NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-77-038 through P-77-040

Page 1Official PDF-90 NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. ISSUED: December 9 , 19'77 - - - - . " I . - - - ~ _----_______ ~ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Forwarded to: M r . Thomas Kiley President Pennsylvania Gas and Water Company 39 Public Square Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18711 SAFETY RECOMMENDAT I O N ( S ) P-77-38 through 40 - On June 6, 1977, t h e National Transportation Safety Board made three recommendations a s a r e s u l t of the pipeline explosions on January 25, 1 9 7 7 , near Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The following is a brief chronology of the accident with further recommendations the Board is making i n conjunction w i t h the f u l l report issued by the Board, November 2 3 , 1 9 7 7 . A t 1:36 a.m., e.s.t., on January 25, 1977, a low-order explosion and f i r e destroyed a house i n a.residentia1 area near Williamsport, Pennsylvania; the occupant was not seriously injured by the explosion. &/ A t 1:44 a.m., the fire chief of the Old Lycoming Township Volunteer F i r e Department, which had responded t o the f i r e , requested that the Pennsylvania Gas and Water Company (Penn Gas) be notified of the f i r e and explosion. Because the serviceman assigned t o emergency c a l l s lived i n a town 20 miles away, and i t would have taken him 45 minutes to reach the scene of the accident because of heavy snow, a l o c a l serviceman was dispatched from Williamsport a t 1:55 a.m. A t 2:Ol a.m., firemen again notified the gas company of strong odors of gas a t the accident s i t e . The local serviceman arrived about 2:lO a.m. i n h i s personal vehicle without the necessary tools and equipment to deal effectively with the gas emergency. He concluded that, since there was no gas service into the house that exploded, the gas main w a s leaking. H e telephoned h i s dispatcher for a s t r e e t crew a t 2:15 a.m.; he also drove to the gas company shop f o r a combustible gas indicator (CGI) and other work tools. __ 1/ For more detailed information about t h i s accident, read "Pipeline Accident Report--Pennsylvania Gas and Water Company, Natural Gas Explosions and Fires, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, January 25, 1977" (NTSB-PAR-7 7-4) 2088A#

Page 2- 2 - A t 2 : 3 9 a.m., a few minutes a f t e r the street crew explosion demolished a large house 70 f e e t away. A house and a bystander were k i l l e d by the explosion; including 1 9 firemen, were injured. Automobiles, houses within a one-block radius were damaged The Penn Gas leak procedures mention only cus include the "public" or mention l i a i s o n with public o f f i c i a l s su firemen. Because the two houses t h a t exploded were not served b natural gas, i t is possible that the residents of the houses wer familiar with the smell of the odorant put i n natur hazards of a natural gas leak are, and what the odor of the gas i n house portends. If the volunteer firemen or the residents of the h that fronted on the s t r e e t that contained the high-pressure g knew more of the hazards of natural gas, the nearby houses p r could have been evacuated sooner and the f a t a l i t i e s The gas company dispatcher did not obtain enough info determine i f t h e leak i n i t i a l l y should have been designated as a "major gas leak" which required the p r i o r i t y respo f u l l y equipped s t r e e t crew. This f a i l u r e of t h e d i more information from the f i r e department indicates on gas emergency procedures. If a s t r e e t crew had been o r i g i n a l l dispatched, i t would have had approximately one-ha1 investigation before the second explosion. This probably been enough time t o check and evacuate nearby houses. The one-half hour of f i e l d investigation time might not have been enough time t o shut off the hig t o thereby prevent the second explosion. And, i n t pressure shutoff valve that w a s shown on gas main drawings to actually did not e x i s t , so searching f o r i t would have been fr I f t h e valve had been designated a s an emergency sh have had t o be inspected annually, and its absence should hav detected during the f i r s t annual inspection severa Therefore, the National Transportation Safety B che Pennsylvania Gas and Water Company: I n i t i a t e an effeccive general public and gas customer information program about the nature, characteristics, and hazards of natural gas and what to do when i t encountered. (Class 11, P r i o r i t y Action)(P-7#

Page 3Test t h e effectiveness of the emergency procedure training of a l l operating personnel. If the training i s found t o be ineffective f o r any group of employees, provide additional instruction. (Class 11, Priority Action)(P-77-39) Verify the location of a l l high-pressure shutoff valves shown on gas main a t l a s e s and change maps where necessary. (Class 11, P r i o r i t y Action)(P-77-40) BAILEY, Acting Chairman, McADAMS, HOGUE, and K I N G , Members, concurred i n the above recommendations. By: Kay Bailey Acting Chairman#