NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-78-065

Page 1Official PDFNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. I S S U E D : Octobet 25, 1978 - - - - - - - _ - - - - - - _ L - _ _ _ - - - - - - ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Forwarded to: Honorable David L. Boren Governor State of Oklahoma State Capital Building Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105 P-78-65 Honorable Dolph Briscoe Governor State of Texas State Capital Building Austin, Texas 78701 SAFETY RECOMMENDAT I ON (S) In its Special Study "Safe Service Life for Liquid Petroleum Pipelines" (NTSB-PSS-78-1),the National Transportation Safety Board learned that most pipeline carriers regard ruptures of their pipelines by outside excavation equipment used in construction as their biggest current problem. These ruptures caused the most accidents in 1974 and 1976 and caused the most liquid loss from pipelines. They also caused the most casualties. The frequency of these ruptures has remained relatively constant since 1970 while the number of corrosion-caused ruptures has declined significantly. This reduction is apparently due t o the effectiveness of corrosion-prevention measures and suggests that liquid pipeline operators should make a greater effort to participate in and encourage development of damage-prevention programs. Among the many aspects of an effective damage-prevention program is a "one-call'' system -- a communication system established by two or more agencies or companies to provide excavation contractors, utilities, public agencies, and private citizens with one telephone number to call and notify operators of underground facilities of their intent to use equipment adjacent to these facilities for the purpose of excavating, tunneling, demolition, boring, blasting, etc. Placing this telephone call provides notification to all participating members of the system and allows them an opportunity to locate and mark their facilities near the proposed work o r to post a construction watch if necessary. 2484#

Page 2There are c u r r e n t l y 106 "one-call'' systems i n 40 S t a t e s , and addi- t i o n a l systems a r e planned. Many of t h e systems a r e statewide. A survey of "one-call'' systems conducted i n 1977 claims a markedly down- ward trend i n measured damages i n t h e a r e a s covered by 88 percent of the systems contacted. The Safety Board, i n its report (NTSB-PAR-76-8) of t h e gasoline p i p e l i n e accident i n Los Angeles, California, i n June 1976, i n which nine persons died, noted ' I . . . one-call systems are more e f f e c t i v e and less c o s t l y when a l l underground f a c i l i t i e s operators participate." From 1968 t o 1976, Texas led all o t h e r S t a t e s w i t h 203 e ipment- caused ruptures along its more than 34,000 miles of pipeline.- 97 Oklahoma, t h e S t a t e w i t h the next highest number of accidents, had 88 21 ruptures reported i n t h a t same period on its 8,638 miles of pipeline.- The only "one-call'' system operating i n either Texas or Oklahoma is a system i n t h e c i t y of Houston. Liquid pipelines do not p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h a t s y s t e m , but planning is now underway t o include them. The Safety Board b e l i e v e s t h a t "one-call" systems a r e needed throughout Texas and Oklahoma, and i n o t h e r high-accident areas not covered. The S t a t e of Michigan has only 1,978 m i l e s of pipeline, but d i d not: have any reported equipment-caused ruptures i n 1974, 1 9 7 5 , and 1976. The damage-prevention program i n Michigan has been e f f e c t i v e i n reducing t h e frequency of equipment-caused p i p e l i n e ruptures. The excellent record i n Michigan can be a t t r i b u t e d i n p a r t t o t h e statewide "one-call'' system. The unique f e a t u r e of t h e Michigan s y s t e m is t h a t a l l operators of underground f a c i l i t i e s a r e required 'by S t a t e l a w t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n the system. Currently, 296 operators of underground f a c i l i t i e s are p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n t h e Michigan system as compared t o an average of 12 p a r t i c i p a n t s f o r a l l o t h e r "one-call'' systems. Therefore, t h e National Transportation Safety Board recommends t h a t t h e Governors of t h e S t a t e s of Oklahoma and Texas: Take a c t i o n t o develop and implement statewide "one-call'' excavation n o t i f i c a t i o n systems. (Class 11, P r i o r i t y Action) (P-78-65) K I N G , Chairman, DRIVER, Vice Chairman, McADAMS and HOGUE, Members concurred i n t h e above recommendation. - 1/ I n t e r s t a t e Commerce Commission, Annual Part 6 Pipeline Reports, 1968-1975 - 2 1 Ibid.#