NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-78-021 through P-78-022

Page 1Official PDFNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. ISSUED: .July 6 , 1978 Mr. J. T. LaBoon President Atlanta Gas Light Company 235 Peachtree Street, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30303 SAFETY R E C O M M E N D A T I O N ( S ) P-78-21 and 22 . _ A t 1 p.m., e.s.t., on December 1, 1977, a 12-inch, cast-iron high- pressure gas main owned by t h e Atlanta Gas Light Company (AGL) was ruptured by a n 8-inch steel I-beam p i l e , which was driven through the pipe a t a construction s i t e i n downtown Atlanta, Georgia. l-/ Within minutes, n a t u r a l g a s a t 10-psig pressure migrated through t h e ground, entered sewer l i n e s and electric conduit systems, and spread i n t o nearby buildings. The gas d i d not i g n i t e , but thousands of people were evacuated from nearby o f f i c e buildings. A valve was closed a t 2:45 p.m. t o shut off t h e flow of gas t o t h e ruptured main, and t h e area w a s declared s a f e a t 4 p.m. I n t h i s accident, t h e construction contractor had c a l l e d the U t i l i t i e s Protection Center (UPC), a l o c a l one-call n o t i f i c a t i o n system, t o n o t i f y AGL of proposed excavation work a t t h e site. The UPC i n s t r u c t e d AGL t o meet with t h e contractor a t t h e construction site. When t h e representative from AGL arrived a t t h e site, he did not meet with t h e contractor and located and marked only t h e e x i s t i n g s e r v i c e and main t h a t supplied gas t o t h e building being demolished at the site. The i n s t r u c t i o n s given by t h e UPC t o AGL were not f u l f i l l e d , and the complete information needed by the contractor was not given. A s a result of its i n v e s t i g a t i o n of t h i s accident, the National Transportation Safety Board recommends t h a t t h e Atlanta Gas Light Company: - I / For more d e t a i l e d information read "Pipeline Accident Report -- Atlanta Gas Light Company, High-pressure Gas Main Rupture, Atlanta, Georgia, December 1, 1977" (NTSB-PAR-78-3) 2360#

Page 2- 2 - I n s t r u c t i t s employees t o respond p r e c i s e l y t o n o t i c e s of planned excavations provided by one-call n o t i f i c a t i o n systems. (Class 11, Action)(P-78-21) P r i o r i t y Develop a s e c t i o n a l i z i n g program of its high- pressure d i s t r i b u t i o n system s o t h a t t h e l o c a t i o n of designated valves w i l l reduce t h e s i z e of an affected area during an emergency. (Class 11, P r i o r i t y Action) (P-78-22) K I N G , Chairman, McADAMS, HOGUE, and DRIVER, Members, concurred in t h e above recommendations.#