NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-70-028

Page 1Official PDF-, 2 - i s a l s o aware t h a t managers of a n o t h e r m u n i c i p a l system i n S c o t t s v i l l e , a d v i s e d t h a t t h e y were uninformed o f t h e i r r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s Kentucky, under t h e A c t . c a s e s , g a s Thus, it i s e v i d e n t t h a t forwarding such n o t i c e s h a s , i n some n o t a c t u a l l y s e r v e d t h e i n t e n d e d purpose o f i n f o r m i n g m u n i c i p a l system o p e r a t o r s of t h e i r o b l i g a t i o n s under t h e A c t . The n o t i c e s r e c e i v e d by t h e m u n i c i p a l i t i e s c o n s i s t o f r e p r i n t s of p o r t i o n s of t h e F e d e r a l Register. The r e p r i n t s of t h e F e d e r a l R e g i s t e r do not c l e a r l y s t a t e t o t h e uninformed r e c i p i e n t a t t h e m u n i c i p a l level t h a t he h a s i n c u r r e d a r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . F o r example, t h e t i t l e o f t h e r e p r i n t " I n t e r i m Minimum F e d e r a l S a f e t y S t a n d a r d s f o r t h e T r a n s p o r t a t i o n o f N a t u r a l and Other Gas by P i p e l i n e , " does n o t s u g g e s t t h a t m u n i c i p a l systems a r e i n c l u d e d . The r e p r i n t does n o t mention any involvement o f m u n i c i p a l i t i e s u n t i l t h e m i d d l e o f t h e t h i r d column of text. While such n o t i c e s f u l f i l l l e g a l r e q u i r e m e n t s , o u r concern i s t h a t t h e system o f n o t i f i c a t i o n of t h e s e companies of t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s i s n o t effective. T r u l y e f f e c t i v e n o t i f i c a t i o n o f such r e g u l a t i o n s i s r e q u i r e d i f t h e ' t o t a l system of s a f e t y c o n t r o l t h r o u g h F e d e r a l s t a n d a r d s i s t o o p e r a t e . Thus, e f f e c t i v e n o t i f i c a t i o n i s a s i m p o r t a n t as t h e w r i t t e n r e g u l a t i o n s themselves. 'i For t h e s e r e a s o n s , t h e N a t i o n a l T r a n s p o r t a t i o n S a f e t y Board recommends t h a t t h e O f f i c e of P i p e l i n e S a f e t y c o n t a c t each m u n i c i p a l g a s system under i t s j u r i s d i c t i o n t o e x p l a i n c l e a r l y the r e q u i r e m e n t s zg o f t h e Act and previous1.y d i s t r i b u t e d noti.ces s o t h a t no misunder- s t a n d i n g exists. Such n o t i f i c a t i o n could b e by letter, either r e g i s t e r e d or c e r t i f i e d , t o the r e s p o n s i b l e o f f i c i a l of t h e c i t y , such a s t h e Mayor o r c i t y a t t o r n e y , a d d r e s s e d by name. An acknowledgement from e a c h m u n i c i p a l i t y t h a t it u n d e r s t a n d s i t s o b l i g a t i o n s s h o u l d a l s o b e c o n s i d e r e d . I n summary, i t i s noted t h a t i n two r e c e n t c a s e s , m u n i c i p a l g a s o p e r a t o r s were n o t aware o f t h e i r r e q u i r e m e n t s u n d e r t h e Act. C l e a r l y i n f o r m i n g t h e s e municipal g a s o p e r a t o r s o f the r e q u i r e m e n t s o f the A c t , and f o l l o w i n g up t o a s s u r e compliance w i t h a p p l i c a b l e r e g u l a t i o p s , s h o u l d improve p i p e l i n e s a f e t y i n t h e c i t i e s and comnunities sei-ved by t h e s e m u n i c i p a l systems. S i n c e r e l y y o u r s , Chairman#