A 2019 pipeline explosion in Lincoln County that killed one person and destroyed five homes occurred when the pipeline ruptured and released natural gas that caught fire, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday.
Fourteen other homes were damaged as the fire burned about 30 acres in the Moreland community. One woman, 58-year-old Lisa Derringer, was killed. Five other people were injured when the explosion caused multiple fires in a nearby subdivision.
According to the NTSB report, the 30-inch pipeline, owned and operated by Canadian company Enbridge Inc., had a preexisting manufacturing defect known as a hard spot, the agency said. That combined with a degraded pipeline coating and ineffective cathodic protection led to cracking induced by hydrogen at the outer surface.
Cathodic protection prevents corrosion where the coating has been damaged, according to the agency.
The NTSB said Enbridge’s integrity management program did not accurately assess the pipeline condition or estimate risk, contributing to the accident.
In an emailed statement, Enbridge spokesman Michael Barnes said the company was “deeply sorry for the impact to the community and to the family who lost a loved one.” He called the findings “a stark reminder” of the importance of safely maintaining and operating the company’s pipelines.
The NTSB issued safety recommendations to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and Enbridge Inc. The safety recommendations address topics including incomplete evaluation of risks, incomplete assessment of threats and missed training opportunities.
The pipeline stretches 9,000 miles from Texas to New York City.
To read the entire NTSB report, click here.
(Photo of crater caused by explosion courtesy of the NTSB)
By Ken Howlett, News Director and the Associated Press
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
