CONSUMERS ENERGY CO

Incident Narrative

ON MAY 20, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 10:29 HOURS CONSUMERS ENERGY RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A NATURAL GAS PIPELINE DAMAGE NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HARPER AVENUE AND FIERZ STREET, CLINTON TOWNSHIP (MACOMB COUNTY) MICHIGAN. THE GAS DISTRIBUTION SUPERVISOR WAS ONSITE AT APPROXIMATELY 10:55 HOURS AND A GAS SERVICE WORKER (GSW) ARRIVED ONSITE AT APPROXIMATELY 11:02 HOURS. THE GSW CONFIRMED A THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTOR DAMAGED A 4-INCH STEEL (MEDIUM PRESSURE) PIPELINE WHILE BORING TELECOMMUNICATION CONDUIT. THE GSW BEGAN MONITORING THE AREA FOR GAS MIGRATION AND SERVICE PERSONNEL MONITORED THE AREA UNTIL THE GAS WAS CONTAINED. POLICE AND FIRE PERSONNEL WERE ONSITE AND CLOSED THE ROAD TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLE TRAFFIC. NO FATALITIES OR INJURIES OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE AND SUBSEQUENT NATURAL GAS RELEASE. A DISTRIBUTION CREW ARRIVE ONSITE AT APPROXIMATELY 12:12 HOURS AND DEVELOPED A PLAN TO ISOLATE AND ARREST THE BLOWING GAS. BECAUSE THE PIPELINE DEPTH WAS GREATER THAN 6-FEET, SHORING EQUIPMENT WAS REQUIRED TO SAFELY ACCESS THE PIPELINE. THE DAMAGED SEGMENT WAS ISOLATED AT APPROXIMATELY 18:04 HOURS BY SQUEEZING THE 6-INCH S-MP PIPELINE TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE 4-INCH S-MP PIPELINE WHERE THE DAMAGE OCCURRED. ONCE GAS WAS CONTAINED, CONTROL FITTINGS WERE INSTALLED ON THE 6-INCH S-MP PIPELINE AND THE TWO SECTIONS USED DURING THE SQUEEZING OPERATION WERE REPLACED. THE SECTION OF THE 4-INCH S-MP PIPELINE WHERE THE INITIAL DAMAGE OCCURRED WAS REPLACED AND NORMAL OPERATIONS RESUMED ON MAY 21, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 10:45 HOURS. SERVICE RESTORATION FOR ALL IMPACTED CUSTOMERS BEGAN AFTER THE PIPELINE REPAIR.