PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO

Incident Narrative

ON APRIL 18, 2013 A PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC (PG&E) CREW WAS WORKING ON AN ALDYL A MAIN REPLACEMENT. AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 HOURS, THE CREW WAS EXCAVATING UNDER A NEARBY 4-INCH STEEL MAIN, WHEN THE SOIL PUSHED ON THE PIPE ASSEMBLY CAUSING A TRANSITION FITTING BETWEEN THE ADJACENT 2-INCH STEEL MAIN AND A 2-INCH PLASTIC MAIN TO BECOME UN-COUPLED RESULTING IN A RELEASE OF GAS. THE USA TICKET (#063983) FOR THE AREA WHERE THE MAIN WAS STRUCK IS VALID, AND THE GAS FACILITIES WERE PROPERLY LOCATED AND MARKED. THE BACKHOE OPERATOR AND THE UTILITY WORKER INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT WERE ADMINISTERED POST-ACCIDENT TESTS FOR DRUGS AND ALCOHOL. THE ALCOHOL AND DRUG TESTS FOR BOTH EMPLOYEES WERE RETURNED WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. THE PG&E INVESTIGATION ON THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT IS ONGOING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, NO FATALITIES, NO IGNITION AND NO MEDIA ON SITE AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT. OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT REROUTED TRAFFIC ON MCKEE ROAD, BLOCKED OFF THE AREA, AND EVACUATED 12 RESIDENTS. THE VOLUME OF GAS RELEASED IS LESS THAN THREE MILLION CUBIC FEET, HOWEVER THE COST OF DAMAGES DUE TO THE RELEASE OF GAS IS ESTIMATED TO BE GREATER THAN $50,000. THUS, THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AT 1538 HOURS AND TO THE CPUC AT 1550 HOURS WHEN THE COST OF DAMAGES WAS ESTIMATED TO EXCEED $50,000.