NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-76-074 through P-76-075

Page 1Official PDF~ A ~ I O N A ~ TRANSPO TATION SAFETY BOA WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR RELEASE: 6:3O A , M , , E , D ; T , , OCTOBER 27, 1976 ( 2 0 2 ) 426-8787 ISSUED: October 27, 1976 Forwarded to: I M r . Donald H a r t I President American Gas A s s oc i a t i on I 15 15 W i 1 s on Boul. evar d Arlington, Virginia 22209 I Mr Walter E . Rogers President I I I I I n t e r s t a t e Natural Gas I Association of America I I 1660 L S t r e e t , N . W . Washington, D. C . 20036 I I I I I Mr. Frank N . Ikard I I P r e s iden t I I American Petroleum I n s t i t u t e I 2101 L S t r e e t , N . W . I I Washington, D. C . 20037 I SAFETY RECOMMENDATION (S) P-76-74 and P-76-75 A t 1:05 p . m . , on August 9 , 1976, a road grader ruptured a looped, 20-inch, n a t u r a l gas transmission l i n e i n Cartwright, Louisiana. Gas a t 770 psig escaped i n several d i r e c t i o n s from the l i n e ' s two streams and i g n i t e d within seconds. The re- s u l t i n g flame engulfed t h e a r e a , k i l l e d s i x r e s i d e n t s , i n j u r e d one person, and incinerated two houses, a house t r a i l e r , and several acres of land. The Jackson Parish Police Jury (Jury) road grader was cleaning road drainage ditches on schoolbus routes before the opening of Parish schools when i t struck t h e l i n e crossing under G r i f f i n Road. United Gas P i p e Line Company (United), operator of t h e l i n e , had not been n o t i f i e d t h a t t h e ditches would be cleaned.#

Page 2- 2 - P-76-74 and P-76-75 The National Transportation Safety Board's p nary i n v e s t i g a t i o n of t h i s accident disclosed t h a t t h e p i p e l i n e was constructed i n 1949, before Federal regul of the transportation of n a t u r a l gas and before eonstructio of G r i f f i n Road. The p i p e l i n e was o r i g i n a l l y buried 36 i n below the surface; but during construction of the road i n 1972, the pipe cover a t the e a s t drainage d i t c h was by about 2 f e e t . United's a e r i a l p a t r o l observed t structiori, and United dispatched personnel to t h e s i t e t o assure protection of the pipe. Eight pipeline markers we i n s t a l l e d over the 20-inch and 24-inch pipelines. Federa standards f o r newly constructed p i p e l i n e s would require 3 inches of cover a t the drainage d i t c h . Since the construction of G r i f f i n Road, the Jury s t a t e d t h a t i t had not been contacted by, or received any information from, United concerning excavating near p i p e l i n e s . Further, a l l saEety precautions and education of Jury personnel who operate excavation equipment a r e the r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s of t h o p e r a t o r ' s foreman; s a f e t y meetings a r e conducted a t i r r e g u l t times w i t h subject matter chosen by t h e foreman. a company Currently, United comunicates with excavat p a t r o l discovers a c t i v i t y near i t s p i p e l i n e s . Therefore, the National Transportation Safety Board recommends t h a t the I n t e r s t a t e Natural Gas Association of America, the American Petroleum I n s t i t u t e , and the American Gas Association: Advise t h e i r member companies of t h e circum- stances of t h i s accident and urge them to dete mine i f the o r i g i n a l cover depths of t h e i r pipe- l i n e s have been s i g n i f i c a n t l y reduced, and to t a action to c o r r e c t d e f i c i e n t a r e a s . (Class I, U r Followup) (P-76-74) Urge t h e i r member companies t o p a r t i c i p a t e e s t a b l i s h damage prevention programs, i n c l u the "one-call'' n o t i f i c a t i o n system. (Class I Urgent Followup) (P-76-75)#

Page 3- 3 - P-76-74 and P-76-75 TODD, C h a i r m a n , McADAMS, HOGUE, and HALEY, M e m b e r s , concurred i n the above recommendations. BAILEY, V i c e C h a i r m a n , d i d n o t p a r t i c i p a t e . I C h a i r m a n T H I S RECOMMENDATION WILL BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC ON THE I S S U E DATE SHOWN ABOVE. NO PUBLIC DISSEMINATION OF T H I S DOCWENT SHOULD BE MADE P R I O R TO THAT DATE.#