NTSB Safety Recommendation P-95-010

NTSB safety recommendation P-95-010.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE INTERSTATE NATURAL GAS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA: ENCOURAGE YOUR MEMBERS TO MODIFY THE INFO IN THE ANNUAL MAILINGS OF THEIR PUBLIC EDUCATION PIPELINE SAFETY PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE RECIPIENTS TO DISSEMINATE THE PIPELINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS TO THEIR TENANTS & EMPLOYEES WHO RESIDE & WORK ON PROPERTY ADJACENT TO HIGH-PRESSURE PIPELINES.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Unacceptable Action

Issued Date: 1995-02-07

Adopted Date: 1995-01-18

Overall Date Closed: 2001-04-05

Synopsis: ABOUT 11:55 ON 3/23/94, A 36-INCH DIAMETER PIPELINE OWNED & OPERATED BY TEXAS EASTERN TRANSMISSION CORPORTION (TETCO) RUPTURED CATASTROPHICALLY IN EDISON TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY, WITHIN AN ASPHALT PLANT COMPOUND. THE FORCE OF THE RUPTURE & OF NATURAL GAS ESCAPING AT A PRESSURE OF ABOUT 970 PSIG (POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GUAGE) EXCAVATED THE SOIL AROUND THE PIPE & BLEW GAS HUNDREDS OF FEET INTO THE AIR, PROPELLING PIPE FRAGMENTS, ROCKS, & DEBRIS MORE THAN 800 FEET. WITHIN 1 TO 2 MINUTES OF THE RUPTURE, ONE OF SEVERAL POSSIBLE SOURCES IGNITED THE ESCAPING GAS, SENDING FLAMES UPWARD 400 TO 500 FEET IN THE AIR. HEAT RADIATING FROM THE MASSIVE FIRE IGNITED THE ROOFS OF SEVERAL BUILDING ROOFS IN A NEARBY APARTMENT COMPLEX. OCCUPANTS, ALERTED TO THE EMERGENCY BY NOISES FROM ESCAPING GAS & ROCKS HITTING THE ROOFS, FLED FROM THE BURNING BUILDINGS. APPROXIMATELY 1,500 APARTMENT RESIDENTS WERE EVACUATED. MIRACULOUSLY, NO DEATHS DIRECTLY RESULTED FROM THE RUPTURE & RESULTING FIRE. MOST INJURIES WERE MINOR FOOT BURNS & CUTS THAT THE APARTMENT RESIDENTS SUSTAINED FROM THE HOT PAVEMENT & GLASS SHARDS AS THEY FLED THE COMPLEX. DAMAGE FROM THE ACCIDENT EXCEEDED &25 MILLION.

Probable Cause: None

Keywords: Training and Education, Public Education (Pipeline)

Ntsbnumber: DCA94MP001

Report Number: PAR-95-01

Addressee Name: Interstate Natural Gas Association of America

Addressee Status: Closed - Unacceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2001-04-05

Addressee Acronym: INGAA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1995-03-07

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: INGAA'S PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE HAS BEGUN WORK IN PIPELINE SAFETY & EMERGENCY RESPONSE VIDEOS, DAMAGE PREVENTION & ONE-CALL ADVERTISEMENT, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, & MORE EFFECTIVE PRINT MATERIALS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO THOSE ALONG PIPELINE RIGHT-OF-WAY.

Addressee Acronym: INGAA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1995-04-27

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE BOARD WELCOMES THE INGAA EFFORTS TO DEVELOP BETTER PIPELINE SAFETY INFO MATERIAL FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION. WE UNDERSTAND THAT INGAA'S PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IS WORKING ON SAFETY VIDEOS, DAMAGE PREVENTION & ONE-CALL ADVERTISEMENTS, & PRINT MATERIAL. PENDING COMPLETION OF THE MODIFIED PIPELINE SAFEY PROGRAM, P-95-10 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE."

Addressee Acronym: INGAA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2000-08-08

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: ON 4/27/95, BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE INGAA LETTER OF 3/7/95, P-95-10 AND -11 WERE CLASSIFIED "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE." TO DATE THE SAFETY BOARD HAS HAD NO FURTHER RESPONSE FROM INGAA, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE LEARNING WHAT ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

Addressee Acronym: INGAA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2001-04-05

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: On April 27, 1995, based on information provided in the INGAA letter of March 7, 1995, that indicated INGAA was conducting a study of automatic and remotely controlled valve technologies, Safety Recommendations P-95-10 and -11 were classified “Open--Acceptable Response.” Because the Safety Board has received no further information on these issues, Safety Recommendations P-95-10 and -11 are classified “Closed--Unacceptable Action.”