NTSB Safety Recommendation P-99-003

NTSB safety recommendation P-99-003.

THE NTSB RECOMMENDS THAT THE AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION: INFORM YOUR MEMBERS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE 7/21/97, PIPELINE RUPTURE AND FIRE IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN, AND URGE THEM TO INCLUDE IN THEIR DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS ACTIONS TO PROTECT THEIR EXISTING UNDERGROUND FACILITIES FROM DAMAGE WHEN DIRECTIONAL DRILLING OPERATIONS ARE PERFORMED IN PROXIMITY TO THOSE FACILITIES.

Priority: CLASS II

Overall Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Issued Date: 1999-04-28

Adopted Date: 1999-04-20

Overall Date Closed: 1999-11-17

Synopsis: ABOUT 2:33 P.M. ON 7/21/97, A 20-INCH-DIAMETER STEEL NATURAL GAS TRANSMISSION PIPELINE OWNED AND OPERATED BY CITIZENS GAS & COKE UTILITY COMPANY (CITIZENS GAS) RUPTURED AND RELEASED NATURAL GAS NEAR AN INTERSECTION ADJOINING THE CHARTER POINTE SUBDIVISION IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN. THE GAS IGNITED AND BURNED, KILLING ONE RESIDENT AND INJURING ANOTHER. ABOUT 75 RESIDENTS REQUIRED TEMPORARY SHELTER. SIX HOMES WERE DESTROYED, AND ABOUT 65 OTHERS SUSTAINED DAMAGE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO BE DOCUMENTED BY THE LOCAL INVESTIGATION TEAM.

Probable Cause: The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of Citizens Gas and Miller to have adequate controls in place to ensure that directional drilling operations carried out in the proximity of existing underground facilities would not cause damage to those facilities.

Ntsbnumber: DCA97FP005

Report Number: PAB-99-02

Addressee Name: American Gas Association

Addressee Status: Closed - Acceptable Action

Addressee Date Closed: 1999-11-17

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1999-06-28

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Letter Mail Controlled 7/12/99 4:03:57 PM MC# 990740 THE AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION (AGA) IS PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT WE HAVE URGED OUR MEMBERS TO INCLUDE IN THEIR DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS ACTIONS TO PROTECT THEIR EXISTING UNDERGROUND FACILITIES FROM DAMAGE WHEN DIRECTIONAL DRILLING OPERATIONS ARE PERFORMED IN PROXIMITY TO THOSE FACILITIES. OUR MISSION INCLUDES PROMOTING OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AMONG OUR MEMBERS, AND MAINTAINING SAFETY IS CRITICAL TO ACHIEVING SUCH EXCELLENCE. IN ITS PAST TRANSACTIONS, THE GAS PIPING TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE (GPTC) HAS CONSIDERED DIRECTIONAL BORING AND DEVELOPED APPROPRIATE GUIDE MATERIAL. IN VIEW OF THE NTSB'S RECOMMENDATION, AGA HAS TAKEN AN ADDITIONAL STEP OF ASKING THE GPTC TO CONSIDER MAKING THIS GUIDE MATERIAL MORE ACCESSIBLE TO GAS OPERATORS, TO HELP ENHANCE SAFETY. THE GPTC DEVELOPS THE GPTC GUIDE, WHICH ADDRESSES TOPICS DIRECTLY COVERED IN THE PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATIONS. ALTHOUGH THESE REGULATIONS DO NOT ADDRESS DIRECTIONAL BORING, AGA HAS SUGGESTED THAT THERE COULD BE AN APPROPRIATE VEHICLE FOR SUCH MATERIAL TO BE DISSEMINATED BY THE GPTC, EVEN IF ITS DIRECT INCLUSION IN THE GUIDE IS PRECLUDED. ATTACHED TO THIS LETTER IS A COPY OF OUR LETTER TO THE GPTC. ALSO ATTACHED IS A COPY OF THE NOTICE TO OUR MEMBERS URGING THEM TO INCLUDE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS IN THEIR DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. IF WE CAN ASSIST YOU FURTHER WITH THIS MATTER, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 2005-01-18

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: Attached for your information are guidelines for directional boring developed by and AGA standing committee (Distribution, Construction and Maintenance Committee). We are sharing this document with you as a follow-up to Jim Hall's letter of November 17, 1999 (see attachment 2). At the time we responded to Chairman Hall, we mentioned in our response letter that the Gas Piping Technology Committee (GPTC) would be addressing the issue. That committee is still working on the guidelines under GPTC transaction number TR 2000-11. The attached guidelines are being forwarded as input to the GPTC and we believe, represent a solid interim step in providing guidance to help ensure safety of directional boring operations and the nearby infrastructure.

Addressee Acronym: AGA

Addressee Organization Type: A-Associations

Communication Date: 1999-11-17

Communication Type: Official Correspondence

Communication Contents: THE SAFETY BOARD IS PLEASED TO LEARN THAT THE AGA HAS ENCOURAGED ITS MEMBERS TO INCLUDE IN THEIR DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS ACTIONS TO PROTECT THEIR EXISTING UNDERGROUND FACILITIES FROM DAMAGE WHEN DIRECTIONAL DRILLING IS DONE NEAR THOSE FACILITIES AND THAT THE AGA, THROUGH ITS GAS PIPING TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE (GPTC), IS CONSIDERING MAKING GUIDELINES ON THIS ISSUE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO GAS OPERATORS. BECAUSE THE AGA INFORMED ITS MEMBERS AS REQUESTED AND HAS URGED THEM TO INCLUDE IN THEIR DAMAGE PREVENTION PROGRAMS ACTIONS TO PROTECT THEIR EXISTING UNDERGROUND FACILITIES FROM DAMAGE WHEN DIRECTIONAL DRILLING OPERATIONS ARE PERFORMED IN PROXIMITY TO THOSE FACILITIES, P-99-3 HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED "CLOSED--ACCEPTABLE ACTION." THE SAFETY BOARD ENCOURAGES AGA TO CONTINUE EFFORTS THROUGH GPTC TO MAKE GUIDANCE ON THIS ISSUE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO GAS OPERATORS. THE BOARD WOULD APPRECIATE RECEIVING A COPY OF ANY WRITTEN GUIDANCE ON THIS ISSUE.