NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-71-001

Page 1Official PDF- 21 - RECOMMENDATION On the b a s i s o f Board recommends t h a t : t h i s s t u d y , 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 The Office o f P i p e l i n e S a f e t y of t h e Department of Transpor t i o conduct a s t u d y t o d e v e l o p s t a n d a r d s f o r t h e r a p i d shutdown o f f a i l e d n a t u r a l g a s p i p e l i n e s and work i n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h the F e d e r a l R a i l r o a d A d m i n i s t r a t i o n to d e v e l o p similar s t a n d a r d s f o r l i q u i d p i p e l i n e s . The purpose of t h e r a p i d shutdown is to r e d u c e t h e amount o f hazardous materials r e l e a s e d , and any method which w i l l q u i c k l y r e d u c e t h e amount r e l e a s e d should be considered. The d e g r e e of s e c u r i t y provided bv the s t a n d a r d s should also c o n s i d e r t h e r e l a t i v e h a z a r d o f t h e commodity, the s i z e o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n - a t - r i s k a t p o i n t s a l o n g t h e p i p e l i n e s , and t h e p o t e n t i a l damaging effects o n p r o p e r t y and t h e environment. Two s p e c i a l f a c t o r s concerning t h e p o p u l a t i o n - a t - r i s k should be taken i n t o a c c o u n t ; namely, (1) that t h e q o p u l a t i o n is o f t e n unaware of t h e h a z a r d , and t h e r e f o r e unable t o .scape i t or guard a g a i n s t i t , and (2) t h a t i n many s i t u a t i o n s t h e r i s k is c o n c e n t r a t e d i n a r e l a t i v e l y small p r o p o r t i o n o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n near p i p e l i n e s i n o r d e r t o achieve b e n e f i t s f o r t h e remainder o f the p o p u l a t i o n . The r i s k t o t h o s e n e a r p i p e l i n e s s h o u l d n o t be a p p r e c i a b l y h i g h e r t h a n t h e r i s k t o t h e remainder o f t h e p o p u l a t i o n . A s u b s t a n t i a l l y g r e a t e r d e g r e e o f s e c u r i t y f o r t h o s e n e a r p i p e l i n e s s h o u l d be provided t h a n would be i n d i c a t e d by r e q u i r i n g t h a t t h e c o s t of the s a f e t y measures be j u s t i f i e d e n t i r e l y by t h e lives t o be saved. BY THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: / s i JOHN H. REED Chairman / s / OSCAR M. LAUREL __ Member I s / FRANCIS H. McADAMS Member I s / LOUIS M. THAYER Member I s / ISABEL A . BURGESS Member k c e m b e r 30, 1970.#