NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-79-006

Page 1Official PDFNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. ISSUED: May 1 5 , 1979 Department of Transportation Washington, D.C. 20590 P-79-6 i - A t 1 2 : O Z a.m., c . d . t . , on August 4 , 1978, propane t h a t had vaporized and spread widely from a ruptured 8-inch l i q u e f i e d petroleum gas (LPG) p i p e l i n e owned by the Mid-America P i p e l i n e System (MAPCO) was i g n i t e d by an unknown source i n a rural a r e a near Donnellson, Iowa. The i n t e n s e f i r e k i l l e d two persons and c r i t i c a l l y burned t h r e e o t h e r s ; one of t h e c r i t i c a l l y burned persons l a t e r died. A farmhouse and s i x outbuildings were destroyed, and two adjacent homes were damaged.&/ S t a t i s t i c s show t h a t LPG is more hazardous than o t h e r petroleum products. Since 1972 t h e Safety Board's i n v e s t i g a t i o n s of LPG accidents have r e s u l t e d i n 11 recommendations regarding rulemaking t o make r e g u l a t i o n s f o r LPG p i p e l i n e s more s t r i n g e n t . On August 8, 1978, t h e OPSO issued its f i r s t of three Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) about LPG p i p e l i n e s . The f i r s t concerned maintenance, operating, and emergency procedures; t h e second, issued August 28, 1978, concerned valve types and valve spacing; and t h e t h i r d , issued November 7 , 1978, concerned t e s t i n g LPG pipelines. The 0PSO has n o t y e t issued any regulations as a r e s u l t of the Safety Board's recommendations o r of t h e rulemaking process. - 1/ For more d e t a i l e d information read "Pipeline Accident Report-- Mid-America P i p e l i n e System Liquefied Petroleum Gas P i p e l i n e Rupture and F i r e , Donnellson, Iowa, August 4 , 1978'' (NTSB-PAR-79-1). 2460-B#

Page 2Therefore, t h e National Transportation Safety Board recommends t h a t t h e Materials Transportation Bureau of t h e U.S. Department of Transportation: Reevaluate a l l recommendations made by t h e Safety Board concerning LPG, and expedite those t h a t r e q u i r e rulemaking. (Class 11, P r i o r i t y Action)(P-79-6) K I N G , Chairman, DRIVER, Vice Chairman, McADAMS and HOGUE, Members, concurred i n t h i s recommendation. Chairman J#