NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-15-023 through P-15-024

Page 1Official PDFNational Transportation Safety Board Washington, DC 20594 Safety Recommendation Date: February 10, 2015 In reply refer to: P-15-23 through -24 Mr. Dave McCurdy President and Chief Executive Officer American Gas Association 400 North Capitol Street, NW Suite 450 Washington, DC 20001 The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant accidents in other modes of transportation—railroad, highway, marine, and pipeline. We determine the probable cause of the accidents and issue safety recommendations aimed at preventing future accidents. In addition, we carry out special studies concerning transportation safety and coordinate the resources of the federal government and other organizations to provide assistance to victims and their family members affected by major transportation disasters. We are providing the following information to urge the American Gas Association to take action on the safety recommendations being issued in this letter. On January 27, 2015, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) adopted its safety study, Integrity Management of Gas Transmission Pipelines in High Consequence Areas. Additional information about this study and the resulting recommendation(s) may be found in the study, which can be accessed at our website, http://www.ntsb.gov, under report number SS-15/01. As a result of this investigation, we reiterated Safety Recommendation P-11-7; reclassified Safety Recommendation P-11-17; and issued 28 new recommendations, including 22 to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, 2 to the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, 1 to the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives, 1 to the Federal Geographic Data Committee, and the following 2 recommendations to the American Gas Association: 201500071 8612#

Page 22 P-15-23 Work with the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America to collect data that will support the development of probabilistic risk assessment models, and share these data with gas transmission pipeline operators. P-15-24 Work with the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America to develop and implement a strategy for increasing the use of in-line inspection tools as appropriate, with an emphasis on intrastate pipelines. Acting Chairman HART, and Members SUMWALT and WEENER concurred in these recommendations. The NTSB is vitally interested in these recommendations because they are designed to prevent accidents and save lives. We would appreciate receiving a response from you within 90 days detailing the actions you have taken or intend to take to implement them. When replying, please refer to the safety recommendations by number. We encourage you to submit your response electronically to correspondence@ntsb.gov. If it exceeds 10 megabytes, including attachments, please e-mail us at the same address for instructions. Please do not submit both an electronic copy and a hard copy of the same response. [Original Signed] By: Christopher A. Hart, Acting Chairman#