NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter P-80-039 through P-80-042

Page 1Official PDFWASHINGTON, I S S U E D : June 4 , 1980 Mr. Peter F. Lepanto City Manager City H a l l P.O. Box 569 Cordele, Georgia 31015 I P 8 0 3 SAFETY RECOMMENDAT I ON ( S ) - - 9 throurrh -42 -----------I--------l______________l____- I A t 1 1 : l O a.m., est., on February 21, 1980, an explosion and fire destroyed four stores in a shopping complex and severely damaged an adjoining restaurant in Cordele, Georgia. Of the eight persons who were injured, three died later as a result of their injuries. Property damage was extensive. The gas department construction crew responded promptly to the accident and s h u t off t h e gas to the affected section of the shopping complex by digging up and closing the tap tee on the gas main. Gas shutoff was completed 45 minutes after the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board's continuing investigation of the accident has revealed that natural gas leaked from a 1-inch steel service line, which had been pulled from a 1-inch compresion coupling, and migrated under a concrete slab floor and into a jewelry store where i t was ignited by an unknown source. On February 18, 1980, a crew from the City of Cordele Gas Department discontinued gas service to a gasoline service station. Since no maps, records, or measurements were available, the crew used a pipe locator to locate t h e service line and a backhoe to dig for it. While digging for the service line, the backhoe struck and broke it directly behind a row of stores. The crew promptly installed a 1-inch valve and closed it. The crew took no additional action to determine the possibility of further damage. During the investigation, a survey revealed heavy concentrations of gas in the south end of the shopping complex and parking areas and around a 6-inch gas main adjacent to the jewelry store. Further investigation revealed that the service line had been pulled from a compression coupling located approximately 14 feet upstream of the closed valve when the backhoe struck it. Natural gas at 22 psig leaked from the broken coupling. Cordele officials did not report this accident telephonically to the National Response Center until 4:30 p.m., on February 21, 1980, over 5 hours after t h e accident. The Safety Board received its first notification of the accident at 4:35 p.m., on February 21, 1980, and arrived at the accident site at 4:30 p.m., on February 22, 1980, 29 hours after the accident. 2944#

Page 2-2- On January 29, 1971, a letter was written by Mr. Joseph C. Director, Office of Pipeline Safety, U.S. Department of Transportation, operator of gas pipeline facilities, which stated, in part: "49 CFR 191.5 requires each operator to give direct telephone n Office of Pipeline Safety at the earliest practicab discovery of certain types of leaks described therein, and identi information to be furnished. In most cases this tele should be made within one to two hours after discovery.' OPSO Advisory Bulletin No. 77-6, June 1977 addressed the fact that s been delinquent in making telephonic notices of reportable leaks to OPSO. The late notification and the consequent late arrival of the Safety Board investigator hampered the timely onsite witness interrogation and the visual inspection of the pipe as it was unearthed. No gas leak Complaints had been received by the gas dep accident. The gas department's records showed that only 195 gallons put into the gas distribution system between March and November 1979. Records did not exist to corroborate that the odorant level required by 49 CFR 192.625 was maintained. However, the use of only 195 gallons of odorant in this system over a 9-month period would not be consistent with maintenance of an adequate level of odorization as prescribed by regulation. W e l l odorized gas, leaking a t 22 psig pressure from the open end of a I-inch service line for 3 days before the explosion, should have been easily detected. In addition, if the crew had used a spotting bar and a combustible gas indicator (CGI) upstream of the break to determine if additional gas w a s leaking, ti would not have occurred because the compression coupling pullout have been revealed and repaired. The Safety Board is concerned with the unsafe operational practices in the City of Cordele Gas Department. Therefore, t h e National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the City of Cordele Gas Department: Immediately establish gas pipeline system maps and records to include distribution services and maintain gas systems operating and mainten (P-80-39) Instruct its gas department crews to specifically loc means before excavating. (Class I, Urgent Action) (P-8 Develop and implement cdorization monitoring proced the requirements of 49 CFR 192.625. (Class II, Priority Instruct its gas department emplo that ell leaks resulting from exca repaired. (Class I, Urgent Action) (P-80-42) KING, Chairman, DRIVER, Vice Chairman Members, concurred in these recommendations.#