NTSB Safety Recommendation P-96-001

NTSB safety recommendation P-96-001.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE RSPA: DEVELOP WITHIN 1 YEAR & IMPLEMENT WITHIN 2 YEARS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE COLLECTION & USE OF GAS & HAZARDOUS LIQUID PIPELINE ACCIDENT DATA THAT DETAILS THE TYPE & EXTENT OF DATA TO BE COLLECTED, TO PROVIDE THE RSPA WITH THE CAPABILITY TO PERFORM METHODOLOGICALLY SOUND ACCIDENT TREND ANALYSES & EVALUATIONS OF PIPELINE OPERATOR PERFORMANCE USING NORMALIZED ACCIDENT DATA.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1996-02-06

Adopted Date: 1996-01-23

Overall Date Closed: 2004-04-29

Synopsis: IN A 15-MONTH PERIOD BETWEEN DECEMBER 1991 & MARCH 1993, RUPTURES OF TWO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PIPELINES IN FOUNTAIN INN, SOUTH CAROLINA, & RESTON, VIRGINIA, RESULTED IN RELEASES TOTALING NEARLY 1 MILLION GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL THAT AFFECTED MAJOR WATER SUPPLIES OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITES. PIPELINE TRANSPORT ABOUT 57 PERCENT OF THE CRUDE PETROLEUM & PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MOVED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. THE POTENTIAL THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY FROM PETROLEUM PRODUCT RELEASES HAS BECOME MORE SEVERE IN RECENT YEARS AS RESIDENTIAL & COMMERICAL DEVELOPMENT ADJACENT TO ALL TYPES OF PIPELINES HAS ACCELERATED. FURTHER, CONCERNS AT THE CONGRESSIONAL, STATES, & LOCAL LEVEL HAVE BEEN GROWING ABOUT THE POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENT CONSEQUENCES OF RELEASES FROM PIPELINE SYSTEMS, PARTICULARLY THOSE TRANSPORTING PETROLEUM & PETROLEUM PRODUCTS, WHICH POTENTIALLY POSE THE GREATEST RISK TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

Ntsbnumber: 80509

Report Number: SIR-96-02

Addressee Name: RSPA

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 2004-04-29

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: 2000-07-13

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: ON 4/15/98, BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE RSPA LETTER OF 2/9/98, P-96-1 WAS CLASSIFIED "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE," PENDING FURTHER RESPONSE FROM RSPA. COPIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS P-87-34, P-90-21, P-95-4, P-96-1, P-97-6, P-97-7, P-97-8, P-98-1, P-98-2, P-98-3, P-98-4, P-98-5, AND P-98-25 AND ASSOCIATED CORRESPONDENCE ARE ENCLOSED. THE SAFETY BOARD WOULD APPRECIATE LEARNING OF ANY ACTION TAKEN OR PLANNED TO COMPLY WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, ESPECIALLY P-97-7 AND -8, WHICH MAY BE DISCUSSED AT A BOARD MEETING.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 2004-04-29

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: The Safety Board notes that RSPA worked with industry, pipeline safety State offices, and other groups to produce a comprehensive plan to identify and obtain additional data on natural gas and hazardous liquid accident and annual reports. As a result of this collaborative effort, RSPA revised the natural gas transmission pipeline operator incident and annual reports and the hazardous liquid pipeline operator accident reports, the natural gas distribution incident and annual report forms. The Board also notes that RSPA implemented the following projects to improve data collection: · developed and adopted an improved Accident Report Region Review Tracking System for use by the pipeline inspection and enforcement staffs; · introduced electronic reporting for the revised forms; and · mandated and enforced submission of natural gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipeline operator data to the National Pipeline Mapping System. These initiatives satisfy the recommendation and should improve RSPA's pipeline safety data collection and capability to perform methodologically sound accident trend analyses and evaluations of pipeline operator performance, as well as improve information on operator and industry performance for accountability to public and oversight agencies. Accordingly, Safety Recommendation P-96-1 is classified "Closed-Acceptable Action."

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1997-01-02

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE BOARD IS PLEASED TO LEARN THAT RSPA AGREES THAT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO IDENTIFY & OBTAIN ADQUATE PIPELINE DATA IS NECESSARY SO THAT RSPA CAN EFFECTIVELY MONITOR ITS PIPELINE RISK MANAGEMENT DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. ALSO, WE ARE GRATIFIED THAT RSPA IS WORKING WITH THE PIPELINE INDUSTRY TO IDENTIFY WHAT VALUE THE INDUSTRY'S DATA PROGRAMS MAY BE TO RSPA. IN 1980, THE BOARD DETERMINED THAT PIPELINE DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES NEEDED IMPROVEMENT (SEE SAFETY EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION OF THE MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION BUREAU'S PIPELINE DATA SYSTEM [NTSB/SEE-80/4]. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY INSTITUTE PERFORMED A NEEDS ANALYSES TO IDENTIFY THE DATA ELEMENTS & LEVEL OF DETAIL NECESSARY TO SUPPORT EFFECTIVE ANALYSES. YOU MAY WISH TO REVIEW THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THOSE TWO STUDIES TO MINIMIZE WORK DUPLICATION & TO HELP STRUCTURE YOUR STAFF'S CURRENT EFFORTS. BASED ON WORK RSPA HAS IN PROGRESS P-96-1 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE."

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1998-04-15

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE BOARD ASKED THAT RSPA DEVELOP WITHIN 1 YEAR & IMPLEMENT WITHIN 2 YEARS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE COLLECTION & USE OF GAS & HAZARDOUS LIQUID PIPELINE ACCIDENT DATA THAT DETAILS THE TYPE & EXTENT OF DATA TO BE COLLECTED, TO PROVIDE RSPA WITH THE CAPABILITY TO PERFORM METHODOLOGICALLY SOUND ACCIDENT TREND ANALYSES & EVALUATIONS OF PIPELINE OPERATOR PERFORMANCE USING NORMALIZED ACCIDENT DATA. THE BOARD IS PLEASED THAT RSPA IS COMMITTED TO MAKING PIPELINE DATA USEFUL & RECOGNIZES THE NEED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR IDENTIFYING & OBTAINING ADEQUATE GAS & HAZARDOUS LIQUID DATA TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PIPELINE RISK MANAGEMENT DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. THE BOARD IS ALSO PLEASED THAT RESPA IS TAKING ACTION ON THIS RECOMMENDATION THROUGH DATABASE INITIATIVES & JOINT DATA NEEDS ASSESSMENTS WITH THE PIPELINE INDUSTRY. FURTHER, THE BOARD UNDERSTANDS THAT RSPA PLANS TO EXPLORE INDEPENDENT DATA SOURCES, PARTNER WITH INDUSTRY ON JOINT DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS, & INTRODUCE ELECTRONIC DATA REPORTING. THEREFORE, PENDING FURTHER RESPONSE FROM RSPA ON THE ACTION TAKEN ON THIS ISSUE, P-96-1 HAS BEEN CLASSIFED "OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE." THE BOARD SET A 2-YEAR TIME FRAME FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT EXPIRED 3/6/98, & WOULD APPRECIATE KNOWING WHEN RSPA EXPECTS TO COMPLETE THIS ACTION.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 2004-02-17

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 2/24/2004 12:09:18 PM MC# 2040085 RSPA has worked with industry, pipeline safety state offices, and other groups to produce a comprehensive plan to identify and obtain additional data on natural gas and hazardous liquid accident and annual reports. In March 2000, RSPA began rulemaking to revise all of its pipeline safety accident and incident forms. The specific changes are described below in response to P-97-20 and P-97-21. RSPA has revised both the natural gas transmission pipeline operator incident and annual reports and the hazardous liquid pipeline operator accident reports. RSPA issued an NPRM in July 2002 seeking comments on a proposed hazardous liquid pipeline operator annual report form. The Final Rule was published January 6,2004 (69 FR 537). In June 2003 (68 FR 33759) and December 31, 2003 (68 FR75720), RSPA published Federal Register Notices seeking comments on the proposed changes in the natural gas distribution incident and annual report forms. We expect the revised forms to become effective on March 1, 2004. This completes all of the planned revisions to existing pipeline safety accident and incident forms and annual report forms. RSPA has also expanded the collection of data in the areas suggested by NTSB's Safety Recommendations in P-96-l, P-97-20 and P-97-21. In addition to the improvements in the incident and annual reports, RSPA has implemented a number of projects to improve data collection. In 2002, RSPA developed and adopted an improved Accident Report Region Review Tracking System for use by the pipeline inspection and enforcement staffs. In the same year, we introduced electronic reporting for the revised forms. RSPA also mandated and enforced submission of natural gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipeline operator data to the National Pipeline Mapping System by June 2003. The initiatives described above will continue to improve RSPA's pipeline safety data collection and our capability to perform methodologically sound accident trend analyses and evaluations of pipeline operator performance. The initiatives also support the improvement of information on operator and industry performance necessary for accountability to the public and oversight agencies. RSPA believes we have substantially met the intent of this recommendation.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1996-08-07

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: RSPA RECOGNIZES THE NEED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR IDENTIFYING & OBTAINING ADEQUATE GAS & HAZARDOUS LIQUID DATA TO SUPPORT OUR PIPELINE RISK MANAGEMENT DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT." RSPA WILL DEVELOP WITHIN ONE YEAR, A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF ITS COLLECTION & USE OF GAS & HAZARDOUS LIQUID PIPELINE ACCIDENT DATA. WITHIN TWO YEARS, RSPA WILL IMPLEMENT THE COMPREHENSIVE DATABASE IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

Addressee Acronym: RSPA

Addressee Organization Type: G-Federal Government

Communication Date: 1998-02-09

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE RSPA & NTSB SHARE THE SAME GOALS OF PIPELINE SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. RSPA IS COMMITTED TO MAKING PIPELINE DATA USEFUL FOR THE PURPOSES IDENTIFIED BY NTSB IN ITS RECOMMENDATION. IN ADDITION, RSPA RECOGNIZES THE PURPOSES IDENTIFIED BY NTSB IN ITS RECOMMENDATION. IN ADDITION, RSPA RECOGNIZES THE NEED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR IDENTIFYING & OBTAINING ADEQUATE GAS & HAZARDOUS LIQUID DATA TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PIPELINE RISK MANAGMENT DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. WE ARE TAKING ACTION ON THIS RECOMMENDATION THROUGH DATABASE INITIATIVES & JOINT DATA NEEDS ASSESSMENTS BY RSPA & THE PIPELINE INDUSTRY. AMONG THE EFFORTS OUTLINES IN DETAIL IN THE ENCLOSED WORKING DOCUMENT, WE PLAN TO EXPLORE INDEPENDENT DATA SOURCES, PARTNER WITH INDUSTRY ON JOINT DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS, & INTRODUCE ELECTRONIC DATA REPORTING. IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, WE ASK THAT NTSB CONTINUE TO CLASSIFY THIS RECOMMENDATION AS "OPEN ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE" WHILE WE CONTINUE WORK ON IMPROVING PIPELINE SAFETY DATA. IF WE CAN BE OF FURTHER ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER, PLEASE CONTACT ME OR MR. BILL VINCENT, DIRECTOR OF POLICY & PROGRAM SUPPORT, AT (202) 366-4831.