The NTSB’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Division, located in the Office of Railroad, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Investigations (RPH), is the smallest modal investigation group within the agency. There is a Division Chief, and six additional accident investigators – four pipeline investigators and two hazardous materials investigators.  Combined, they have more than 50 years of accident investigation experience at the Safety Board.  The Division is charged with investigating pipeline accidents involving a fatality or substantial property damage and investigating accidents involving the transportation of hazardous materials, either as a lead division or in support of an investigation of an accident in other modes of transportation when the release of hazardous materials is involved.

This little office may not be well known by the public, but they certainly keep a busy schedule.

In a span of about six weeks in August and September 2010, the Division launched on two major pipeline accidents and an incident involving a pipeline leak.  Prior to these launches, the pipeline staff had already experienced a busy summer with an earlier launch and a pipeline reauthorization hearing in June.    

“Because of the size of the pipeline staff, a major pipeline accident launch and investigation involves all of us,” said Robert Trainor, chief of the division.  “With two pipeline accidents occurring so close together and generating national interest, the challenges to the pipeline staff were higher than I can recall in my 23 years at the NTSB.” 

On July 27, the NTSB launched a go-team to investigate a pipeline accident and resulting oil spill in Marshall, Michigan.  A 30-inch crude oil pipeline, operated by Enbridge Energy Limited Partnership, leaked into a creek leading to the Kalamazoo River.  The NTSB five-member team was led by Investigator-in-Charge Matt Nicholson, who was a relative newcomer, having joined the Safety Board in January 2010.    

Three members of the team, Karl Gunther, Chuck Koval, and Dana Sanzo, accompanied the IIC to Michigan.  Gunther served as the Operations Group Chairman, Koval served as the Environmental Response Group Chairman, and Sanzo assisted on environmental and emergency response documentation.  Dr. Steve Jenner, the fourth member of the NTSB’s team, was launched to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to Enbridge’s pipeline control center.  Matt Fox, from NTSB’s Materials Lab, Jane Terry from the Office of Government Affairs, and Public Affairs Officer Peter Knudson also supported the team.     

Later Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman and Steve Klejst, Director of RPH, joined the team in Michigan.  

On September 9, 2010, dozens of homes were destroyed and 8 people died following a pipeline fire and explosion in San Bruno, California.  The next morning, the Safety Board launched a go-team with Ravi Chhatre serving as the Investigator-in-Charge of the seven-member team.  Vice Chairman Christopher Hart accompanied the team and served as principal spokesman for the on-scene investigation.  Other team members included Harkey Mayo, Special Assistant to the Vice Chairman; Karl Gunther, Operations Group Chairman; Rick Narvell; Human Performance Group Chairman; Rick Downs, Survival Factors Specialist; Peter Knudson, Public Affairs Officer; and Elias Kontanis, Transportation Disaster Assistance. 

In addition to these investigations, the remaining members of the Division, hazardous materials investigators Crystal Thomas and Paul Stancil, continue their work on hazardous materials investigations.    

Paul Stancil is designated as the Environmental Group Response Chairman, in assisting the Office of Marine Safety with its investigation of the January 23, 2010 marine accident in Port Arthur, Texas.  Stancil was also the Hazardous Materials Group Chairman for the 2009 Cherry Valley, Illinois railroad accident when 19 railroad tank cars of denatured fuel enthanol derailed, resulting in a release of 323,000 gallons of product, one fatality, nine injuries and the evacuation of 600 nearby residents.  Additionally, Stancil is the Hazardous Materials Group Chairman for the October 22, 2009 Indianapolis, Indiana highway accident involving the overturn of a semitrailer containing about 9,000 gallons liquefied petroleum gas. 

Crystal Thomas is the Investigator-in-Charge for the on-going investigation of a July 15, 2009 accident in Swansea, South Carolina that occurred when a cargo transfer hose ruptured shortly after transfer of anhydrous ammonia began from a Werner Transportation Services, Inc. cargo tank truck to a storage tank at the Tanner Industries, Inc. facility. Later, when UPS Flight 6 crashed on approach to Dubai International Airport, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Thomas joined the NTSB team that launched to provide technical assistance to the UAE investigation.  Thomas joined the team as Cargo Group Chairman and launched to Louisville, Kentucky.