER DOI AND TRANSPORTING OPERATORS UNDER DOT. REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE MOU WERE PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER ON 3/16/98 (63 FR 12659). THIS MOU ALSO ESTABLISHED A PROGRAM UNDER WHICH RSPA AND MMS WILL COOPERATE TO IDENTIFY AND REDUCE INCOMPATIBLE REGULATIONS FOR OFFSHORE PIPELINE OPERATORS AND PRODUCERS. BOTH RSPA AND MMS HAVE IMPLEMENTED EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS TO DEAL WITH SPILL PLANNING AND SPILL RESPONSE THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY EQUIVALENT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE MOU HAS DRAMATICALLY REDUCED ANY OVERLAP IN INSPECTION AND SPILL RESPONSE RESPONSIBILITIES. RSPA REQUESTS THAT P-90-31 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: THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY PLANNING AND COORDINATION WAS ADDRESSED IN THE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON OFFSHORE PIPELINE SAFETY OPS COSPONSORED WITH MMS AND OTHERS IN DEC. 1991. THAT WORKSHOP WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY SOME 250 INDUSTRY AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVES ACTIVE IN FIELD OF OFFSHORE PIPELINES INCLUDED A DISCUSSION ON ABNORMAL EMERGENCY AND STORM RESPONSE IN ONE OF THE EIGHT FEATURED WORKING GROUPS. TO FURTHER FOCUS ON THIS CRITICAL AREA, OPS WILL ISSUE AN ADVISORY BULLETIN TO OFFSHORE PIPELINE OPERATORS SOMETIME IN 1992 CALLING THEIR ATTENTION TO THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY PLANNING AND COORDINATION WITH PRODUCERS.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1991-06-05

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1992-08-31

Communication Type: Official Correspondence