NTSB VICE CHAIRMAN CREDITS PIPELINE REGULATOR WITH PROGRESS AND URGES ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS

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                      NTSB PRESS RELEASE

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National Transportation Safety Board

Washington, DC 20594

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 23, 2010

SB-10-40

 

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NTSB VICE CHAIRMAN CREDITS PIPELINE REGULATOR WITH PROGRESS

AND URGES ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS

 

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Washington, DC - In testimony before the U.S. House of

Representatives Subcommittee on Energy and Environment,

which was meeting on the reauthorization of the Pipeline and

Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), NTSB Vice

Chairman Christopher Hart recognized recent improvements in

the agency's performance but prodded them to enhance the

effectiveness of their oversight functions.

 

Hart credited PHMSA with implementing regulations addressing

integrity management programs for gas transmission

pipelines, hazardous liquid pipelines, and natural gas

distribution pipeline systems.

 

Saying that PHMSA needed to make additional improvements,

Hart cited three pipeline accidents between 2004 and 2009 in

which the Safety Board discovered that both PHMSA and

operator oversight of risk-based assessment programs has

been lacking and has failed to detect flaws and weaknesses.

 

As a result of the investigations, Hart indicated that the

NTSB is concerned that the level of self-evaluation and

oversight currently being exercised is not uniformly applied

by some pipeline operators and PHMSA to ensure that the

risk-based safety programs are effective.

 

"The NTSB believes that to ensure effective risk-based

integrity management programs are employed throughout the

pipeline industry, PHMSA must establish an aggressive

oversight program that thoroughly examines each operator's

decision-making process for each element of its integrity

management program," he said.

 

Hart concluded his testimony by briefly summarizing four

pipeline accident investigations (Cleburne, TX.; Marshall,

Mich.; Romeoville, Ill.; and San Bruno, Calif.) that the

Safety Board has undertaken since the start of the summer.

 

Hart said that while the investigations of the Marshall

rupture and spill of between 800,000 and 1,000,000 gallons

of crude oil, and the San Bruno rupture and fire that killed

seven, are still in the very early stages, area of focus on

either or both investigations would likely include control

center operations, operator notification and emergency

responder activities, pipeline inspection and maintenance,

oversight activities and actions, and pipeline aging.

 

The complete testimony is available at

http://www.ntsb.gov/Speeches/hart/hac100923.html

 

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NTSB Media Contact: Peter Knudson

(202) 314-6100

peter.knudson@xxxxxxxx

 

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