NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-76-016

Page 1Official PDFFOR RELEASE: 6:30 A-M,, E,D,T,, JUNE 22, 1976 (202) 426-8787 ISSUED: June 22, 1976 Secretary Department of Transportation Washington, D. C. 20590 i SAFETY RECOMMENDAT ION (S) P-76-16 About 3 : 0 0 p.m. on January 17, 1975, a pipe ruptured a t t h e Mid-Valley Pipeline Company's Lima, Ohio, crude o i l terminal. A motor-operated valve within t h e terminal had been closed inadvert- e n t l y and pressure had b u i l t up. When the pressure exceeded the 720- p s i 9 working pressure r a t i n g of a substandard flange, a 14-inch long crack developed. Crude o i l was splayed from the crack, atomized, ignited, and burned; flames r e s u l t e d which were more than 100 feet high. A t t e m p t s t o extinguish t h e fire and t o shut o f f valves t o the terminal were hampered when overhead high-tension power l i n e s burned, arced, and f e l l i n t o t h e p i p e l i n e terminal yard. The fire destroyed t h e terminal buildings and k i l l e d the terminal deliveryman. The f i r e a t t h e Mid-Valley Lima terminal s t a r t e d about 3 p.m. By 3:30 p.m., personnel from t h e adjoining p i p e l i n e f a c i l i t y had gained access t o t h e Mid-Valley terminal yard and had s t a t e d t o close t h e i n l e t valves t o t h e s t a t i o n . However, before they could complete t h i s t a s k , flames from t h e f i r e reached the 130-kilovolt power l i n e s t h a t were located d i r e c t l y above t h e shutoff valves, and a l l emergency personnel had to r e t r e a t from t h e terminal yard. By t h e t i m e t h a t t h r e e power l i n e s had f a l l e n and t h e current had been shut o f f , several hours had elapsed. The valves beneath t h e power l i n e s were not closed u n t i l 6:45 p.m. and t h e fire was not extinguished u n t i l 7 : 3 0 p.m. 1534-A#

Page 2Therefore, the National Transportation Safety Board rec t h a t the Office of Pipeline Safety Operations of the Department of - Transportation: Study and incorporate i n 49 CFR 192 and 195 the overhead power lines on the safety of gas and liquid pipelines minimum safe distances of overhead power l i n e s from compressors, p and terminals should be established where necessary. The locations power lines i n relation t o emergency shutoff valves and gas blowdown f a c i l i t i e s also should be studied and minimum safe distances should established where necessary. (P-76-16) (class 111, Longer-Tern Fol TODD, Chairman, McADAMS, BURGESS, HALEY, and HOGUE, Members. con i n the above recommendation. By: THIS DOCUMFNT W I L L BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC ON THE DATE SHOWN ABOVE. NO PUBLIC DISSEMINATION OF THE INFOMATION CONTAINED HEREIN SHOULD BE MADE BEFORE THAT DATE.#