NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-77-015

Page 1Official PDFASHINGTON, D.C. ISSLjED: July 11, 1977 SAFETY RECOMMENDAT ION ( S ) P-77-15 ny (Equitable) was n o t i f i e d of t h e a c c i d e n t site a t 3 : 4 0 p.m. e Pennsylvania P u b l i c p.m. on t h e same day. e t y Operations (oPs0) than 20 hours a f t e r an 15 hours after t h e P u b l i c U t i l i t y Commission 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 of t h e 977. A Safety Board 30 p.m. that evening, r t h e explosion. a b i l i t y t o o b t a i n e x t e n t of gas leakage, c i d e n t s involving E q u i t a b l e and o t h e r companies i n 1977 t o i d e n t n o t i f i c a t i o n s were from 4 days t o 1 month l a t e , and a n nd its n o t i f i c a t i o n i n 2097#

Page 2- 2 - T i t l e 49 CFR 191.5, Telephonic Notice of C e r t a i n Leaks, s t a t e s t h e following: "(a) A t t h e e a r l i e s t p r a c t i c a b l e moment following discovery, each o p e r a t o r s h a l l g i v e n o t i c e i n accordance with paragraph (b) of t h e s e c t i o n of any l e a k t h a t -- Caused a death o r a personal i n j u r y r e q u i r i n g h o s p i t a l i z a t i o n ; Required the taking of any segment of trans- mission p i p e l i n e o u t of s e r v i c e ; Resulted i n gas i g n i t i n g ; Caused estimated damage t o the property of the o p e r a t o r , o r o t h e r s , o r both, of a t o t a l of $5,000 o r more; o r In t h e judgment of t h e operator was s i g n i f - i c a n t even though it did n o t meet t h e c r i t e r i a of subparagraphs (l), ( 2 ) , ( 3 ) , o r ( 4 ) of t h i s paragraph. (b) Each n o t i c e required by paragraph (a) of t h i s s e c t i o n s h a l l be made by telephone t o area code ( 2 0 2 ) 426-0700 and s h a l l include t h e following information: (1) The l o c a t i o n of the l e a k (2) The t i m e of t h e l e a k (3) The f a t a l i t i e s and personal i n j u r i e s , i f any. ( 4 ) A l l o t h e r s i g n i f i c a n t f a c t s t h a t a r e known by t h e operator t h a t a r e r e l e v a n t t o t h e cause of t h e l e a k o r e x t e n t of t h e damages." I n a letter t o a l l o p e r a t o r s of gas p i p e l i n e f a c i l i t i e s and S agencies dated January 29, 1971, the Acting D i r e c t o r of t h e O f f i c e o P i p e l i n e S a f e t y (now OPSO) s t a t e d t h a t I' . . . i n most cases t h i s tel r e p o r t can and should b e made w i t h i n one to two hours a f t e r d i s This letter w a s responsive t o a condition which e x i s t e d a t t h a t which continues t o e x i s t . p i p e l i n e a f t e r In t h e March 1977 P i p e l i n e Advisory B u l l e t i n , OPSO reported t companies should t e l e p h o n i c a l l y n o t i f y OPSO w i t h i n 1 t o discovery. 2 h#

Page 3- 3- P-77-15 Therefore, the National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the Office of Pipeline Safety Operations of the Materials Transportation Bureau: Enforce the notification requirements as stated in 49 CER 191.5, in view of the continuing noncompliance ot pipeline operators. (Class I, Urgent Followup) (P-77-15) TODD, Chairman, BAILEY, Vice Chairman, McADAMS, HOGUE, and HALEY, Members, concurred in the above recommendation. Kay Baily forty: Lobster B. Todd, JI. Chairman Enclosure#