NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-76-073

Page 1Official PDFNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOA WASHINGTON, D.C. I S S U E D : October 2 , 1976 ------------__-_________________________- I Forwarded to: Honorable W i l l i a m T . Coleman, Jr. I Secretary I Department of Transportation I SAFETY RECOMMENDATION(S) Washington, D . C. 20590 I , 12-76-73 Honorable C . C . Whatley I P r e s i d e n t I Alabama Public Service Commission I P . 0 . Box 9 9 1 I Montgomery, Alabama 36130 I .................................. A t 7 a.m. on March 27, 1 9 7 6 , a two-story b u i l d i n g t h a t housed Phenix Cutting and Sewing, I n c . i n Phenix C i t y , Alabama, exploded and burned. The explosion and f i r e k i l l e d the s i x persons i n t h e b u i l d i n g . - 1/ The National Transportation Safety Board's i n v e s t i - g a t i o n of t h e a c c i d e n t d i s c l o s e d t h a t n a t u r a l gas a t 20-psig p r e s s u r e had leaked from a cracked 3-inch c a s t i r o n main, which w a s l o c a t e d 1 2 f e e t from t h e b u i l d i n g under concrete s t e p s which l e d from t h e s t r e e t up t o t h e sidewalk. The 3-inch pipe was cracked c i r c u m f e r e n t i a l l y and gas which leaked from t h i s crack w a s trapped from above by t h e concrete s t e p s . Consequently gas seeped i n t o a v a u l t e d a r e a under t h e sidewalk and i n t o t h e base- ment of t h e b u i l d i n g through holes i n t h e w a l l , where i t was i g n i t e d by an unknown source. The 3-inch c a s t i r o n pipe was l o c a t e d under, and a t p o i n t s touching, t h e concrete s t e p s , a t about t h e same e l e v a t i o n as t h e s t r e e t . Also i n s t a l l e d under t h e s t e p s were a 6-inch c a s t i r o n gas main and a 24-inch storm sewer l i n e a t depths of 2 f e e t and 4 f e e t , r e s p e c t i v e l y . From an i n s p e c t i o n made by t h e Phenix City Building Department on March 1 3 , 1975, t h e City was aware t h a t during heavy r a i n s , water e n t e r e d the b u i l d i n g e i t h e r from t h e storm - 1/ The National Transportation Safety Board w i l l n o t i s s u e a f u l l r e p o r t on t h i s a c c i d e n t . 1898#

Page 2- 2 - P-76-73 sewer o r from cracks i n t h e sidewalk. Water'from e i t h e r source had t h e p o t e n t i a l t o undermine t h e p i p e ' s foundation, and thus enable t h e v i b r a t i o n s from t r a f f i c on t h i s major a r t e r y between Columbus, Georgia, and Phenix C i t y t o s t r e s s t h e p i p e . Neither t h e C i t y ' s Building Official's Office n o r t h e Public Works Department n o t i f i e d t h e U t i l i t i e s Department of t h e problem s i n c e they d i d n o t r e a l i z e t h a t t h e water flow could undermine t h e gas main. On numerous occasions, t h e Alabama P u b l i c Service Contmis has i d e n t i f i e d o p e r a t i o n s of t h e Phenix C i t y U t i l i t i e s Board t h a t do n o t conform t o 49 CFR 192 and has r e q u i r e d c o r r e c t i v e a c t i o n . Although t h e U t i l i t i e s Board c o r r e c t e d t h e d e f i c i e n c t h e c o r r e c t i o n s were s h o r t - l i v e d because management of t h e gas o p e r a t i o n s changed f r e q u e n t l y . The d e f i c i e n c i e s included i n - frequent and inadequate l e a k surveys, inadequate response t o r e p a i r l e a k s found, i n a b i l i t y o f t h e gas system personnel t o f i n d l e a k s found by t h e surveys, and inadequate r e p a i r o f l e a k s . The most r e c e n t l e a k survey (April 1975) d e t e c t e d a Class 111 l e a k over a 2-inch c a s t i r o n main a c r o s s t h e s t r e e t from t h e a c c i d e n t s i t e . Although gas system personnel recorded on December 1 2 , 1975, t h a t no leak could be found, t h e Alabama Public Service Commission l o c a t e d a l e a k on March 28, 1 9 7 6 , i n t h e a r e a of t h e o r i g i n a l r e p o r t which appeared t o be t h e Class 111 l e a k o r i g i n a l l y d e t e c t e d . On A p r i l 1, 1975 a flame i o n i z a t i o n l e a k survey w a s per- formed i n f r o n t of t h e Phenix Cutting and Sewing Company whic d e t e c t e d gas under t h e e a s t e r n p o r t i o n of t h e s t e p s . Gas records show t h a t a l e a k a t a j o i n t on t h e 3-inch main w a s recaulked east of t h e s t e p s (no leak clamp w a s i n s t a l l e d 21) There i s no r e c o r d t h a t a l e a k check w a s performed a f t e r Ehe j o i n t was recaulked t o assure t h a t t h e source of t h e gas which was d e t e c t e d under t h e s t e p s had been e l i m i n a t e d t h e r e p a i r Public Law 90-481 a u t h o r i z e s t h e S e c r e t a r y o f t h e Departm of Transportation (DOT) t o monitor S t a t e enforcement practices and o t h e r i n s p e c t i o n s and i n v e s t i g a t i o n s t h a t would a i d i n the enforcement of t h e p r o v i s i o n s of t h e Act. Through s e l e c t i v e u of t h i s p r o v i s i o n , DOT can a s c e r t a i n t h e e f f e c t i v e n e s s of an o p e r a t o r s compliance w i t h DOT'S r e g u l a t i o n s . Therefore, t h e National Transportation S a f e t y Board r e c o mends t h a t t h e Department of Transportation i n conjunction w i t h e i r S t a t e Agent, t h e Alabama P u b l i c Service Commission: Monitor a c t i o n s taken by O f f i c i a l s of Phenix C i t y , Alabama, t o determine the degree of compliance and t o i n s t i t u t e necessary c o r r e c t i v e a c t i o n . (P-76-73) (Class 11, P r i o r i t y Followup) - 2/ Leak clamps r e q u i r e d by 49 CFR 192.753(b).#

Page 3- 3 - P- 76-7 3 TODD, Chairman, BAILEY, Vice Chairman, McADAMS, HOG'IJE, and HALEY, Members, concurred in the above recommendation. B y : Webster B . kodd, Jr" Chairman#